How Do We Feel About Celebs Wearing Fat Suits?
Posted by: Erin Flaherty
Filed in:
style
11:20AM, Wednesday September 23rd 2009
The hallmark of many an Oscar winner, nominee and/or serious actor is to delve so deeply into their roles that they both mentally and physically “become” the character. When it comes to method acting, the whole process sounds kind of creepy and possibly schizophrenic, but when it comes to the latter, it’s pretty straightforward and usually involves clothes, hair and makeup, and is sometimes accompanied by extreme weight loss (Christian Bale), a new nose (Nicole Kidman) or eating a whole bunch of doughnuts and pizza in order to get chubs fast à la Jared Leto and Renee Zellweger, who has already done it twice for those “Bridget Jones” movies. Today E! reports that Zellweger will forgo weight gain and instead wear a fat suit (like Gwyneth Paltrow in “Shallow Hal”) for “Bridget Jones 3.” [E!]
Oh really?
Now, besides the fact that it totally confuses us as to why any Hollywood exec in their right mind would greenlight what is sure to be a terrible film that will likely bomb, Zellweger is so insanely thin at this point that putting a fat suit on her skinny ass seems like it would look pretty laughable. Then again, we might sympathize with her not wanting to go through the painful process of losing weight if she weren’t so dang underweight to begin with. Eh, maybe this is just her way of saying, “The movie is gonna suck, I’m just taking home a paycheck, and, let’s face it, I’m not going to get an Oscar nod for this project. Plus, I’m dating Bradley Cooper.”
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Raugiel
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 10:30 am: [report]
Can’t blame her for not wanting to gain and then lose a bunch of weight. Its deffinatly not good for you, even if she is too skinny.
Rose
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 10:42 am: [report]
I don’t think anyone should ever EVER gain and/or lose weight for a role. Doesn’t that say something about the lack of diversity in body types in Hollywood, if they can’t hire someone the “right” size for a role? And fat suits are the modern equivalent of blackface makeup, just insulting.
retro chic
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 10:44 am: [report]
The prosthetic makeup now is incredible. If they can transform Travolta in Hairspray, they’ll do fine for Zellweger. The Shallow Hal one was awful, I think. I’m sure spirit gum and rubber is healthier than, not just the warp-speed gaining and dieting, but the exercise and demands of the role, that make it dangerous. Production underwriters don’t want the risk, and actors want higher value $$$ on their policies.
effing hickster
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 10:59 am: [report]
@retro chic: Side comment—they never should have remade that movie. Ricky Lake was awesome.
retro chic
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 11:12 am: [report]
@eh: yeah, I almost mentioned that!... but, I was mesmerized by the period/prosthetic costume and makeup (a la the topic) so I refrained.
amandabear
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 11:15 am: [report]
I hate actors wearing fat suits. It’s insulting to actual fat people and it takes work away from fat actors and actresses who have far fewer opportunities to start with.
effing hickster
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 11:20 am: [report]
You know, Melissa McCarthy could play the part in either movie, I’m sure.
hlnbabe
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 11:24 am: [report]
I dislike Renee Zelweger, but she is the best Bridget Jones. Don the fat suit! Ignoring the health risks, she gained too much weight in the second one. In the book, Bridget is only slightly overweight, no need to go all out when makeup can do it for you.
Secondly, there are fat actors, and famous to boot, but they are men.
mizfitz
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 12:13 pm: [report]
right on rose!
Lynn
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 12:48 pm: [report]
I wouldn’t want to gain the weight. I gained 20 pounds in college over a year or two and even that was too fast for me - I was so lost and uncomfortable in my new body. I don’t know if I could handle packing all that on in a matter of months.
writergirl
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 12:51 pm: [report]
She might not be gaining the weight due to a project that will start filming after Bridget Jones wraps and not having enough time in between to lose the weight. Cut her a break.
sadie
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 12:56 pm: [report]
I see no problem with it. I don’t think she looks underweight in the pic on the right either, I think she looks normal.
Vicequeenmaria
wrote on September 23 2009 @ 01:51 pm: [report]
If they make it look natural, I don’t see a problem with it. After, all this could just be a question of adding some padding on her ass and boobs and a little roll around her belly. Bridget is not supposed to be obese like the woman in Shallow Hal.
And puhleeaze, Renee looked like a “normal” woman in the first two movies. She was not “fat”—she was just fat for the actress, not the character.
Bridget Jones 1 is a classic and a pleasure to re-watch. The second one, not at all. We’ll see what they can come up with in sequel number 3.