14 movie stars who refused to change their appearance for a role (15 photos)

Hollywood has a knack for imposing beauty standards. Actors and actresses are often forced to lose weight and even undergo plastic surgery to fit a certain image. But not everyone agrees to the changes. These celebrities are building a career while remaining themselves.





1. In 2023, Jenna Ortega told Harper's Bazaar, "As a child actor, you can either get two jobs: you can either be the younger version of someone or you can play someone's daughter, and there aren't a lot of leading Latina actors."



"I wasn't getting a lot of roles because I wasn't looked [a certain] way. I thought about dying my hair blonde to look like Cinderella. But then I thought, 'I don't want other young girls to look at me and feel like they need to change the way they look to be considered beautiful or worthy.'"

2. In 2024, Kate Winslet told Harper's Bazaar that while filming Lee, a crew member suggested she straighten her back to hide her belly fat





"No way! I did that on purpose, you know? I'm proud that I don't look perfect on screen because my life is written on my face, and that's important. It wouldn't even occur to me to hide it," the actress admitted.

She also added: "I often hear: 'You should do something about those wrinkles.' But every year I become more comfortable in my body. I feel very lucky to be in an industry where there are so many amazing older actresses who are absolute role models."

3. One of the Spider-Man producers wanted Kirsten Dunst to have the perfect Hollywood smile. But she refused



In 2024, she told GQ, "I was like, 'No, I like my teeth.'"

4. In 2023, Rosie Perez told Variety, "[My former agent] told me that if I dyed my hair blonde and got a nose job, I could get more roles."



"I couldn't believe it. Oh my God! Thanks for the advice, but you're fired."

5. Claudia Doumit Wanted a Nose Job for Years



She admitted: "Ever since I was a little girl, I thought, 'When I get my first job, I'm going to get a nose job.' But I didn't. I started getting roles in movies, and one day I realized that I was doing what I loved, and my looks weren't a problem. I may not fit the mold, but beauty is subjective, and that's how I see it."

6. In 2024, Joel Kim Booster told Vulture: "Someone asked me point blank, 'When you get famous, are you going to fix your teeth?' I didn't have the means to do it at the time. My answer was simple: "No."



"As I've become more and more successful, I've kind of put this question off. Part of me says, "No, I reject these beauty standards and I'll live with my bad teeth (which aren't that bad, by the way)." It's a trick of the mind: I'm above beauty standards and this game."

7. In a video for Vogue 2023, Florence Pugh said: "From the very beginning of my career, I didn't follow the rules. I don't think that everyone liked that, especially in Hollywood."



"Girls tend to try to fit themselves into the norm to get every opportunity. That's the game. I didn't change myself. I love food. I never lose weight to look fantastic for a role. I think more about how this character lived, what did she eat?"

8. Early in her career, Amber Riley would often hear: "I think you need to lose some weight." She was only offered stereotypical roles



She didn't understand why people couldn't accept her for who she was, so she decided to stop auditioning.

In 2021, she gave an interview to MTV: "There aren't many roles for women my size, and black women, either... I never wanted to play a character who hated herself. People need to know that those aren't the only roles for women like me."

9. Ashley Benson has been advised to lose weight more than once



"There's been a few times where it's like, 'You're too fat for this role.' And I'm like, 'Wait, what? You want a skeleton?' But I feel good. I don't want to lose 20 pounds [9 kilograms], because I don't need it."

10. When producer David Fincher offered Robin Wright a role in House of Cards, the actress thought, 'You're 45, you're not going to get a facelift.'



"I've really thought about it because in Hollywood, I feel pressure to tighten my face, pump up these lips, and make my boobs bigger! And I don't want to do that. I'm getting older, I'm getting wrinkles."

11. In her memoir "My Name Is Barbra," Streisand shared that she was advised to have a nose job and straighten her teeth



"Isn't my talent enough? A nose job would be painful and expensive. And how could I trust someone to do exactly what I wanted and nothing more? It was too big a risk. One day, a doctor told me that I had a deviated septum, maybe that's why I sounded the way I did. Besides, I liked long noses... The Italian actress Silvana Mangano had one, and everyone thought she was beautiful."

12. When Debra Messing was filming "A Walk in the Clouds," the director insisted she get a nose job



"It was my first time filming, and it was a love scene with Keanu Reeves. We were just starting, and a very famous director yelled, 'Cut! How fast can we get a plastic surgeon here? Her nose is ruining my movie." It was a shock. I had an MFA in acting. I studied in London and had such a rich skill set, and then I walked onto the set and my nose was the stumbling block."

13. Sophia Loren was often advised to change her appearance as a teenager



In 2014, she told The Hollywood Reporter: "I always tried not to listen to those people. They would say my nose is too long and my mouth is too big. It didn't bother me at all, because when I believe in something, it's like a battle. But even Carlo, my husband, once said, 'You know, cameramen say your nose is too long. Maybe you need to tweak it a little bit." And I said, "Listen, I don't want to touch anything on my face because I like it. If I have to change my nose, I'll go back to Pozzuoli." At that time, "French" noses with a small tip were in fashion. Can you imagine me with a nose like that?"

14. Halle Berry Is Being Caught in a Race for Eternal Youth



"It's a pressure. When you see everyone else getting surgeries and beauty shots, you start to think that it's necessary to stay alive in this business. I'm not going to lie and say that it doesn't cross my mind, because I hear a lot of people say, 'You know, if you just did a little bit of this and that, lifted this, it would be a little bit better.' I constantly remind myself that beauty is in the natural, and it's not so much about my physical appearance. Aging is normal, and it happens to all of us. I think about women like Lena Horne who are aging so beautifully. I don't I know what Jane Fonda has done or not done, but she looks great. I just want to be like me."