Jamie Lee Curtis says she's been sucking in her stomach since she was 11
Jamie Lee Curtis has said she wants there to be no more hiding what our bodies really look like, after revealing she's been sucking in her stomach since she was 11.
The actor and writer, 63, decided she would be comfortable showing her real body in her latest role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, happy to let her own stomach show rather than use prosthetics.
The award-winning star took to Instagram to share her thoughts about the pressures of the beauty industry (often transferred into film) and how she's combatting it, as discussed with Entertainment Weekly (EW).
Accompanied with an image of her as character Deirdre Beaubeirdra, an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax auditor, sat at a desk eating a biscuit, letting her natural shape show, her caption reads in part, "In the world, there is an industry – a billion-dollar, trillion-dollar industry – about hiding things.
"Concealers. Body-shapes. Fillers. Procedures. Clothing. Hair accessories. Hair products. Everything to conceal the reality of who we are."
However, determined to change this on set, she added, "And my instruction to everybody was: I want there to be no concealing of anything. I've been sucking in my stomach since I was 11, when you start being conscious of boys and bodies, and the jeans are super tight.
"I very specifically decided to relinquish and release every muscle I had that I used to clench to hide the reality. That was my goal."
Curtis added, "I have never felt more free creatively and physically free."
Read more: Jamie Lee Curtis hates the term 'anti-aging': 'Why do you want to look 17 when you're 70?'
Many praised Curtis for highlighting the issue, which can often perpetuate unrealistic standards about how women especially should look.
Canadian actor Keegan Connor Tracy commented, "We are such a foolish culture. This is brave – though it shouldn’t be. Brava!"
Fans also flooded the comments to show their admiration of the actor. "I love and respect you more than ever!!!!" one said, while another wrote, "FINALLY what needed to be said but too many either don't care enough or are scared to say it. Thank you for not opting to wear a fat suit or prosthetics. You look authentic, not like a caricature of a real human's body."
Others commented on the seemingly relatable IRS look, "Having just retired from my career at the IRS, I can tell you that you nailed the look."
In the interview with EW, one of the film's directors, Daniel Kwan, made clear that Curtis insisted on looking as 'real' as possible on screen. "Everyone assumes that her belly in the movie is a prosthetic, but it's actually her real belly," he said.
"She was grateful that she was allowed to just let it out."
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Watch: 'I have never felt more free': Jamie Lee Curtis refused to suck in her stomach in new film
Having previously tried plastic surgery herself, Curtis honestly revealed how it didn't work for her to Fast Company last year. "It got me addicted to Vicodin [used to treat pain]. I’m 22 years sober now," she said.
"The current trend of fillers and procedures, and this obsession with filtering, and the things that we do to adjust our appearance on Zoom are wiping out generations of beauty. Once you mess with your face, you can’t get it back."
Read more: Perfection doesn't exist,' says Dannii Minogue, 50, in IWD post to her younger self
Other celebrities who have spoken out on their cosmetic surgery regrets include Courteney Cox, who said altering her face made her look 'strange', Linda Evangelista who said her treatment left her 'brutally disfigured' and Molly-Mae who recently set out to reverse all her treatments.
After being made two years ago, just before the onset of the pandemic, Everything Everywhere premiered at the 2022 SXSW Festival on Friday 11th March.
