The Snow White and the Huntsman actress is now regarded as one of the world's most beautiful women but she admits this hasn't always been the case because she had a lot of dental problems as a child.
She said: "My early childhood was quite devastating. I had no teeth until I was 11. I had these fangs because I had jaundice when I was a kid and I was put on so many antibiotics that my teeth rotted. They had to cut them out.
"So I never had milk teeth. That was tough, you know, being in school having photos taken while I was pretending I had teeth. It was hideous."
PHOTOS: Snow White and the Huntsman Premiere
However, Charlize, 36, is now happy with her looks and is also very content in her career and private life after adopting a baby boy, Jackson, earlier this year.
The blonde beauty told The Sun newspaper: "I've never felt more creative and with more energy but on the tiniest amount of sleep.
"I never knew I needed that little sleep. I always had eight hours and now it's, 'Wow, OK, you can function on just four.'
"But Jackson is great. I've always been very aware of balance and, even before I had a child, my life always takes priority to my work.
"I feel very blessed that I have this job but my job is not my life. I'm really lucky that I get to go and do this but my life is pretty kick-ass and I take real priority in that."