Andrea Riseborough, a charismatic and versatile actress, has navigated the complexities of body image and weight expectations in the film industry. This article explores her experiences, particularly concerning dieting, exercise, and the pressures she has faced as a woman in Hollywood.
Riseborough's Physicality and Early Career
Riseborough possesses a slight physical presence, with translucent skin and fine-boned fingers. She is Geordie born and bred, 36, left high school without university to run a Chinese restaurant and then it was RADA. Her shoulders are toned and move with the ease of a dancer. Her ability to transform into diverse roles has made her a sought-after actress.
Diet and Exercise Regimen
Riseborough generally eats what she wants. She enjoys peanut butter shakes and sweet potato fries. However, for her role as Wallis Simpson in Madonna's W.E., Riseborough chose to lose weight to embody Simpson's thin frame. She followed an extreme diet, consuming primarily almonds and "green shit," shopping exclusively at Wholefoods for four months. This regimen involved significant exercise to maintain physical fitness while conserving energy for the emotional demands of the role. She said she was quite a geek at school. She looked forward to learning about literature and would walk around the school when it was empty touching its ancient walls, feeling grateful, hoping that she would find her people.
Body Image Pressures in the Film Industry
Riseborough has openly discussed the pressures she has faced to conform to specific body types in the film industry. She recounted instances where male casting directors suggested she would secure roles if she were thinner or in better shape. She said if she could choose her last meal it would be white rice with chilli sauce. The blandness and the fire, the white and the red. She also shared an experience where she was sent home from a shoot because the production needed someone with a different body type, highlighting the industry's tendency to piece together idealized versions of women. She is staunchly opposed to women being told to change their bodies for parts.
Riseborough notes the historical context of these pressures, explaining that the wide screen format made men look huge. It made Marlon Brando look huge and he wasn’t it made Bogart look buff and he was a tiny little guy. It even made Frank Sinatra large when he wasn’t but for women it stretched us out and rather than changing the format of film they wanted to change the size of women and make them even smaller.
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Riseborough's Perspective on Feminism and Misogyny in Film
Riseborough is a staunch feminist who believes the film industry is becoming more misogynistic. She has observed numerous instances of sexism on set, including a recent shoot where she witnessed angry men on the crew. She also recounted a disturbing experience where she was filming a rape scene while a crew member casually charged his phone nearby. She is starring in a film that deals directly with reinvigorating feminism - Battle of the Sexes. Emma Stone is already tipped for a second Oscar.
Riseborough's film company, Mother Sucker, aims to counter these issues by creating films with strong female characters and perspectives. She has adapted Hamlet as an all-female cast.
Riseborough's Transformation and Identity
Riseborough is known for her ability to transform into her roles, often using wigs and altering her appearance. She finds it liberating to take off the character at the end of the day. She is interested in transforming. She’s interested in how people move and speak, getting somebody’s rhythm. This interest in transformation extends to her personal style, as she experiments with different hair colors and looks.
Riseborough's Views on Aging and Beauty Standards
Riseborough acknowledges the immense pressure on women to maintain a youthful appearance in Hollywood. She criticizes the industry's tendency to "cryogenically freeze" women in time and the disparity in pay grades for women as they age. She believes that it is questionable to put hundreds of millions of dollars into something that perpetuates misogyny.
Riseborough's Personal Life and Influences
Riseborough was born in Newcastle, into a family of miners and factory workers. As an adolescent, the shift in family circumstance made her more aware of the nuance of class - she softened her northern accent (although to this day, she has not lost it entirely) and became an obsessive watcher of people, taking in how they acted, spoke and revealed themselves. She remains close to her family.
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Riseborough draws inspiration from artists like Patti Smith and Joan Didion. She values authenticity and meaningful connections. She is an inveterate people-watcher. That's part of the reason I walk around a lot. I take the bus everywhere, because I need to. I mean, more than that, I enjoy it. People are fascinating. They're so unique and I think what's more fascinating is the reason behind the physical characteristic, the enigma, that's where the gold dust is.
Riseborough's Oscar Nomination Controversy
Riseborough's surprise Oscar nomination for her role in To Leslie sparked controversy and an investigation into the grassroots campaign on her behalf. Despite the concerns raised, the Academy decided not to rescind her nomination.
The Film "To the Bone" and Eating Disorders
The Netflix film To the Bone, starring Lily Collins, sheds light on eating disorders. It exposes the private lives of young people avoiding food in pursuit of a skinny ideal. The film reveals some disturbing strategies employed by people with eating disorders; once again, things that will already be known to those affected but important for others to witness. Any film that exposes the private lives of young people avoiding food in pursuit of a skinny ideal is sure to be met with controversy, but the film shows just enough to shock viewers without providing motivation for sufferers.
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