Mary Louise Parker: Single in High School

Mary Louise Parker is a talented actress, single mother and a beauty of both the stage and screen. So it's a bit surprising to hear that she was far from the most popular girl in her high school.

"I never had a date in high school, not one,” she tells More magazine of her crippling awkwardness. That all changed when she went off to college at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. At 17 she became an overnight success. “Every boy wanted to date me. It’s because I was at school with a bunch of artists, a bunch of freaks. It was OK to be what I was. Knowing this made me come out of myself.”

Mary Louise has had to come out of herself quite a bit, appearing on the stage and in movies, as well as the popular show, Weeds. But breaking up with ex Billy Crudup while she was pregnant is something else that's made her think about someone besides herself.

“I’ve never commented on the situation, and I won’t because it’s not fair to my son," she says, before adding, “Who wins? No child can benefit in that situation. Your love for your child should eclipse any other feelings you have for another person.”

And even for a gorgeous actress, it seems the dating scene can be tough these days for a single mom.

“Some men are daunted by it, some are really attracted," she explains. "I had someone ask, ‘Does this mean we can’t go out anytime we want?’ And I said, ‘Yes, that’s exactly what it means. It means you come fourth, ‘cause it’s my kids, my job, my family.’ I don’t ever want to come first to anyone. It’s too much pressure," she admits.