Kate Bosworth: 'Having an acting mentor may have helped avoid depression'

Actress Kate Bosworth will "always regret" not finding herself a Hollywood mentor to help guide her through the pitfalls of fame after struggling with depression during her youth.

The Superman Returns beauty rose to stardom as a teen, after making her movie debut in 1998's The Horse Whisperer and surfing film Blue Crush, but the sudden change from her quiet family life in Connecticut, where she grew up dreaming of becoming a professional equestrian, left her struggling emotionally.

She sought help from a therapist, who helped her overcome her depression issues, but finding her way in Hollywood without guidance proved to be more difficult.

"Young people always think they should have everything sussed; it took me experience to be able to articulate things properly," Kate tells The Sydney Morning Herald's Sunday Life.

"I did have someone who helped me find the tools to navigate a very strange industry and create healthy habits in my life, but no one that advised me artistically," she continues. "I always regret not having a career mentor, so I always encourage young people, especially if they're shy or insecure, to reach out to those who've walked the coals, so to speak."

It wasn't until years later, while filming 2006 superhero blockbuster Superman Returns in Sydney, Australia, that Kate finally felt fully comfortable with her life and career - and it's one reason why the city holds a special place in her heart.

"You know, there are some characters you play that are dear to your heart, and I feel that way about Sydney," she says. "It was such a transformative time in my life.

"I really came into my own there and met people that became like family; I met my best friend (actress Jacqui Louez) when she worked with me on that project. We're both the only children in our families, so we say we're each other's soul sisters."

Kate, now 34, has also found happiness with her filmmaker husband Michael Polish, who she met in 2011 on the set of drama Big Sur. They didn't start dating until after filming on the 2013 release wrapped, but the connection was instant.

"It hit me at about a million miles an hour," she previously explained. "I almost fell off my chair. They always say when you know, you know, and I had found that quite frustrating my whole life. How do you know? But it's true."

The couple tied the knot in August, 2013.