With a critically-lauded performance in the new drama, "Room," Brie Larson has received the best reviews of her young career, and talk of an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Born Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers in Sacramento, Calif., Brie Larson saw, even as a kid, that acting was her destiny. "When I was seven, I had been very vocal about wanting to be an actor," she told CBS News' Tracy Smith. "And my mom decided that we would try it out for a couple weeks and come to L.A. from Sacramento."

Brie, her mother and sister found a place near Hollywood. They were chasing a dream, but for mom, there was more to it than that. "The three of us would all sleep in the same bed," Larson said. "And I remembered waking up to my mom having these real guttural sort of choking sobs - she was covering her mouth so that we couldn't hear her.

"And it's not until now that I've been able to put all the pieces together and realize that right before we were gonna make this trip out to Los Angeles, my father had asked for a divorce. And so this was a much bigger move than my mother had anticipated, and a much bigger move than I and my sister knew about at all."

Brie Larson managed to find work in Hollywood; by the time she was 12, she'd been in a string of TV shows, and showed up in a few movies, like "Sleepover" (pictured) and "13 Going on 30."

Brie Larson, now 26, told CBS News' Tracy Smith that as she began pursuing her acting career, the auditioning process was devastating to her: "'No, your eyes are brown and not blue.' 'No, you're too tall.' 'No, you are not pretty enough.' 'No, you're too pretty.' It's all of these nos. And it becomes very confusing, especially when you're growing into your womanhood to constantly be told what you're not. And it always felt like such a blow to me. It was like, 'Oh yeah, I don't have blue eyes.' And then you cry all night, thinking, 'Oh, if only I had blue eyes, my life would be different, you know?'"

"I remember at 18 finally hitting this point where I went, 'I don't have blue eyes. I have brown eyes. I am myself. And if you don't want to take it, that's okay, but I don't need you to.'"

Brie Larson and Logan Lerman in the comedy "Hoot" (2006), about a family that tries to protect the habitat of an owl from being bulldozed over for a pancake house.

Singer-actress Brie Larson performs while attending the Stars of New Line Cinemas' "Hoot" at Macy's Herald Square on April 22, 2006 in New York City.

Actress Brie Larson poses during the HBO Luxury Lounge in honor of the 66th Annual Golden Globes, held at the Four Seasons Hotel on January 10, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California.

In Noah Baumbach's "Greenberg" (2010), Brie Larson plays the niece of Ben Stiller. With her friend (Juno Temple) she throws a drug-fueled house party.

In the series "United States of Tara," Brie Larson played Kate, whose mother (Toni Collette) suffered from multiple eccentric alternate personalities.

Actress Brie Larson at TheWrap's Awards Season's screening of "Rampart" on November 21, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.

Brie Larson played Molly, the romantic interest of undercover cop Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill), in the comedy, "21 Jump Street" (2012).

Actors Brie Larson, Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley and director James Ponsoldt ("The Spectacular Now") pose during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2013 in Park City, Utah.

Actors Shailene Woodley, Miles Teller and Brie Larson attend the screening of "The Spectacular Now" at the Vista Theatre on July 30, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.

Brie Larson played the sister of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the comedy, "Don Jon" (2013).

Actress Brie Larson attends Glamorama presented by Macy's Passport at the Orpheum Theatre on September 12, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.

Brie Larson had her breakthrough starring role in the 2013 drama "Short Term 12," as a counselor at a home for at-risk youth.

Larson won several critics groups' awards for her performance, as well as Best Actress at the Locarno International Film Festival.

Actress Brie Larson poses with her Best Actress award for "Short Term 12" at IFP's 23nd annual Gotham Independent Film Awards, at Cipriani Wall Street, December 2, 2013 in New York City.

Actors Michael B. Jordan ("Fruitvale Station") and Brie Larson ("Short Term 12") - each a winner of the Virtuoso Award - attend the 29th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, February 4, 2014 in Santa Barbara, California.

Mark Wahlberg is a professor with a gambling addiction, and Brie Larson is one of his students who becomes personally involved - and comes into jeopardy in the process - in "The Gambler" (2014).

Actress Brie Larson attends the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 22, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California.

Brie Larson played the sister of Amy Schumer in the ribald comedy, "Trainwreck" (2015).

"In "Room" (2015), Brie Larson plays a young woman kidnapped by a deranged rapist and held prisoner for years in a tiny backyard shed. She must protect her son, Jack (Jacob Tremblay), born in captivity, who has never set foot in the outside world.

Larson told CBS News' Tracy Smith she prepared for her demanding role of a woman trapped in isolation, in part, by going on a very rigid diet: "Started working out with a trainer, in order to wear out my body and gain muscle. I had to stay out of the sun for, like, three months before we started shooting. And every day, I just felt like I was getting closer and closer, to her."

Actress Brie Larson speaks onstage during the "Room" press conference at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox, September 14, 2015 in Toronto, Canada.

Actors Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay arrive at the premiere of "Room" at the Pacific Design Center on October 13, 2015 in West Hollywood, California.