Emma Thompson Says Anorexia in Hollywood Is “Getting Worse”
We may do our best to focus on body-positivity, but there’s no denying that the pressure to conform to certain physical ideals is still present, prevalent, and absolutely overwhelming at times. The same applies for anyone in show biz, as veteran actress Emma Thompson revealed while saying that anorexia is not only still an issue in Hollywood, but it’s “evil what’s happening and what’s going on there, and it’s getting worse.”
According to Us Magazine, during an interview with Sweden’s Skavlan talk show, Thompson admitted that the pressure for performers to be thin is nothing new, and is in fact so harsh, that she once threatened to quit a production when a young actress was asked to lose weight. “There was a wonderful actress in a film I did called Brideshead Revisited,” she told the hosts, “and the producer said to her, ‘Would you lose some weight?’ and she was exquisite.”
Thompson stood up for the younger professional, revealing that she spoke to the producer directly, saying, “’If you speak to her about this again on any level I will leave this picture. You are never to do that.’” Go, Emma!
This was far from an isolated experience, though, as Thompson continued, “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.”
It’s definitely time to make more noise on this subject and we’re pretty darn thankful that peeps like Emma Thompson are willing to speak up.
If you’re looking for information regarding eating disorders or need guidance and support for your own eating disorder, please visit the National Eating Disorder Association.
What do you think about what Emma Thompson has to say about anorexia in Hollywood? Let us know @BritandCo!
(h/t Refinery29; photos via Stuart C. Wilson + Pascal Le Segretain/Getty)
