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Buzz Feed
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
15 Actors That Almost Quit Before Their Big Breaks
Some of the MOST beloved characters on-screen wouldn't be the same without the actors who brought them to life. So tell me — what if those actors had quit before landing their iconic roles? Imagine The Office with a different Jim and Pam. I can't. I don't even want to. It feels like an alternate universe — or worse, a Black Mirror episode. And not the kind that makes you think deeply about society and our individual impact on it. No, one of the unsettling ones that rattles you to your core and makes you question if we're all living in a simulation. It's wild to think that some of the most iconic actors faced brutal rejection — so much so, they almost quit acting entirely. But, thank god, they didn't! Here are a few who pushed through… John Krasinski John Krasinski told Stephen Colbert in an interview that he called his mom to say he was ready to quit and move home to Massachusetts to become an English teacher. It was September, so his mother encouraged him to wait until the end of the year. Three weeks later, John booked The Office, and his character, Jim Halpert, launched him into stardom. Melissa McCarthy Melissa McCarthy told Howard Stern in an interview that she set a deadline for herself: If she didn't find success as an actor by 30, she'd move on to something else. The week before her 30th birthday, she landed the role of Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls. Henry Cavill Henry Cavill told Graham Norton in an interview that despite constantly auditioning for lead roles, he kept hearing that producers needed a recognizable name. Feeling stuck, he considered joining the armed forces. But after his name started circulating from a screen test for a James Bond movie, things shifted — and not long after, he was cast as the lead in Man of Steel. Annie Murphy Annie Murphy told Kelly Clarkson in an interview that she hadn't worked in nearly two years and felt like the universe was telling her acting wasn't meant for her. She was crying in the Pacific Ocean, seriously considering quitting. Two days later, she got the audition for Schitt's Creek. Brie Larson Brie Larson told The Sydney Morning Herald, "I was toying with the idea of either studying interior design or marine biology." Then she got the call that United States of Tara had been picked up by a network. Later, she would join the Marvel universe. Noah Centineo Noah Centineo told MTV in an interview he had an existential crisis and began questioning whether acting was really the right path. He even considered moving to another country to start over. Shortly after, he landed the role of Jesus on The Fosters. Later, he would co-star in To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Robert Pattison Robert Pattinson said on the FHPA Podcast that his Twilight audition went so badly, he called his parents and said he was done — that he couldn't keep putting himself through it. The next day, he received a callback and went on to play Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise for years to come. Amy Adams Amy Adams told Vanity Fair in an interview that she was ready to give up. In her early 30s, Amy had just wrapped the indie film Junebug and decided to give herself a few more auditions. One of them led to her landing the role of Giselle in Enchanted. While she was filming, Junebug caught the Academy's attention — and earned her an Oscar nomination. Daniel Kaluuya Daniel Kaluuya said in an interview with Essence that he was disillusioned with acting and hadn't worked for a year and a half before landing the role as Chris in Get Out. Four years later, Daniel would win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2021 for the film Judas and the Black Messiah. Gal Gadot Gal Gadot told Access Hollywood that she and her husband were in L.A. for a two-week trip, and she was so exhausted by rejection that she considered skipping her Wonder Woman audition and flying home to rethink her career. But she went and landed the role. Matt Le Blanc Matt LeBlanc told Conan O'Brian in an interview that he had just $11 in his bank account when he auditioned for Friends. He admitted that two years earlier, he'd thought about getting a 'real job' and almost given up — but he stuck with it and landed the role of Joey Tribbiani. Jacob Elordi Jacob Elordi told GQ that before landing his role on Euphoria, he "wasn't booking jobs," and lived out of his car on Mulholland Drive with just $400 in his bank account. He was getting ready to move back to Australia — and Euphoria was the last audition he planned to go to before calling it quits. He booked the role, and everything changed. Jenna Fischer Jenna Fischer told Brian Baumgartner on his podcast, Off The Beat, that she was ready to quit acting and become a vet tech. Not long after, she got an audition for The Office — and landed the role of Pam Beesly. Eric Stonestreet Eric Stonestreet told Scott Carty in an interview that he was ready to quit acting and become a concierge butcher. Two months later, he landed the role of Cameron Tucker on Modern Family. That same year, he went from the lowest point in his career to winning an Emmy. And Ventimiglia Milo Ventimiglia told Entertainment Weekly that he was thinking about quitting acting to become a car mechanic before landing the role of Jess on Gilmore Girls. He later starred in the hit show This Is Us. What do you think? Drop a name in the comments — who's a star you'd be DEVASTATED if they gave up before making it big? I can't stop thinking about how different the world would be if Taylor Swift had quit after all those record labels turned her down when she was 11. And for more fun celeb content, make sure you follow BuzzFeed Canada on TikTok and Instagram!
