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Emma likes Hayley just the way she is

by
browne

It seems like every time I think an actress is particularly gorgeous, someone in Hollywood decides to tell her she’s too fat.

A case in point: up-and-coming British actress Hayley Atwell, whose projects this year include the Woody Allen film Cassandra’s Dream (out in the U.K. on May 9), the Keira Knightley flick The Duchess (out in the U.K. on August 29, and the U.S. on September 12) and the big-screen adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s novel Brideshead Revisited (out in the U.S. on July 25, and the U.K. on September 23). Now, I don’t know about you, but Atwell looks pretty perfect to me:

But apparently Miramax Films (the studio behind the new adaptation of Brideshead) didn’t think so. According to U.K. website The First Post, Atwell has reported that she was asked by the film company to lose weight for her role as Julia Flyte. It was only when co-star Emma Thompson (who will play Lady Marchmain) heard the news that things got resolved:

Says Atwell: "I went round to Emma's one night and she was getting very angry that I wasn't eating all the food she was giving me. I told her why and she hit the roof." The no-nonsense Thompson was so outraged that she called the producers the next day and threatened to resign from the film if they forced Atwell to lose weight. Faced with Thompson — a two-time Oscar winner — on the warpath, Miramax Films swiftly relented.’

Not that I’m condoning Miramax’s original, obnoxious request, but how great is that story? I love the idea of a riled-up Emma Thompson ripping a strip off some older male film executive (who is probably a hell of a lot fatter himself than Hayley Atwell is).

Still, while not a surprise, it’s madly frustrating that this sort of pressure is still being placed on attractive, healthy young actresses. I remember, when Titanic came out in 1997, how irritated I was by a review in The Financial Times. The film critic wrote casually that the beautiful Kate Winslet needed to “watch the calories."

Little did I know that his remark was probably one of the less offensive out there; the British tabloids had a field day, with coverage whose idiocy and insensitivity was later parodied by the satirical U.K. magazine Private Eye as: “Fatty Winslet: no wonder the Titanic sunk with you on it, eh?”

Atonement actress Romola Garai has been frank about the fact that she was pressured to lost weight while working on the Hollywood film Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights.

Garai said, "The filmmakers were obsessed with having someone skinny. I just thought, why didn't they get someone like Kate Bosworth, if that's what they wanted?”

For the record, here’s what Kate Bosworth has been looking like in recent years:

Yeah. Sad, huh? And scary.

What is to be done for these actresses? I wish Emma Thompson could just ride in (on her white horse — or is that just my fantasy?) and rescue them all. Because after all, it’s not easy to withstand pressure when you’re young and trying to establish yourself in your career, and the people holding the plum roles you covet are telling you you have to starve yourself to get them.

Romola Garai has decided to put her foot down, saying after her Dirty Dancing experience that “I think if I was asked by a director to lose weight, with no good reason in the script, then I would say no.” But — perhaps not coincidentally — her most recent work has been in theatre, not in film.

I guess we just have to hope that as more women become successful and powerful as film directors and executives, the pressure on actresses to diet themselves into fragile, sickly, unthreatening waifs will lessen. Although I have to admit I’m not totally confident — though we may not always like to admit it, women can be as critical and demeaning of other women’s bodies as men can.

I’ll just have to put my faith in people like Emma. And remind myself of a time when it was downright fashionable for movie stars to look like this:

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    • Submitted by
    browne
    on March 13, 2008 - 12:52pm.
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    EmmaCariad's picture

    Well done, Emma, I say...

    Submitted by
    AfterEllenCameMe! (52 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 1:14pm.

    After Ellen..came me!! 18 years to the day later to be extact!!

    Is it just me or were the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell far more attractive than the Keira Knightley's and Kate Bosworth's...? I'm not saying they are not attractive women, but would look far better if they put on a couple of stone..and would probably be far happier.

    There is also a serious point here too. No wonder so many young girls are battling eating disorders if this is what they are told looks normal...

    Well done, Emma, I knew I loved you for a reason.

    carolinagrrrl's picture

    Weight in the US

    Submitted by
    carolinagrrrl (237 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 1:23pm.

    How come we can't find a happy medium? It seems as if everyday there's some new study about how overweight we are as a country, yet the images that are strewn throughout the media are all of the Kate Bosworth-esque rails that look sickly. What happened to "average" weights.

