Annette Bening exposes aging concerns and fatphobia in Hollywood

Annette Bening recently opened up about some early struggles as a young actress in Hollywood, which was a time when people from the industry called her “too big and loud.”

This criticism was faced at the age of 30, upon her transition from stage to screen.

Recalling the experience, she noted how comments about female celebrities’ weights were common in that era, “That was what they said about the camera – that it made you look heavier. It's in these piquant details that you remember how fat-phobic the 90s were.”

The American Beauty star expressed amusement at the shift required in the subtlety demanded on camera, stating, “I didn't know the first thing. But I did know how to act. It felt very funny to speak very quietly, very funny not to fill a room with your voice.”

She also reflected on the societal pressure to defy aging, nothing how her age became a hot topic for discussions at just 35.

“Even in your 30s, there were those articles. Now, when I hear people worrying about it at 50, I think: what?” Bening touched down on the current trend of aging concerns among fellow actors.