Wasting away is the latest rage in Hollywood...............

C

claridge

Cathlete
Just thought I would share this article below, from my local newspaper, and although Im sure no one will be surprised, these stories still make me shake my head in wonder sometimes.

Start of article

A Carbohydrate is a terrible thing to waste. Particulary if you only eat one carb a day, which is becoming routine in Hollywood. This is a town with a collective dress size of zero. A town that calls a slice of bread Sunday brunch; a town whose inhabitants only contact with a vacuum-cleaner is in the hands of a plastic surgeon. But, most of all, Hollywood is a town on a perpetual diet.

People diet to win roles. They diet to look good for the paparazzi. And they diet to win Oscars. Ever since Adrian Brody lost 13kg and picked up an Acadamy Award for his portrayal of Wladyslaw Szpilman in the 2002 drama the "Pianist", actors have been thinking of ways to lose weight and find gold.

Jamie Fox lost 13kg to play Ray Charles in the upcoming biopic "Ray" and Christian Bale shed an astounding 28kg to play the title role in his new film "The Machinist" His charactor hasnt slept in a year and is described in the script as a "walking skeleton". This guy makes Calista Flockhart look chubby.

"When I first wrote the charactor," says screenwriter Scott Alan Kosar "I assumed the shocking weightloss would be done with computor-generated imagery or cleverly designed costumes - never in my wildest dreams did I think an actor would go as far as to actually starve himself"

Even the films director Brad Anderson says Bale went "well beyond the call of duty"

As for Bales secret, Bale says he just didnt eat.

Why do these people do this to themselves and risk death?

"Total immersion into the charactor I'm ment to be" say Bale "You do it in the service of telling a great story".

End of acticle



:(
 
To me this is sad. All I can say is that I am so glad I'm not in the acting profession! I rather be me with extra weight TRYING to get to a healthy weight by doing the RIGHT things. Plus, I don't care for the really thin look myself.....I like when women/men have muscle and aren't so skinny where you can see all their bones.

Kim
 
Anyone see Christian Bale in Reign of Fire or American Psycho? Really hot guy with amazing muscles! Bet he looks like crap now...

What frightens and angers me as a psychologist currently working with eating disorders is that what Hollywood actors do, children and teens are sure to follow... Socially irresponsible if you ask me (but who can blame them? THey don't work if they don't have a certain look). When is society going to change, and how are we to change it???!!!
 
I saw "American Psycho" and another movie he was in (name of it is escaping me now), and yes, he's definitely a hottie...I saw a pic of him after losing the weight for this role and I can't believe it's the same guy! In the interview, he said he normally weighs 196 and he got down to 121 for the role...then gained all the weight back and then some in 4 months to shoot "Batman." Can't be a good thing for the ole' bod!
 
Actors fatten up for roles too. I guess they are trying to be realistic for the roles, which somehow does not bother me much.
But when I see a Hollywood "trend" like the heroin addict look, somehow that bugs the hell out of me. I guess because the difference for me is if it's an actor doing something for a role, that's an individual thing, whereas if something is made out to the public to be a "trend" or "look" that we all should be doing, then that is wrong to me.
I see very few models, actresses or actors that, when un-airbrushed or in a harsh light, look great to me. I probably see 50 people a day in person who look better than most of those Hollywood types. And they are in better shape too, in most cases.
Just my opinions.
T. :)
 
I think Queen Latifah is beautiful and looks better (and healthier) than any of those stick-thin actresses. Kate Winslet is another actress who refuses to diet her body down to nothing for a movie role.
 
Kate Winslet is one of the most beautiful and most talented actresses of modern cinema. She is right to stick to her guns and be true to her body type. She has so much talent, who cares whether she weighs more than Calista and Lara Flynn Boyle? She is beautiful because of her curves, not in spite of them.

On the other hand, Renee Zellwegger adds weight for Bridget Jones and loses it again afterwards and she is criticized for it, I can't see why. She's a taalented actress, and she really IS Bridget and Bridget is a weightier gal than Renee and Renee is a runner so it's natural that she will lose that weight. It really doesn't signify an eating disorder. She seems to be one of the most level headed players in Hollywood, from what I have seen of her and read of her in interviews.

On the other hand again, this whole carb phobia is excessive and stupid. carbs are energy: in a balanced diet, what's the problem here?

Clare
 
This is such a hot button topic for me! I highly suggest a book called "Hollywood Interrupted" to get the scoop on how badly these images affect society but more importantly our children. What is held up as the ideal norm is what our kids buy into on so many levels. "Brittney did it", "Brittney says it", "Brittney wears it"....not in my house:)
 
AMEN! I have more respect for people like Queen Latifah and Kate Winslet because they refuse to change their body for the sake of a role. With costuming, lighting, and the computer-generated imagery they can do these days, it shouldn't be an issue. Look what they were able to do with the "Lord of the Rings" series - Hobbits! And how about an oldie but goodie - "Forrest Gump"? Gary Sinise didn't really cut off his legs to play the part! I don't feel actresses and actors should be "praised" for putting their bodies through unhealthy practices just to look "right" for a part. There's something inherently wrong in the entire system if that's the "best" way they can win a part. Give me my "real" job any day, thank you very much!