    It reminds me of the 30 Rock episode when Jenna came back after their break and had put on weight. Jack (Alec Baldwin) says something along the lines of, "She needs to lose 30 pounds. Or gain 60. There's no place in television for anything in between."

    He delivered the line with humor, but there's something sad about how true it is, don't you think?

     

    http://legallyout.blogspot.com

    prairie girl's picture

    You know, it wasn't until I

    Submitted by
    Joey (10 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 1:45pm.

    You know, it wasn't until I 'came out' to myself that I started really understanding what it means to be beautiful. What I find sexy in women is not necessarily what old, male, Hollywood-type advertisers and media personal have brainwashed us to think. In fact, it rarely is.

     When I see a starved female celebrity, I see comformity and obedience, like she has lost her voice. It makes me wonder what those poor, skinny actresses might really look like if they loved themselves no matter what. I know it sounds cliche, but self-confidence truly *is* the most attractive quality! That's why I am so sad and angry to hear folks call Kate Winslet and others like her 'fat.' Natural beauties of all sorts of body-types should be celebrated, not condemmed or laughed at.

    I think we lesbians and bisexual women know what's what: we *have* the body, and we *love* the body! That must scare the crap out of those men at the top who are trying to tell us what we must look like.

     Good for Emma Thompson!

    deaddisco's picture

    Way to reiterate a sad reality...

    Submitted by
    deaddisco (17 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 2:18pm.

    Let this be a lesson to ourselves as we go through the day to celebrate our own unique beauty and not let it be defined by standards set up by an industry that is trying to actually use this unrealistic and unhealthy idea of what is beautiful to appeal to us. The movie/television industry is a producer, responding to a supply/demand market. We are the one's with the power to dictate what we buy/support (they supply it in turn). The social reconstruction necessary to resolve these kinds of faulty cultural structures is carried out with we the society. A little consiousness along these lines might go a long way.

    Also, Kudos to Emma Thompson!!!!!!!!

    Kaytiana's picture

    I feel very strongly about

    Submitted by
    Kaytiana (154 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 2:21pm.
    I feel very strongly about this, and have done for a long time, I think it's disgusting that what the media holds up as the ideals of female beauty are girls who are so skinny they don't even look like girls anymore!  And it is unrealistic, and it's why so many young girls have eating disorders and body issues trying to live up to something that only a small fraction of the population can be naturally and healthily.  Kate Winslet is a beautiful woman, and, more importantly, an amazing actress, and I have a lot of respect for her for standing up against people telling her to be skinny, hell, a lot of people would kill for her figure!!  I'm slimmer than she is and I would kill for her figure!!  It is really sad, and I think we need more strong women in the media standing up against these unrealistic standards and getting real, curvy, beautiful women back on our screens!  Kate Bosworth, Keira Knightley, etc just look ill, not healthy!
    Amato13's picture

    Good for you Emma

    Submitted by
    Amato13 (24 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 2:49pm.
    I think Hayley Atlwell looks better than fine.  Who are these people that find the skin and bones look so attractive?  I mean really.  Obviously the hollywood producers and big wigs are going to want to give the public what it wants, so they must think the public wants emaciated.  But I don't know too many people myself included, male or female who think super skinny is more attractive.  It's one thing for girls who are naturally slender that's fine and often it looks fine on them, but when you start forcing people who's bodies aren't built for toothpick stature, they just look sickly.  I remember after Titanic came out and there was all that buzz about Kate Winslet.  I thought it was just ridiculous.  Number 1, people weren't sticks in the era of the movie, she was probably actually thinner than the average person of her class at that time.  Number 2, I remember falling in love with her during that movie, thinking she was the most beautiful and entrancing creature I'd ever seen.  I was so taken by her, I couldn't even hold it in.  I was in high school at the time and not out, not even to myself at that point and I just remember saying to anyone I talked to about that movie, my parents included, "I couldn't take my eyes off Kate Winslet the entire movie, she was just stunning, I couldn't look away if I wanted to.  She's so beautiful."  How could anyone have thought she was fat?  She was glorious.  Women have curves, it's the sexiest part of them.  I wish hollywood would look at the women who've stood out at sex symbols and icons over the decades and realize skinny doesn't cut it.  Let's see women who look like women, not adolescent boys.
    mildcatastrophe's picture

    What a great story about

    Submitted by
    elizabeth (25 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 2:56pm.

