Helen Hunt on why she's rejecting Hollywood beauty standards
Helen Hunt may be Hollywood royalty, but she's no beauty queen.
The Oscar-winning actress, 61, opened up about the inner turmoil she's experienced in the entertainment industry due to Hollywood's intense beauty standards in a June cover story for Flow Space.
Hunt, best known for her roles in the sitcom "Mad About You" and acclaimed dramas "As Good as It Gets" and "Twister," rose to fame in the 1990s when celebrity tabloids routinely scrutinized stars' physical appearance.
"It felt impossible not to internalize the way you're supposed to look," Hunt reflected. "And (there was) a certain amount of misery and shame around not looking exactly that way."
While Hunt rarely discusses the image pressures of being in Hollywood, she said she eventually reached a turning point. "I realized, 'This could quietly ruin your whole life.' I made a decision: I'm not playing. Not going to (let it) take up a lot of space in my mind," she said.
Hunt added that the self-help book "The Only Diet There Is" by Sondra Ray was helpful in shifting her perspective on food and body image. "What I took from it is eat what you want and love every bite, period," she said.
Justine Bateman embraces getting older: How to feel beautiful and accept aging
The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress isn't the only female veteran to get candid on rejecting beauty standards. "Baywatch" alum Pamela Anderson and actress Justine Bateman have spoken out about embracing aging and stepping out in makeup-free looks.
In a 2023 interview with "60 Minutes Australia," Bateman, who'd become the subject of online commentary over her "old" looks, defended her aged appearance and said cosmetic procedures "would erase" the authority she's gained over the years.
"I like feeling that I am a different person now than I was when I was 20," Bateman said at the time. "I like looking in the mirror and seeing that evidence. ... I think my face represents who I am. I like it.'
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