After Previously Breaking Down Over Her Body Dysmorphia, Aimee Lou Wood's Paranoia About HBO Bosses Thinking She Was 'Ugly' Has Shattered People's Hearts
Aimee Lou Wood was undoubtedly one of the standout stars of The White Lotus Season 3, giving a hilarious and heartwarming performance as Chelsea. And in testament to how beloved she is by viewers, many have been saddened by her recent comments about being cast on the Emmy-winning show.
In a new interview with GQ, Aimee recalled a paranoid spiral she had during the first week on set after learning that HBO execs were apparently reluctant to cast her — meaning that The White Lotus creator, Mike White, had to fight in order to get her on board.
'Someone told me how much Mike had fought for me. They said 'it had to be you, no matter what HBO said,'' she remembered. 'It was honestly from the nicest place, but my little head goes: 'HBO didn't want me. And I know why HBO didn't want me, it's because I'm ugly. Mike had to say 'Please let me have the ugly girl!' That was the thing that was in my head.'
Unfortunately, Aimee's comments are all too relatable — we've all had an experience when you find yourself jumping to conclusions and tearing yourself down. And perhaps for that reason, her words have hit home for a lot of people online. One post on X with over 42,000 likes reads, 'my heart just shattered into a million pieces aimee lou wood you are so so loved.' And in the replies, even more love is pouring out for the British actor.
Notably, some users brought up the topic of ' imposter syndrome ' and how it can wreak havoc on our minds. This is something that Aimee Lou has talked about in the past, admitting that she struggled a lot during 'the first few photoshoots' she did in her career. 'I was thinking, 'What the hell am I doing here?' Because I'm not a model, and this isn't my comfort zone at all,'' she told Grazia in 2021.
What's more, Aimee Lou's recent comments about feeling 'ugly' are even more heartbreaking when you know how much she's battled with body dysmorphia in the past. During a 2020 interview with Glamour UK, Aimee Lou broke down in tears and had to be comforted by the interviewer while recalling how she used to 'berate' herself.
'I have suffered with body dysmorphia my whole life,' she said, discussing her intimate scenes on Netflix's Sex Education and feeling that she should only eat 'salads' before shooting. 'I was so harsh to myself. I actually wrote on my mirror when I was younger 'fat' in lipstick, so that every day I'd go to it and go, OK, just remind yourself that that's what you are,' she remembered before saying that she's learned to feel empowered by embracing her body.
'Learning that perfection doesn't exist, and that beauty lies in those flaws and those individualities and those nuances — it's just the most liberating thing ever because you're striving for something that doesn't exist…you're never going to look, to you, what you think perfect is until you just go, Oh, I am the way I am,' she said.
Once again, Aimee Lou, you are so loved! You can find her full GQ interview here.
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