Actor Shannon Purser who plays Barb in Stranger Things has said she believes that Hollywood will not give big roles to ‘fat actors’.
The 24-year-old is best known from the popular sci-fi series but has also featured in Sierra Burgess is a Loser and Riverdale.
Stranger Things Fact of the Day:
The Demogorgon killing Barb while Nancy is upstairs with Steve in season one is a deliberate twist on the horror movie trope where the most promiscuous characters are killed off first. #strangerthings pic.twitter.com/P7lEf8q8ON
— Stranger Things 4 News (@Strange14115856) February 13, 2022
Purser tweeted:
“They’re not hiring fat actors for iconic fat characters because they want a big name star. There are almost no fat big name stars because fat actors aren’t allowed upward mobility.
“We aren’t allowed upward mobility because the industry sees us as two-dimensional set pieces.”
See below:
they’re not hiring fat actors for iconic fat characters because they want a big name star. there are almost no fat big name stars because fat actors aren’t allowed upward mobility. we aren’t allowed upward mobility because the industry sees us as two-dimensional set pieces.
— Shannon (@shannonpurser) June 20, 2022
Many users of the social network agreed with her, with some saying:
“Preach!”
“Ding ding ding ding ding.”
“It makes me sad too, because there are a lot of talented fat actors, and we are fine playing villains, because we want diverse and complex roles on par with those who fit societal standards, as long as we stop being typecasted in roles that are negative BECAUSE we are fat.”
The recent casting of Emma Thompson in Matilda as Miss Trunchbull has also been criticised as the actress wore a fat suit to play the character. Watch the trailer below:
First look at Emma Thompson as Miss Trunchbull in Netflix's 'Matilda the Musical' 📚pic.twitter.com/QDoqDBIhzU
— Fandom (@getFANDOM) June 15, 2022
Many believe they should have cast a plus size actor instead.
