“She really wanted us to look like people who have lived,” recalls Lynskey, 44.
“I haven’t dyed my hair for six years.
I was like, ‘Sorry, I don’t have any more to give.'”
Illustration by Franziska Barczyk for EW
“There was a part of me that thought, ‘Wow.
Even when I’m number one on the call sheet this is happening,'” says Lynskey.
Lynskey is not the only actress speaking out about Hollywood’s outdated and harmful standard of beauty.
Nicola Coughlan in ‘Bridgerton’.LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t use adjectives.
This complaint is not new, of course.
They wanted to see idealized versions of themselves.”
Melanie Lynskey as Shauna in ‘Yellowjackets’.Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME
“He just said, ‘Nobody told me there were big girls like you on this movie.’
I was a size 6!”
“He was furious.
I was so ashamed of my body after hearing that.
I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna get fired.'”
And with more outlets producing original fare, there are opportunities for a wider variety of talent.
“We are opening doors for everyone,” says veteran casting director Bonnie Zane (Suits).
“But the final decision is not going to be ours.”
Viewers are clearly willing to watch more than idealized versions of women, whether its Everett orYellowjackets’ Shauna.
“I wish I’d seen something like that when I was a teenager.”
She’s not the chubby friend and nobody’s asking her to change her body.
It’s making an impact on their mental health.
The feedback I’ve received is the reason I’ll keep talking about it."
