Sarah Snook was body-shamed by a movie producer for eating a small bite of chocolate cake.
The ‘Succession’ actress – who just landed her second Golden Globe and second Critics Choice Award for her portrayal of Shiv Roy in the HBO drama series – has recalled the uncomfortable moment on an unnamed project when she was blasted in front of the entire cast and crew.
She told the Sunday Times magazine: “One particular day, I had the tiniest bit of chocolate cake.”
A costume designer intervened and told Sarah to keep eating.
She added: “And all the while I am dying inside…
“The infantilising of women, to not be able to make their own decisions, why would we do that to women?”
When she went for the job, the 36-year-old star was told she was a “nobody” and ordered to overhaul her appearance.
She said: “[The casting agency told me] ‘We don’t really want you because you’re a nobody, but the director and the writer think you’re good for the role. So what we’ll do is change all of you so that you’re marketable: we’ll whiten your teeth, darken your hair, we’ll give you a personal trainer so you can lose weight and look the part.’
“In order for me to be successful I have to be all the things that aren’t me.”
One of Sarah’s early roles came as a prisoner of war in a TV movie and she recalled feeling insulted when she was told she had “got hot” as a result of losing weight – but felt it ws something she needed to maintain as a result.
She said: “Realistically for the role I had to lose a bunch of weight. And then I remember this guy going, ‘Oh, when did you get hot?’…
“[I saw that as] Well, I wasn’t hot before. So I must have been disgusting. Therefore I must maintain this shape at all costs, and I’m only worthwhile as an object in the eyes of another person by being a shape that is appreciable to them.”