Today`s actresses are too self aware: Meryl Streep

London: Veteran actress Meryl Streep thinks she would face difficulties if she began her career now.

The 60-year-old star, who has been nominated a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of cookery writer Julia Child in comedy film `Julie and Julia`, claims many new actresses are too self aware and it ruins their ability to do their job well, a magazine reported. "The world was different when I was a young actress. These days there`s so much scrutiny, everyone`s so self aware, and that self consciousness is the thing that kills your acting ability," Streep said. "What you look like, and how you seem, is all young actors consume themselves with instead of their characters. It makes it so much harder to be fresh each time," she added. However Streep does admit she never believed she would be an actress full time and she had her heart set on a legal career. "I loved it, but I thought it was frivolous. I remember thinking, `OK this is stupid. Oh yeah, you`re going to be an actress, sure. I`m going to do something serious with my life. I`m going to be an environmental lawyer`," she said. "Then I slept through the law school admission test, so I took it as a sign from heaven to stay in drama school," she added. Streep goes against British actress Carey Mulligan and Helen Mirren as well as Sandra Bullock and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe for the Best Actress prize at this year`s Oscars. PTI