Daily Mail
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The birthday 'gimmick' Meghan Markle project that never was: Royal expert reveals the Duchess's scrapped plans that would've featured Adele and Stella McCartney but was 'quietly shelved'
As Meghan Markle celebrates turning 44 today, royal observers may be reminded of the bold campaign she launched for her birthday in 2021 - which was dropped almost as quickly as it began. Meghan celebrated her 40th birthday by announcing an initiative to help women back into work after the pandemic in a film featuring Melissa McCarthy and a 'comedy' cameo by Prince Harry. In a project titled '40x40', she asked 40 of her friends to commit 40 minutes of their time to mentor and support women going back to work. Meghan was hoping to create a domino effect of counselling wider than her circle. But soon after the Archewell campaign went live, there was radio silence from the Duchess. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail he believes the initiative was a 'gimmick' designed to 'boost Meghan's appeal'. He said: 'The idea seemed, on the face of it, an imaginative way to celebrate her 40th birthday. 'It also promoted the cause of gender equality which she had publicly supported for many years. 'What made this particularly significant was that she had several top celebrities on board.' He said: 'Melissa McCarthy starred in a rather dotty video launching the idea with Harry doing some juggling in the background. 'Adele and Stella McCartney publicly backed it, as well as Princess Eugenie. 'Apart from Serena Williams, Meghan and Harry have struggled to get A-list support for their projects, being reportedly estranged from, for example, David and Victoria Beckham. 'Some of the big names who attended their wedding hardly knew them. 'However, this potentially worthy project appears to have been quietly shelved, lending credence to the claim that Meghan is incapable of organising anything properly. 'There was never any clear idea of how it would be funded or how exactly it would be beneficial to spend just 40 minutes with someone. 'Also underlining the Sussexes' global reach, this was supposed to have a "ripple effect" around the world boosted by social media. 'She called for "a global wave of compassion and positive change". In a statement on the Archewell website, Meghan described how the scheme was meant to empower the millions of women who lost their jobs during Covid 'This has not happened and very few reportedly shared her birthday poem connected to this project. 'It was clearly just a gimmick designed to boost Meghan's appeal, which she may have overestimated both then and now.' And this was not the only time Meghan appeared to over-reach and under-deliver in her promises. The royal expert said: 'Her new cookery series With Love, Meghan has failed to reach the Netflix top 300 for the first half of this year, which is ominous news for the Sussexes. 'Perhaps she would benefit from 40 minutes of mentorship! 'She recommended "time spent in service to others", a topic about which she knows very little, though she did, as a senior working royal have the chance to serve and didn't last long in it.' Meghan has always touted herself as an independent person and has embarked on a number of projects both before and after marrying into the Royal Family. Before marrying Harry, Meghan was an actress, starring on the hit series Suits, and an avid lifestyle blogger as the creator of The Tig, where she wrote about style, food and travel. It was quite popular until she had to shutter its doors in 2017 ahead of her wedding. And while the public opinion about them started to sour after they stepped back from the Royal Family, it didn't stop them from getting Hollywood business deals. Together, the couple only became more lucrative as they pursued a combined $120million deal with Spotify and Netflix. Their faces suddenly became splashed across TV screens more than ever as they completed a series of interviews and documentaries one after another. Meghan also launched her 'Archetypes' podcast on Spotify, where she interviewed various power players like US talk show host Andy Cohen and tried to 'subvert the labels that try to hold women back'. However the podcast didn't seem to take off as it was promptly canceled after one season. Meghan, Harry and the Spotify team produced only one 13-episode series of a podcast for the company and then parted ways. They were later called 'f***ing grifters' by Bill Simmons, who was the head of podcast innovation and monetisation at Spotify at the time. This did not help Meghan's reputation of being hard to work with. Personal branding and publicity expert Katrina Owens told the Daily Mail Meghan's projects have all seemed to be 'short-lived' and lacking follow-through in a