8 Celebrities Who Were Fired From Projects Due To Their Weight
Hollywood actors and actresses always encourage to have a slim body to enhance their chances to get more movie roles. So, it seems no surprise that many celebs have been fired or lost their roles because of their weight.
It’s true that Hollywood is notorious for body shaming and this really needs to end. It’s not rare to hear stories of celebrities who were discriminated against because of their size.
Actors like Christ Pratt and Alex Newell speak out against body shaming many times. These actors used to be told that they might never become famous but now, they got the last laugh by building solid careers.
Here are 8 actors who lost out on roles because of their weight.
#1. Chris Pratt
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The Guardians of the Galaxy star was told to be too fat for a role in Moneyball and it was the first time the actor heard someone say that. Since then, he decided to drop weight, like in wrestling. He was running and crash-dieting and cutting alcohol because he had no money to hire a trainer.
#2. Mindy Kaling
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Kaling was offered a sketch program by a network before being cast for The Office. The show was about Kaling’s life. The network requested her to audition but rescinded the offer because of her weight.
In a 2014 interview with The Guardian, she said, “We were not considered attractive or funny enough to play ourselves. That network is no longer on the air, and The Office went on to be one of NBC's most hit shows in years. I feel like karmically, I was vindicated, but at the time it felt terrible,”
#3. Kate Upton
Source: Dominique Charriau/Wireimage
Victoria’s Secret’s casting director, Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou, told The New York Times in 2012 that the brand never invited Upton to its annual fashion show because of her curves. Neophitou-Apostolou claimed, “We would never use [her]” “[It’s too obvious. She’s like a Page 3 girl. She’s like a footballer’s wife, with the too-blond hair and that kind of face that anyone with enough money can go out and buy.”
In a 2013 interview with Vogue, the model responded, “I can’t change my bra size. They’re natural! I can work out and I can stay healthy and motivated, but I can’t change some things. I really just live my life. I love my body. It’s what God gave me! I feel confident with myself, and if that inspires other women to feel confident with their bodies, great.”
#4. Ryan Gosling
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The actor was supposed to portray the dad of a murdered and raped teenager in The Lovely Bones. During the time he was cast and when it was time to shoot, he gained 60 pounds which caused him to lose his role.
Gosling shared, “We had a different idea of how the character should look,.. I really believed he should be 210 lbs.’ ‘I was melting Haagen Dazs and drinking it when I was thirsty. I really believed in it, I was excited about it and I showed up and they said, “You look terrible.'”
#5. David Harbour
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Before being cast in Stranger Things, David Harbour was refused to play Blod, a character with superhuman strength in one of Marvel’s Wolverine films because of his weight.
The actor met the director at a hotel and ask the reason he lost the role. The director really worried about Harbour’s health and considered he wasn’t strong enough to play the part.
#6. Chrissy Teigen
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As a model, Chrissy Teigen was forcibly left from a Forever 21 photoshoot because of her weight.
She told DuJour in 2014, “They asked me if they could take a photo and they shoot that photo off to my agency, who then calls me as I’m sitting in the makeup chair. And they say, ‘You need to leave right now. They just said you are fat and you need to come get your measurements taken.’ So I hate you, Forever 21. Hate you so much. Honestly, you’re the worst.”
#7. Alex Newell
Source: Bruce Glikas/Filmmagic
Newell had an audition for the leading role in Kinky Boots but he missed his role because of his weight. In a 2017 interview with StyleCaster, he said, “They said my weight would inhibit me from playing the role, which is not true, but to each their own,… They literally looked me in the face and told me I was too big to play a role. There’s no limitation. My weight does not prescribe what I cannot do.”
#8. Samantha Morton
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In 2005, Samantha Morton was cast in a movie about the Brothers Grimm. Though the director desired to cast her, the studio said no due to her weight.
The actress told The Sun in 2004, “Director Terry Gilliam wanted me, and the actors wanted me, but there was a complication with the studio over money and over my weight,… I think I’m a healthy size, I’m an 8-10. I’m not going to go down the road of having my teeth done, my boobs done.”
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