    What a great story about Emma Thompson and Hayley Atwell. Hayley does indeed look perfect to me, and it's absolutely outraging that someone told her to lose weight purposefully for the film. Same with Romola Garai. Yeesh! When I heard about her being so pressured to lose weight for that film, I was thoroughly frustrated because I'd previously seen her in another film and thought, "Wow, she's so beautiful, and has a great, perfect body."

    It's just horrible the pressure these actresses feel. If someone gains weight, the press is all over their case. If they get too skeletal, they're on their case as well. Nothing will ever appease everyone, it seems, so I just wish that the girls would be happy with themselves just being healthy, and that seems what Romola Garai and Kate Winslet have adopted (good for them!), and I'm sure many other actresses as well, though still too little.

    Charlottery's picture

    I knew there was a reason I

    Submitted by
    Cassandra (123 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 3:15pm.

    I knew there was a reason I liked Emma Thompson. Way to use your power for good, you champion. Now we just need more people in her position to do the same.

    Also, people were calling Kate Winslet fat in Titanic? Sweet Jesus. If I had to pick one person in the whole world to look like, it would be her in that movie. She's *perfect*. Hair, face, figure, everything (I also really covet her wardrobe). Her, fat? The whole world has gone mad.

    mustang_sally's picture

    Just one more reason to love

    Submitted by
    mustang_sally (77 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 3:16pm.
    Just one more reason to love Emma.
    mariskaSVU's picture

    awesome

    Submitted by
    www.eyeslikeale... (61 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 3:24pm.
    great commentary. thanks for posting this. :) www.eyeslikealeopard.com
    Leibug67's picture

    Respect

    Submitted by
    Leibug (1683 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 3:25pm.

    And much love for the amazing actress Emma Thompson.  When I read this story awhile back I thought "Wow!  Just when I thought I couldn't possibly respect her more as an actress and a wonderful human being."  We need more like her speaking up and keeping some sort of reality check on starving yourself to get a movie role BS.  When in reality a lot of people are turned off by the rail thin look...it is frightening! 

    JK_Singer's picture

    Kudos!!!

    Submitted by
    JK_Singer (187 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 4:37pm.

    Now THAT is awesome - way to go!!

    "Even in death Gabrielle, I will never leave you"- Xena

    lsh's picture

    hear hear

    Submitted by
    lsh (9 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 4:54pm.

    Nice one. Very, very nice one.
    Well, I do seem to admire E.Thompson a little more everyday. :)

     

    On a side note, I found it unsettling how much Atwell looked like Anna Paquin ( http://www.fairfieldweekly.com/sortable/image/AE-TV.jpg ) in this picture.

    hmeyer08's picture

    Glad to hear that someone is

    Submitted by
    hmmm (114 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 5:03pm.

    Glad to hear that someone is standing up for the women in Hollywood.  Emma Thompson has always been one of my favorite actors and it's great to have yet another reason to like her.

    I, for one, prefer women with curves and a bit of meat on their bones.  Women who are stick thin are just not attractive to me at all.  I had actually gotten into a huge argument with an ex-gf regarding weight.  We were watching "The Biggest Loser" (great show, by the way) and my was rather brutal and straight forward saying that if I ever gained that much weight there was no way she would date me.  I couldn't believe how prejudiced she was.  It sickened me to the core.

    x.Lorna.x's picture

    Nice to see some one...

    Submitted by
    x.Lorna.x (22 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 5:32pm.

    Sees that it isn't just men that pressure women to lose weight. It seems to me that the editors of most of those fashion magazines and all that are female...

    I totally agree that girls that aren't skinny are much more attractive, I don't see why it's fashionable to look like a 12 year old boy at the moment...

    geordie's picture

    Hear hear

    Submitted by
    geordie (30 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 6:15pm.

    I remember the Titanic thing well, as Kate was my first crush who I recognised as being a sexual attraction.

     The most ludicrous thing about all that, looking back, was that in the Titanic Kate was at one of her most slim points. She had actually dieted to that shape because of the pressure, and she had a stunning figure, yet they still called her fat.

    They really had a field day when she turned up to one of the ceremonies obviously having given up on the diet and had put on some weight again.  It was horrible, they way they completely crucified her in the British tabloids for it.

    And for years after, even now, most of her interviewers seem to bring up the 'fat' issue.  She must be damn sick of it.

