Halle Berry's childhood prayer

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Halle Berry used to pray she would be "cured" of being black.

The stunning actress dreamed of finding a pill to turn her skin white when she was a child, according to Britain's The Sun newspaper.

The 39-year-old - who was the first black woman to win an Oscar, for her performance in "Monster's Ball" - is quoted as saying: "Being a black woman I've struggled with that my whole life - feeling that if I changed, my life would be better."

Meanwhile, the "X-Men" star has also confessed she is insecure about her stunning looks - despite being one of the most beautiful women in the world.

The actress claims the fact she is frequently included on lists of the sexiest actresses doesn't changed her mind about her appearance.

She said: "Although such things do wonders for my confidence, I'm never able to take them seriously."

"If they really knew me, they'd realize that I'm far from secure about my looks."