Emily Blunt has criticized Hollywood for placing too much pressure on the physical appeal and “likability” of female roles. The English actress is currently starring in the much-anticipated movie of the year Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan.
Blunt said she often gets “irritated” by scripts in which the male characters are presented with “insightful” details about their personalities while the female characters are only given superficial descriptions of their physical looks
Emily Blunt Says There’s Too Much Expectation on Women to be Likeable
Gender bias in Hollywood is a multifaceted and deeply ingrained issue in the entertainment industry. Hollywood, the entertainment capital of the world, has long been seen as a symbol of glitz, glamour, and creativity. Yet, behind the shimmering facade, this persistent issue has plagued the industry for decades.
According to Emily Blunt, female actors are under more pressure to be “likable” than male peers. In a recent interview with The Guardian, the Hollywood star also expressed her opinion that male actors weren’t held to the same standards as women.
The actress said, “I think there is still a pressure to be likable, and sort of warm and understood, and men are not held to that same standard.”
The Edge of Tomorrow star continued, “No one cared if Leonardo DiCaprio was likable in The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Asked if women are more forthright, the actress explained: “Yes, but I could equally generalize and say a lot of women tend to try to dance around things because we’re not often given a platform to speak honestly.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Blunt said women in Hollywood are often labeled negatively when speaking openly.
She’s Not Quitting Hollywood
Emily Blunt, who has two daughters, Hazel, nine, and Violet, six, with her actor husband John Krasinski, also explained some recent remarks she made about stepping back from work to spend more time with her family.
Speaking on a podcast, Blunt said: “This year, I’m not working. I worked quite a bit last year and my oldest baby is nine, so we’re in the last year of single digits.”
“And I just feel [like] there are cornerstones to their day that are so important when they’re little. And it’s, ‘Will you wake me up? Will you take me to school? Will you pick me up? Will you put me to bed?’’
“And I just need to be there for all of them for a good stretch. And I just felt that in my bones.”
She said in her most recent interview: “I’m not quitting Hollywood. It’s OK, guys. Just taking a little bit of downtime.”
Blunt plays J. Robert Oppenheimer’s wife Kitty in the movie Oppenheimer. Blunt’s upcoming films include The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling and Pain Hustlers with Chris Evans and Andy Garcia.
Oppenheimer is in cinemas from 21 July.
Source: The Guardian
