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Julie Chen Says Getting Eyelid Surgery Secured Her Hollywood Career

Big Brother host Chen admits that a hotshot talent agent talked her into having her Asian eyes "opened up"

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Julie Chen, she of "The Talk," "Big Brother" and "Being Married to CBS President/CEO, Les Moonves" fame, got her start in broadcast journalism working as an intern (along side Bravo's Andy Cohen -- mazel!) back in 1990.

She worked her way up the ranks, but it wasn't easy and, yesterday on "The Talk," Chen -- who is of Chinese ancestry -- opened a big can of worms when she revealed how she finally "made it."

Chen half sheepishly/half proudly opened up about having capitulated to "The Man" after having been told time and time again by Hollywood honchos that if she wanted to work in "The Business" she'd have to have eyelid surgery to replace her Asian eyes with "Caucasian double lids."

READ: 12 Gorgeous Asian Eye Makeup Looks

Here's what she said to her co-hosts, including Sharon Osbourne, Sara Gilbert and Sheryl Underwood:

"This big-time agent had the biggest names. Like if you opened up his closet, it was all stars, he knew what he was doing. On his own, he basically told me the same thing. He said, 'I cannot represent you unless you get plastic surgery to make your eyes look bigger.' I did it ... I will say, after I had that done, the ball did roll for me. Which I struggle with. You know, wow. Did I give in to 'The Man' and do this?"

While her bevy of besties chimes in about how "fabulous" the results are and how much "more expressive" her eyes looked afterwards, many out there in TV Land were left wondering whether this was the best message to be sending out to young, aspiring Asian women. "Want to work in showbiz? Get round eyes." Fail. On so many levels.

Somewhere Connie Chung, Lisa Ling and numerous other successful Asian's in "the biz" are rolling their beautifully Asian eyes.

READ: Best and Worst: Celebrity Plastic Surgery

Watch the clip from "The Talk" below to hear her rationalizations and see the complete "before and after." And, if you're so inclined, chime in with your own thoughts -- it's her face, she can do what she wants; or is it sending a bad message?


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