Atwell has reported that she was asked by the film company to lose weight for her role as Julia Flyte. It was only when co-star Emma Thompson (who will play Lady Marchmain) heard the news that things got resolved:
Says Atwell: “I went round to Emma’s one night and she was getting very angry that I wasn’t eating all the food she was giving me. I told her why and she hit the roof.” The no-nonsense Thompson was so outraged that she called the producers the next day and threatened to resign from the film if they forced Atwell to lose weight. Faced with Thompson — a two-time Oscar winner — on the warpath, Miramax Films swiftly relented.’ (x)
Can Emma Thompson come in anytime a studio wants to starve an actress and
Emma’s mentioned before—I forget what interview it was—that she doesn’t believe in having skinny actress just because. There ought to be a REASON for it. So when directors ask her to lose weight for a role she’s like “why? is my character supposed to be anorexic? does she having an eating disorder? is her thinness somehow relevant to her in any way?” and just. yeah. emma thompson, guardian angel of lady actors. o/
she is a goddamn badass queen.