     Marilyn looks well hot in that picture.  I don't know who Hayley Atwell is, but she looks adequately proportioned in that picture you've posted ;)

    ajoliefanatic21's picture

    Rachel Weisz

    Submitted by
    ajoliefanatic21 (32 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 7:05pm.
    Rachel Weisz has always impressed me for her frequent comments in interviews with the media that she refuses to lose weight. The fact that she won an Oscar for The Constant Gardener should be proof enough that beautiful and sexy women with real curves can make it in this industry.
    kmfrancis's picture

    Marry me, Emma!

    Submitted by
    Strike It Up (48 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 7:17pm.

    That's all I have to say. 

    "If I can't dance - I don't want to be part of your revolution."

    Mari SanGiovanni's picture

    Go Emma!!!

    Submitted by
    Mari SanGiovanni (86 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 7:21pm.

    Emma is great. It is downright disgusting how many men are let to believe (by years of drooling over starving model types) beautiful female curves are a BAD thing????

    Sickening....

    --Mari

     

    Mari SanGiovanni

    Author of: Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer...

    www.GreetingsFromJamaica.com

    imthey's picture

    I bow down to Emma Thompson...

    Submitted by
    imthey (363 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 7:31pm.
    I have always firmly believed that Emma Thompson is one of the reigning queens of cool, and this story only solidified my belief in that!  All hail Emma Thompson, champion of allowing curves to be seen on women!  
     
    I remember once watching an episode of The Rosie O'Donnell Show when (and I don't exactly recall his name right now) some male country singer was on her show and said "bone is for the dog and meat is for the man"... now while that could come out sounding crude it was said in the perfect context and I have always believed this to be true... 
     
    I'll take a curvy woman any day over these stick thin women who are paraded around as being the norm! 
     
     
    "Think Sideways"
        I M THEY

    basha's picture

    Well done, Emma...

    Submitted by
    basha (25 posts)
    on March 13, 2008 - 7:38pm.

    Emma rocks!

    When it comes to body types, I'd choose lush over skinny any day ;)

    Dani_po's picture

    Emma rules!

    Submitted by
    Dani (11 posts)
    on March 14, 2008 - 4:04am.
    Emma Thompson just gave me another reason to love her
    ameliefanatic's picture

    hayley is just beatuiful

    Submitted by
    ameliefanatic (32 posts)
    on March 14, 2008 - 5:32am.

    can we have more pics of her please? i don't understand this obsession with stick thin people, i much prefer the curves and undulating lines of the likes of hayley, kate and marylin. the sad thing is that for me to even have to state this is necessary, and it shouldn't be, figures like this should be the norm.

    thank you for the article, i know many who have posted agree with me, but still, i just wanted to say how absolutely breathtaking hayley looks in that pic. i'm not kidding,i had to log in several times this morning just to look....

    shygurl99's picture

    I agree

    Submitted by
    shygurl99 (210 posts)
    on March 14, 2008 - 6:59am.

    I was like who is this when I saw this page. I can't imagine someone thinking she needs to lose weight. I'm thinking most guys in the audience and of course some women would be too busy drooling over how good looking she is to even care about her weight. Good for Emma standing up for Hayley.  Too many women in Hollywood are way too skinny, let's not even talk about how skinny models are now. I have no issue with naturally thin people. They usually look healthy though. Kate Bosworth looks really different when you compare her current pictures to earlier ones of her before she lost weight.She looks so unhealthy now.

    sad_wicked_princess's picture

    Oh Emma!

    Submitted by
    sad_wicked_princess (3 posts)
    on March 16, 2008 - 11:55pm.

    It's wonderful she used her power and stood up for this actress, how sad that people in Hollywood still believe skinny girls are the "perfect" ones, for me it's crazy! i see a woman like Kate Winslet next to someone like Keira Knightley and i don't think twice about who looks better AND WHO I WOULD PREFER

    Regarding Marilyn Monroe this reminds me of Lindsay Lohan who recently recreated Marilyn's last photo shoot, her case can easily illustrate this post she was beautiful, healthy during her mean girls era, now? she looks sick, older and sometimes even ugly like in that photo shoot that brought her the worst comments, i know her weight it's not the only reason why she looks so bad lately but definitely you can see the difference: she looked way better with more weight on

    Kalel's picture

    :-D

    Submitted by
    Veronica (18 posts)
    on March 17, 2008 - 3:21pm.

    Wow. Amazing. Well Done Emma thompson. Although, I must admit I am curious to see what she would be like on a warpath.

    Hayley is absolutely stunning.

     

    Scio me nihil scire


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