Anyone who has ever read about the unhealthy and sometimes dangerous lengths actors go to, to lose weight for roles, will be be in awe of the thespians' commitment to immense suffering in the name of art.
Actors such as Jake Gyllenhaal, Renée Zellweger and Chris Hemsworth have all employed extreme measures to become body-ready for the parts they have been tasked with playing.
Heck, Gyllenhaal lost 30 pounds for his role in Nightcrawler by chewing gum into tricking his brain into thinking he was having a meal, and drinking one-calorie almond tea before running 15 miles from the set back home, according to his co-star and ELLE 'Tv Actor of the Year' award winner, Riz Ahmed.
I mean, can you think of anything worse?
However, you have to hand it to these stars, it takes handwork and dedication to put your body under so much strain and pressure in order to best deliver a narrative for your audiences.
But, is it worth it when it comes at the risk of your life and sanity?
According to actress Kirsten Dunst, it's a big fat no.
In the lead up to her new film, The Beguiled, director and friend Sofia Coppola reportedly asked Dunst to lose a few pounds for the pair's upcoming Southern gothic drama, in which she stars opposite Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this month.
Now, fortunately for Dunst, her and Coppola's relationship goes way back to the late 1990s, when she starred in her film The Virgin Suicides and later in the 2006 hit film, Marie Antoinette.
The 46-year-old director even once reportedly told Dunst: 'I love your teeth; don't ever fix your teeth', which gave the actress 'confidence in little things that I wouldn't necessarily have had', she admits.
As a result, when asked to lose weight for the role, Dunst had the courage to push back against her friend's ask.
'It's so much harder when you're 35 and hate working out,' Dunst explained to Variety.
The 35-year-old, who recently got engaged to her Fargo co-star, Jesse Plemons, also highlighted the film was being shot in Louisiana, famed for its love of Jambalaya and Seafood.
Practically, the New Jersey-born star said being asked to lose weight was going to be impossible.
'I'm eating fried chicken and McDonald's before work. So I'm like, 'We have no options! I'm sorry I can't lose weight for this role'.'
We raise a chicken wing to salute you, Kirsten.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
