Brooke Shields believes adversity "reveals character".

The 59-year-old actress - who first found fame as a child - believes that the strength of her personality has shone through at the most difficult moments in her life.

Asked what she thinks when she sees her younger self on film, Brooke told the Observer newspaper: "I don't pity her. I feel like a lot was unfortunate, but the way I lived through it and weathered it, I think formed my character, a character that I started very quickly to learn to rely on."

Brooke has challenged the idea that adversity serves to build character.

The actress is convinced that she can overcome anything in her life, having been through so many ups and downs already.

She explained: "Whenever I started to feel broken down by the fatigue or the vitriol or the judgement and then later with social media, I looked at that little girl and I thought, she was going to survive no matter what."

Meanwhile, Brooke previously claimed that she's never been "afraid" of ageing.

The actress - who has Rowen, 21, and Grier, 18, with husband Chris Henchy - told PEOPLE: "I've been ageing for so long. I'm used to it by now.

"I think that the messaging around ageing is unfortunately predominantly negative. That is not the narrative that I am living - and we don't deserve to live that narrative."

Brooke's outlook on life actually changed after she turned 50.

She said: "I think after you turn 50, so much opened up for me. I had raised my kids. I had a different place that I was putting myself in my life. I think I was never afraid of the next decade or the next year."