Mariah Carey thinks playing a dowdy social worker has boosted her self-confidence. Mariah Carey shed her glamorous image for her role in 'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire' and says having to spend hours in front of a camera with heavy lighting and no make-up makes her feel more comfortable with staying natural at home. She explained: "I think it was crucial to dress down. It was tough because making music videos is so different with the costumes, the angles, the lighting, stuff like that. "In 'Precious', we sat in a fluorescent dentist's office and it was the worst-lit scene of the movie. The over-lighting emphasises the dark stuff under your eyes."

In related news, Mariah Carey attended the The 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on January 23rd. Mariah Carey dons a nice, and very sexy red gown - while her hubby Nick Cannon looked fab with his black tux with red hanky in left pocket. Check out the photos of Mariah and Nick below. Photos: Fame Pictures