Being an actor often seems glamorous with the designer clothes, the alluring appearances on the red carpet, and the expensive lifestyle. However, behind the glitz and glam is a lot of sacrifices that many don’t fully understand. Often for tasking roles, actors have to undergo dramatic transformations that need them to either lose or gain weight.
Stars like Christian Bale, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, and Jared Leto have often been lauded for subjecting their bodies to harsh conditions like starvation and extreme exercise. However, some celebrities have refused to succumb to the beauty pressures of the industry. These stars have defied the norm while preaching the message that the size of their bodies should have no impact on their roles.
10 Kirsten Dunst
When Kirsten partnered with director Sofia Coppola for the 2017 Western drama film The Beguiled, she was told to lose weight for her role as a shy teacher of a high school. The actress, however, refused. Kirsten explained in an interview that it was easy for her to push back at Sofia’s request because they are good friends outside work. As for the reason for her refusal, Dunst shared that her body was older and changing, so it would be difficult to lose weight in a short time. The actress also joked that the location of the filming, Louisiana, didn’t make things easier. In her words:
“It’s so much harder when you’re 35 and hate working out. I’m eating fried chicken and McDonald’s before work. So I’m like, ‘We have no options! I’m sorry I can’t lose weight for this role.”
9 Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey was meant to be part of the trio, including Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro, to bring the long-awaited The Three Stooges production by The Farrelly Brothers. However, the actor suddenly dropped out of the project. Although he noted that he believed the project was long dead, Jim admitted that it was actually his health that prompted the decision.
Prior to his exit, Jim had promised to put on between 40-50 pounds. Although he had already gained about 35 pounds, he didn’t think he could add another 40 pounds that were required of him. He explained that, given his age, coming back from such weight gain can be detrimental.
8 Patricia Arquette
Patricia is undoubtedly an icon in the industry with several accolades to her name, including three Golden Globes, an Oscar, and a SAG. However, despite her impressive acting skills, the actress has sometimes been subjected to problematic beauty stereotypes in the industry imposed on celebrity moms. When she was given the role of Allison Dubois in the mystery drama Medium, she was instructed by one of the producers to lose some of her baby weight.
At the time, she had recently welcomed her daughter Harlow Olivia. Paricia refused, explaining that it is unrealistic to expect women to lose weight after a pregnancy instantly. She also stated that it didn’t make sense for her to be slimmer, given that she was to play the role of a housewife and mother.
7 Jennifer Lawrence
At 30 years old, Jennifer Lawrence has had quite a stellar career, but that hasn’t shielded her from the pressure to change her body to fit in for roles. Nevertheless, the actress has consistently pushed back, strongly advocating for body positivity.
Lawrence, who once recalled being asked to stand nude in a lineup, shared that she was told to lose weight for her role as Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games franchise, but she refused. She explained that she hopes to teach young girls to love their bodies. The actress also proudly declares that she is against dieting as it negatively affects her performance.
6 David Harbour
Before David Harbour stole our hearts with his performance on Stranger Things, he auditioned to star as Blob in one of the Wolverine’s films. However, after his auditioning, he was invited to a hotel by the director, who told him that although he was great for the role, they were concerned that he was too fat for the position. The actor was disappointed and returned to New York.
5 Margot Robbie
With a body that has often been displayed as a sex symbol on-screen, it comes across as insane that anyone would ever ask Margot to lose weight. Unfortunately, that was the case. Margot gave an electric performance as Jane Porter in the 2016 movie The Legend of Tarzan. However, before she snagged the role, she was asked to get thinner. The Australian star blatantly refused, noting that it made no sense to be super skinny to play a woman from the 19th century. She also revealed that she wanted to party in London where the film was shot and didn’t need any restrictions.
4 Alex Newell
Alex is well known for their role on Glee and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. In 2015 after their stint on Glee, the actor auditioned for a role in the Broadway production of Kinky Boots but was told that they were too fat for and their weight would inhibit them from giving a great performance. In a subsequent interview with StyleCaster, Newell expanded on the matter, saying:
“They literally looked me in the face and told me I was too big to play a role. There’s no limitation. My weight does not prescribe what I cannot do.”
3 Sienna Miller
Although Sienna Miller was eventually given the role of Edie Sedgewick in Factory Girl, she was told by the director George Hickenlooper that she needed to lose weight and become thin to play the late socialite. Although she embarked on a diet to drop some pounds, Miller couldn’t keep up and dropped it. She mentioned that it was also challenging to starve herself while expending energy on the set.
2 Sofia Vergara
Sofia Vergara is one of the highest-paid television actresses. However, before she rose to great heights in the industry, she was discriminated against for her voluptuous curves. Sofia recalled that she often told at the start of her career that she would never go far because of how fat she looked. Luckily, the actress never listened to their advice to diet or lose weight, and her self-confidence has indeed paid off.
1 Amy Schumer
The queen of comedy has often been vocal about how her body doesn’t conform to beauty standards in the industry and how she doesn’t mind as long as it doesn’t affect her career or sex life. However, after the 2015 movie Trainwreck came out, the stand-up comedian confessed that she went on an extreme diet for the role after succumbing to pressure from producers. Amy revealed that she regretted every bit of it and promised never to go on a diet for a part. Since then, she has starred in several movies including, Snatched and I Feel Pretty.