Carol
:)
 
>When is society going to change, and how are we to change it???!!!

I think we can only change it in our lives by calling the "image" a lie. This is plenty difficult as an adult, but teens and younger children in particular are so vulnerable. Hopefully by our example of health and fitness we are doing our small part.

Great thread! I will be quiet now....
;-)
 
Hot topic for me too, and I have some interesting research to present.

But first, Clare, I agree that Hollywood stars like Renee Zellweger may be able to achieve this look without having an eating disorder (although that many size zeros makes me seriously doubt that most of the stars aren't suffering from one). My concern is that children and adolescents don't know this. They don't even know they might be at risk for such things as eating disorders. THey just want to emulate a certain look. They become dissatisfied with their bodies, start dieting, and wammo!

Someone did a really clever study on the island of Fiji, where before 1995, televisions were only owned by very few. At this time, only 3% or so of girls reported having major issues with body shape or weight, or were making efforts to diet. 1995 saw a boom in the number of televisions in homes in Fiji. One year later, between 30-40% of elementary school girls were dissatisfied with their bodies and making some attempt to do something about it through dieting. 3 years later these numbers climbed to 80%! Pretty strong evidence for the power of media!
 
OOPS! I re-read Clare's post and now get what she is saying - she was agreeing with everyone! Sorry Clare, I'm a little slow after doing MIC this morning! :eek:
 
I dunno . . . if these actors/actresses get paid MILLIONS of dollars for a role, why shouldn't they be required to do what is necessary to be believable? Why should they be computer-enhanced and not do any hard work? I say "Yeah, do something and EARN those millions!"

And, the only actor who "wasted" away without proper guidance from a doctor and nutritionist is Matt Damon in "Courage Under Fire" before he became a big star.

There are less than 10 actors listed here who have "dieted" for a role among THOUSANDS of actors who have not.

Is this really a trend?
 
What about stars who gain a lot of weight for a role (LIKE Renee Zellweger) and then go through all kinds of diets and severe personal training to lose the weight in less time than in healthy? (I heard someone lost 50 lbs in a little less than 2 months) Being an actor in Hollywood can be detrimental to your health!!
 
Yes, the other side of the coin are not the starvers, but the over eaters - just as tradgic.
From what Ive read (and it has been from magazines) Renee Zellweger HATED with passion the weight she gained for "Bridget......." She had never felt so un-sexy as she did then, and her boyfriend (who ever he was) had a problem with her weight as well! In hindsight, she should have done a Gwyneth Paltrow and wore a fat suit. I think her weight got more attention from the media than Hugh Grants little discretion did a few years back. She also had a lot to prove with the English accent going on as well - poor thing.

Queen Latifah had a breast reduction so I think she looked automatically slimmer after that, and because she felt more comfortable, she COULD finally exercise alot more. She TOO seems to be getting thinner though. The media seems to get them all in the end. Just look as Oprah! How screwed up must her body be?

Kate Winslets name was associated with the film "Sirens" for so long, and as the "Voluptuous" one. I think most woman associate that with being of a "fuller figure" and unless you are icons sich as Marilyn Munro or Sophie Loran, the word "Voluptuous" is not often called for in Hollywood as a permanent way to look these days. I think that she is doing the responsible thing and telling the media that she is very comfortable with her size and would never diet to extreme - but secretly - she envies Kate Moss!

Where is the balance in this?

One last rant......

I also get angry when I hear about woman not wanting to be pregnant because they will get "fat" - ohhhhhhh please - this must be the ULTIMATE example of someones extreme vanity. Im sure that is the real reason there has been no little Brad or Jens!

Gee - I feel so much better now



:)
 
>I think her weight got more attention from the media than Hugh Grants little discretion did a few years back.

Um ... don't you mean his INDISCRETION?? LOL!! Slip of the fingers there, right? ;-)

Carol
:)
 
I heard a terrible rumor about the pregnancy thing. THat actresses were having labor induced a month early to avoid the baby dropping in the last month of pregnancy and further stretching the abdomen! Let's don't let our babies develop fully, give them every chance they have to be healthy and normal - at the risk of stretch marks? WHo could ask this much of us???

Makes me mad too...
 
If a Texan wants to be credible as a Londoner, then yes, she's gonna have to work at that accent. Poor thing? I don't think so. After all, as a previous poster said, she has to earn those millions. Getting her speech inflections right is part of her role and I'm sure she actually enjoyed the challenge, she's an intelligent woman and there are plenty of British actresses who already have the correct accent who would have loved to do the role, like Kate Winslet!

Clare
 
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