It may not be fair, but most female actresses accept ageism as an unavoidable part of life in Hollywood.

But Kristin Davis, 45, has revealed that her career is doing better than ever before - and it's all thanks to Sex And The City.

The late-bloomer says her role in the TV series, and now the films, means she has defied the trend and is basking in an all-time career high.

Top of her game: Kristin Davis used to think she had to hit the big time in her 20s

The brunette actress told how she used to believe she had to achieve her ambitions while in her 20s.

'Remember when we were young, the actresses that we liked?' she said in an interview with Red magazine.

'They were young, even though they seemed older to us.

'And you thought that you had to make it in your 20s, like if you weren't going to make it on your 20s, you weren't going to make it.

'So the fact I would be turning 45 and be the busiest, most successful I've ever been is very, very odd.

'And it is all because of Sex and the City, really.'

Career high: Kristin at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington this weekend

Many concerns have been raised in Hollywood about the fate of actresses as they advance in years, while their male counterparts often seem to enjoy more career longevity.

Davis said she felt very lucky to have defied the trend.

The full interview is in this month's Red magazine, out on Wednesday

'I think I would have done okay without it, but I don't think any of us would have had this kind of career at this age if it hadn't been for the larger thing Sex and the City turned out to be, culturally.

'I do feel incredibly lucky.'

Davis plays prim, doe-eyed Charlotte in the tale chronicling the romantic exploits of four glamorous and high-achieving female friends, set against the dazzling backdrop of New York.

She showed off her stunning figure by posing in a black silk corset for a photoshoot with the magazine.

Despite her success, Davis said she has had to put up with her fair share of sniping over her appearance.

She said: 'You get a lot of criticism out in the world or on the internet about how you look.

'Fat here, fat there. Hippy this, hippy that. That has been my entire career.

'But never at work. No one at Sex And the City has ever asked any of us four girls to lose weight. Thank God.'