How Emma Thompson Bans Body Shaming From Movie Sets

By SheSpeaksTeam Mar 31, 2017

The pressures women feel every day to lose weight or look a certain way are often felt even greater for those working in Hollywood. Famed actor Emma Thompson is bringing to light just one incident she experienced while working in film that is unfortunately not so unusual.

The NY Daily News reports about Thompson’s retelling during an interview in Sweden of an encounter she overheard while working on the set of a film a few years back. She explains that while working on the set of “Brideshead Revisted” in 2008 she overheard a producer telling her “exquisite” co-star to drop some pounds. Thompson says, “There was a wonderful actress in a film I did called 'Brideshead Revisited’. The producer said to her, 'Will you lose some weight?' And she was absolutely exquisite!”

After hearing this Thompson was so upset that she threatened to leave the film if the producer didn’t stop harassing her young co-star about losing weight. Thompson explains, “I said to them, 'If you speak to her about this again, on any level, I will leave this picture. You are never to do that.” Fortunately for her co-star, Thompson is able to use her clout in the movie industry to defend against body shaming in Hollywood. But not all entertainers are afforded this luxury.

Thompson goes on to explain that the problem of body shaming is a widespread epidemic that often leads to eating disorders and mental anguish. She says, “The anorexia — there's so many kids, girls and boys now, and actresses who are very, very thin into their 30s, who simply don't eat. They don't eat ... Sometimes there are just some subjects that you absolutely have to make noise about because it's so tedious and it's gone on and on.”

And when Thompson is confronted about her own appearance while working she has a pretty handy comeback. She says, “Sorry, do you want me to be an actress or a model?”

What do you think of Emma Thompson’s actions after she heard a producer asking her co-star to lose weight?

Do you think there is too much pressure put on women regarding weight and appearance?