Being in front of cameras, earning big, and getting all the attention may sound like the dream but with all these comes scrutiny not just from the public but also from executives. Yes, celebrities have faced relentless pressure to change their looks, and more common than not, to lose weight.
Telling someone they need to shed pounds in order to achieve a certain look or to make them bankable isn’t just demeaning but also damaging. Here, we list Hollywood stars who have spoken up about the immense pressure to lose weight that they receive from key persons in the industry:
Amber Riley
‘Glee’ alum Amber Riley revealed that she was given unsolicited advice to lose a ‘little’ weight’ so many times by the show business’ executives. She also noticed how the characters assigned to her were all focused on her size, like the woman who just eats and sits all day.
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock | Amber Riley said she got roles that focused on her weight
Because of her experience, she has learned that Hollywood is a ‘very hard’ place to be in. Moreover, the ‘This Is How I Made It’ star couldn’t wrap her head around why people in the industry wouldn’t accept and like who she really is.
Richard Madden
Contrary to popular misconception, women aren’t the only ones who feel pressured into fitting a certain type of standard. Richard Madden admitted that he had people pinching his ‘fat rolls’ and that he was forced to wear tight costumes because executives wanted him to look smaller.
Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock | Richard Madden pointed out that even men in Hollywood face this pressure
This didn’t just happen one time because the ‘Game of Thrones’ actor said he experienced this pressure multiple times. The sad part is, although he knew that what studio execs want is an unrealistic body image, thespians like him still continue to do it.
Jennifer Lopez
If you have been experiencing the same pressure from your peers, then let Jennifer Lopez be your ally. This is because she also had gone through this issue in the past, particularly at the start of her career.
Although those comments about her weight didn’t affect her, it did irk a lot of people in the industry. J.Lo stood her ground and told them that it is her shape, explaining she saw everyone looking like her when she was growing up and thought they looked beautiful.
Tyra Banks
Supermodel Tyra Banks may have all the skills to walk a runway but she had people telling her she was ‘too big’ for the profession. This particular incident happened when she was young and at the height of her career, modeling her stuff at Milan Fashion Week.
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock | People told Tyra Banks she was too big to become a model
Designers told Tyra’s mom that her daughter needed to lose weight, but the matriarch was having none of it. She shut down those ideas and assured her child that she looks perfect.
