Fred Duval/FilmMagic
Once upon a time, it was taboo for an actress to acknowledge struggling with weight. When reporters asked your secret, said the unspoken code, the correct answers were: "I have a good metabolism," or "I love to exercise!" or "I dropped the pounds chasing after my kids." To this day, few actresses admit they've had slimming surgery or suffered eating disorders. But the pressure to look thin on camera is more extreme than ever. Now, actresses like Amanda Seyfried, 24, are suddenly breaking the silence and admitting that staying thin is a struggle.
Seyfried (who stars in Letters to Juliet, opening in May) admitted in a recent interview that she does "a hell of a lot of work" to stay thin. "I'm not going to deny that I don't think about it every day, it's always on my mind," the Mamma Mia star said candidly. "I have to stay in shape because I'm an actress. It's f---ked up and it's twisted, but I wouldn't get the roles otherwise."
Meanwhile, there's Jessica Simpson exploring worldwide beauty standards on VH1's new reality series The Price of Beauty, and the recent new trend of stars releasing unairbrushed photos of their real faces and bodies (including Simpson, Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian). With these hot young stars all starting to speak out against Hollywood's unrealistic weight and fitness demands, could a backlash be brewing?
Probably not quite yet. While these celebs admit that the industry's pressure to achieve ultra-thin perfection is undeniably screwed up, they still diet and exercise their butts off (literally) in the name of landing lucrative roles and ad campaigns. Nobody (except maybe plus-size newcomer Gabourey Sidibe and the proudly unconventional Mo'Nique) has reached the "We're mad as hell and not going to take it anymore!" stage. But this lack of pretense and refusal to endorse the status quo is a good first step. Hopefully, Seyfried's candor will inspire a new generation of performers to step up, and try to re-balance the scales.
Plus:
- Watch our exclusive video interview with Amanda Seyfried!
- Jessica Simpson: 'I Was So Insecure' After Being Called Fat
Do you think Hollywood's traditional standards of beauty are unrealistic? Chime in below!
