Blake Lively : I got into acting for the free food

Blake Lively says the best thing about being an actress is getting free food.

The 'Gossip Girl' star admits she loves the hospitality she receives when she's on set and joked it was one of the reasons she wanted to get into the acting world.

Blake - who comes from a family of actors - said: "I don't feel like I ever had any sort of Hollywood upbringing. I got to travel and visit my family on set. I got to eat craft service. I actually think that was the reason I got into acting: the free food. I literally remember on my first job being like, 'Yes! I get to have craft service every day!' "

Despite being one of Hollywood's biggest young stars, the 23-year-old beauty admits she is actually very shy but has become more confident as her career grows.

She told Interview magazine: "I'm actually a very shy person - that's a big secret, so don't tell. But being in acting classes pushed me to break out of that a little bit. It's like nature versus nurture: I'm naturally very shy, but I was brought up in a way where I had to get up and get out of that.

"With acting, I think half of it is just acting confident. We stand on these red carpets and pose in these dresses, but we're all only so confident. It doesn't mean we think we're great looking or anything. It's all a facade."