There’s no denying that Hollywood has long had a problem with objectifying women – and now Kat Dennings has opened up about the ‘cruel’ casting directors she encountered as a child.

Over the course of her decades-long career, 38-year-old Kat has heard it all. Gaining notoriety for her role as Max Black in 2 Broke Girls, the star’s career began long before then – even making a guest appearance in the iconic series Sex and The City when she was just 13 years old.

But a career filled with as many illustrious ups as Kat’s also comes with a torrent of downs. Now, she’s spoken out about learning to brush off critiques at a young age – admitting that the Hollywood industry was ‘cruel’ to her in her teenage years.

Opening up to PEOPLE, Kat revealed, ‘The time that I was auditioning and starting to act, it was a very different environment than it is now. There was not a lot of inclusivity at all. It was very harsh. There was a lot of extremely negative feedback, and people would not hold back.’

Explaining that casting directors would be ‘very cruel,’ even when ‘talking about a child,’ Kat recalled, ‘It was pretty crazy thinking about it. I’m like, how can anyone say that about a little kid? This is insane. For example, I was 12. I’d go into an audition, and I’d do it, and my manager would call me and I’d be like, “How’d it go?” And they’d be like, “Well, they thought you weren’t pretty enough and you’re fat.”

Despite being a teenager, Kat refused to let the comments break her spirit. Admitting she had a ‘very strong’ reaction to the unsolicited comments from adults around her, the star made it her goal to prove her critics wrong.

‘That was my attitude. For some reason, it didn’t break my spirit. I was like, “I’ll show them.” I guess props to my parents, because they were like, “They’re idiots. Don’t listen to them.” And I was like, they’re idiots, I’m not,’ she added.

Hollywood has long had a problem with casual sexism. From ‘too fat’ to ‘too old,’ it appears women’s talents often fall second place to their looks in the world of showbiz – and Kat is far from the first A-lister to open up about the more negative experiences that come from a career in the spotlight.

The 90s and noughties in Hollywood was a minefield, particularly for young women finding their feet. One of those who discovered herself facing the unwarranted opinions of others was Friends icon Jennifer Aniston, 55.

Now a household name, it’s hard to believe that there was ever a time when the star’s talents were doubted. However, when she first started out on her acting career, Jennifer’s agent suggested she lose weight to secure roles. And lose weight Jennifer did – 30 pounds, to be exact.

At the height of Titanic’s success, Kate Winslet, 49, was another star who found her body the focus of conversations. Recalling attending the 1998 Golden Globe awards with the Oscar-winning film, the Rose Dawson star recalled one interviewer saying she looked ‘a little melted and poured’ into the dress, adding she should have worn one ‘two sizes larger.’

‘It’s absolutely appalling,’ said Kate, rewatching the shocking footage years later. ‘What kind of a person must they be to do something like that to a young actress who’s just trying to figure it out?’

At a 2017 event, Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence, 34, revealed her own ‘degrading’ and ‘humiliating’ experience with the film industry. ‘When I was much younger and starting out, I was told by producers of a film to lose 15 pounds in two weeks. During this time, a female producer had me do a nude line-up with about five women who were much, much thinner than me.’

‘We all stood side-by-side with only tape on covering our privates… The female producer told me I should use the naked photos of myself as inspiration for my diet.’

And as Kat’s comments show, even children aren’t safe from Hollywood’s humiliation. Carrie actor Chloe Grace Moretz, 27, is another young star who has spoken about being judged for her body – fat shamed when she was just 15 years old by a co-star. Chloe recalled, ‘This guy that was my love interest was like, ‘I’d never date you in a real life,’ and I was like, ‘What?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, you’re too big for me’ – as in my size. It was one of the only actors that ever made me cry on set.’ Although Chloe opted not reveal the identity of the actor, she confirmed that he was ’23, 24 or 25’ at the time – while she was only 15.

But times are changing – and Kat says that the ‘completely insane’ industry has already made leaps and bounds when it comes to championing women.

Describing today’s climate as ‘much softer, kinder,’ she adds, ‘There’s body positivity, there’s inclusivity, there’s representation, and there was none of that before. It was really gross.’