13 Period Movies Actresses Talk About The Difficulties Of Wearing Corsets

Hollywood stars frequently suffer for their work, particularly when it comes to the grueling costumes required to replicate historical plays. Specifically, the corset. When you see females in period pieces onscreen, you might not think about how they prepared for that role. However, many historical and contemporary films feature women in corsets, and the actors had to practice wearing the costumes for lengthy hours before and during production.
Because corseting is not as widespread as it once was, it might be difficult for an actor to wear a corset for extended periods of time. However, the results are astounding, as some of them have mentioned how the outfits modify their physical structure.
Although the restrictions of a corset can symbolize the limitations of women's rights throughout certain times, it can also have major bodily consequences for those who wear it.
Here are 13 actors who have spoken out about the physical and emotional agony of wearing the confining garment...

#1 Polly Walker, who stars as Portia Featherington in "Bridgerton," said that wearing a corset limits her movement.

Source: Liam Daniel/Netflix

She claimed that she couldn't bend at all while wearing the corset. She explained that if she dropped her script or pencil, she would have to rely on the charity of passers-by to pick them up.

#2 "Bridgerton" newcomer Simone Ashley said that she was in a "lot of pain" and tore her shoulder because of her corset.

Source: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Ashley, who will appear as Kate Sharma in season two of the blockbuster Netflix series, told Glamour UK that she needed the wardrobe department's help because she couldn't put her shoes on while wearing the corset.
Simone also stated that on her first day, she planned to eat a lot in order to "be incredibly stimulated," but she did not consider the construction clothing.

#3 "Bridgerton" star Golda Rosheuvel said that she trains several times a week in order to be able to withstand the difficulties of wearing a double corset for her role as Queen Charlotte.

Source: Liam Daniel/Netflix

She worked out three times a week, ate well, and drank enough of water since she required energy to wear the outfits.

#4 Margot Robbie said that her costume for "Mary Queen of Scots" was "very restrictive," but also helped her performance.

Source: Liam Daniel/Focus Features

Wearing a full costume of prosthetics, makeup, a wig, and a hefty dress, according to her, was quite beneficial.
Robbie stated that it felt very restricting and that it was both ironic and helpful to feel trapped by the facade that her character established for herself.

#5 Keira Knightley said that wearing the garment was "positively awful."

Source: Paramount Pictures

She remarked that it's no wonder that she's the weaker sex because she couldn't breathe.
Knightley, who has worn the garment in films such as "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Anna Karenina," also revealed to Variety that she served as a "corset consultant" on the set of her 2018 film "Colette."

#6 Natalie Dormer has had a fair share of roles that required her to wear a corset.

Source: Amazon Prime Video

Dormer has donned the outfit for appearances in productions like as "The Tudors" and other period dramas. It's also why she was apprehensive to appear in "Picnic at Hanging Rock" on Amazon Prime Video.
Dormer did go on for the series, despite the fact that she "had no desire" to wear corsets again, according to Radio Times, but she was drawn to the writing for "Picnic at Hanging Rock."

#7 Saoirse Ronan wore a corset for 12 hours a day when filming "Mary Queen of Scots."

Source: Focus Features

"I didn't have any curves before," the actress admitted. When she removed the corset, she had an "hourglass" p for "roughly a month" until her body returned to its regular shape.

#8 Emma Stone said that her "organs shifted" after wearing a corset for her Oscar-nominated role in 2018's "The Favourite."

Source: FOX Searchlight

Stone stated on "The Graham Norton Show" in 2018 that wearing the corset made it impossible for her to sit properly, so she had to lean. When she had respiratory problems, she would smell menthol, according to the actress.

#9 Dakota Fanning said she fainted during her first fitting for her role in TNT's "The Alienist."

Source: TNT

Fanning explained that she was "kind of bloated and exhausted and jet-lagged" when she arrived for the fitting after landing.
The actress also told the tabloid that wearing the garment for seven months "totally transformed" her body, but it also helped her get into character.

#10 The corset that Lily James wore for her princess role in Disney's 2015 live-action remake of "Cinderella" prevented her from being able to properly eat between scenes.

Source: Disney

She claimed she couldn't untie the corset and that it was interfering with her meal digestion. She claimed she burped in Richard Madden's face all afternoon.

#11 "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" star Rachel Brosnahan said that some of her ribs "are sort of fused together" from wearing the constricting garment on the show.

Source: Amazon

The actress said she had a "corset-related damage" to her ribcage. She stated that she could no longer take deep breaths.

#12 Elle Fanning, who stars as Catherine in Hulu's show "The Great," said that wearing corsets changed her body.

Source: Ollie Upton/Hulu

Her boobs appeared larger, and she agreed that corsets modify the body, even the breathing pattern.
Wearing the corset for six months "hurt," according to the actor, who also had to "learn how to breathe differently."

#13 Cara Delevingne's corset worn while filming Amazon Prime Video's "Carnival Row" made breathing and talking more difficult.

Source: Amazon Prime Video

She said that wearing a corset every day caused her to lose her voice.