Caroline Quentin was a "precociously" good dancer before giving it up.
The 60-year-old star – who is set to take part in this year’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ – had her heart set on becoming a dancer but she found it "really painful and tiring", and before she decided to act instead.
She explained to the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I was a precociously good dancer. Hard to imagine looking at me now. I was good at it.
"The school I went to, it was a bit like the Royal Ballet school. I wasn’t sent because I was going to meet the right people, I was there to learn to dance, which is really painful and tiring."
She soon quit dancing and discovered her passion for acting, but many people don’t realise she has an extensive background going into ‘Strictly’.
She added: "It’s so tiring being a dancer. If you’re thinking about it by all means consider it but I’m telling you know, it’s exhausting.
"I was in the original cast of Les Miserable. I did end-of-the-pier stuff then Royal Court and started doing costume dramas at the BBC.
"Then I met the Comedy Store improvs, they didn’t have many women. People think you arrive in a sitcom and don’t realise 10-12 years before that you were dorrising around in a set of feathers on the end of a pier."
The ‘Men Behaving Badly’ star was the first celebrity confirmed for this year’s BBC Latin and ballroom dance competition.
Speaking at the time, Caroline said: "I am thrilled and terrified in equal measure to be taking part."
She will appear alongside former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, singer HRVY, ‘EastEnders’ actress Maisie Smith and ‘Made In Chelsea’ star Jamie Laing.
Comedian Bill Bailey, BBC Radio 1 presenter Clara Amfo, ex-NFL star Jason Bell and Invictus Games medallist JJ Chalmers are also set to compete.
Rounding off this year’s contestants are ‘Good Morning Britain’ presenter Ranvir Singh, boxer Nicola Adams, and The Wanted singer Max George.