I don't know about you, but looking at the above photo of actress Hayley Atwell, the last thing that comes to my mind is that she is overweight. Yet that is exactly what Mirimax Films thought:
The English actress Emma Thompson has stepped in to protest about an up-and-coming British actress, of seemingly perfect proportions, being required by an American film company to lose weight for her next role. Hayley Atwell may be the latest muse of Woody Allen, starring in his new film Cassandra's Dream, but she didn't measure up for Miramax Films, who are behind the big-screen remake of Brideshead Revisited.
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-times Oscar winner - on the warpath, Miramax Films swiftly relented.
There's no doubt in my mind that the studio execs asked her to lose weight because of potential reactions by American audiences. I also don't doubt that test screenings would reveal that American audiences found her to be "chunky" or some such euphemism.
Remember the recent casting call for Public Enemies here?
"We are currently looking for men no taller than 6'1", women should be no taller than 5'8", and no larger than a size 12.
Even extras can't be too high up the BMI scale. I mean, if you're watching Johnny Depp, can't have those extras be too plump lest they be distracting.
No comments:
Post a Comment