Charlize Theron is one of Hollywood's top actresses -- she's appeared in plenty of great films, won a ton of awards (including an Oscar and Golden Globe) and she just so happens to fit the mold of society's beauty standards.
But just because she's good-looking doesn't mean she gets the jobs she wants. Instead, the actress believes that when it comes to those serious roles, pretty people finish last.
"Jobs with real gravitas go to people that are physically right for them and that’s the end of the story," the actress told British GQ in a new interview. "How many roles are out there for the gorgeous f**king gown-wearing eight-foot model? When meaty roles come through, I’ve been in the room and pretty people get turned away first."
See, life is hard for gorgeous people,too.
But as absurd as her claim might be, it actually kind of makes sense: Getting a dramatic (read: "ugly") makeover for a role has basically become a top criterion for getting an Oscar nomination. Theron's role in "Monster" is a perfect example. (See also Nicole Kidman in "The Hours," Melissa Leo in "The Fighter," Christian Bale in "The Fighter," Mariah Carey in "Precious" -- you get the picture.)
The other option for Hollywood's most beautiful, especially the "gown-wearing eight-foot model" Theron speaks of, is to play the hot, young love interest of a serious character -- a role that often reinforces dated gender norms.
Theron pointed out the double standard in Hollywood when it comes to aging in the industry.
"We live in a society where women wilt and men age like fine wine. And, for a long time, women accepted it. We were waiting for society to change, but now we’re taking leadership," she said. "It would be a lie to say there is less worry for women as they get older than there is for men... It feels there’s this unrealistic standard of what a woman is supposed to look like when she’s over 40."
It basically just feels like a double-edged sword: women need to stay beautiful to get work and stay relevant, but if they're too pretty, they don't get the best roles. And don't even get us started on the actresses who've been told they weren't "pretty enough" for work.
Sigh. This is why we never actually want to be famous.
To read more of Theron's interview, head over to British GQ or pick up an issue when it hits newsstands on April 7.
Before You Go