way that feels 'messy and uncoordinated'. At the end of her 40x40 video, McCartney said: 'See you at 50!' Perhaps we will finally see her project come to light in six years time. Daily Mail contacted Archewell for comment. Meghan: Hey Melissa, do you have a second? McCarthy: Hey yeah, of course. I'm working on that email I told you I was going to do - that organic garden? That's what I'm doing. [McCarthy is seen solving a Rubik's Cube, unaware that her camera is on] Meghan: You know your camera's on, right? I can see you. McCarthy: Aha, hang on, I'll be right back. [McCarthy gets up from her chair] Meghan: No no, it's no problem, its fine. McCarthy: I think this will probably seem better for you. [McCarthy sits back down wearing a posh hat and carrying a cup and saucer] Meghan: Ok, it's my 40th birthday and I've got an idea. McCarthy: I know what it is. Meghan: Really? McCarthy: My first guess- is it another photoshoot under a tree where you're looking very peaceful? Meghan: Peaceful under tree is me every day. McCarthy: No? Ok. Are we finally getting matching tattoos? [McCarthy holds up an illustration showing Meghan and McCarthy surrounded by roses underneath a banner which says: 'Besties Forever'] Meghan: I mean, you know I already have something very similar across my back. McCarthy: This one's you, and that one's me, cause sometimes I'm like: Are we twinsies? Meghan: You know, maybe we save it for when I turn 50. McCarthy: Are you finally going to do a Suits reunion. Meghan: Why would I do a Suits reunion for my birthday? McCarthy: Why would the cast of Friends do a reunion for my birthday? But they did it. Meghan: They did say they would only ever do it for a historical event. I think the bigger idea is - McCarthy: Yacht party, yacht party! Who's ready for a yacht? [McCarthy puts on a beach hat and sunglasses while Meghan giggles] McCarthy: When you say no yacht, do you mean zero yachts? [Meghan shakes her head] Meghan: No, here's the idea. Because I'm turning 40, I'm asking 40 friends to donate 40 minutes of their time to help mentor a woman who's mobilising back into the workforce. Over two million women in the US alone and tens of millions around the world have lost their jobs due to Covid. And I think if we all do it and all commit 40 minutes to some sort of active service, we can create a ripple effect. You in? McCarthy: Yes times 40. Forty forty forty, and then 40 times I say yes. Is it ok if I still do it in the hat? Meghan: I wouldn't expect anything else. McCarthy: Thanks friend. Bye friend. Meghan: Cheers.
The Guardian
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Guardian writers on their ultimate feelgood movies: ‘Radical in its own way'
'Feelgood' movies are often thought of as big-hearted romantic comedies, comforting classics, or childhood favourites that still hold up decades later. In our series, My feelgood movie, Guardian writers reflect on their go-to flick, and explain why their pick is endlessly rewatchable. This list will be updated weekly with further picks. Want more options? Here is our earlier list of the 10 best escapist movies and 52 comforting, rewatchable titles. Director: Paul Feig Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne and Jude Law Why our writer loves it: 'Spy is radical in other respects: it remains the only major Hollywood spy film that features a middle-aged woman as the lead. I know because every so often, in search of a feelgood film, I rewatch what can be inelegantly described as 'female-fronted spy comedies' … [p]rojects like these are few and far between; I guess Hollywood does not think there's enough of an audience for them. To that I say: join us. The delights are profound; the sense of freedom intoxicating; the costumes and the gadgets and the intrigue sexy and absurd and larger-than-life – and an exciting new adventure, that great siren song to the desk-bound, is always just around the corner.' (Rebecca Liu) Read the full review Spy is available on Hulu in the US and Disney+ and Netflix in the UK and Australia Director: Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci Starring: Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci and Marc Anthony Why our writer loves it: 'Big Night doesn't yield over much to anxious tension on the one hand or madcap hijinks on the other. This, to me, is what makes it feel so good. There are real stakes to this meal for these characters, but co-directors Tucci and Campbell Scott care enormously that you have a good time at their party. They never want you to refill your own glass.' (Andrew Holter) Read the full review Big Night is available to watch on Hoopla in the US and to rent digitally in the UK and Australia Director: Chris Smith Starring: Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank and Tom Schimmels Why our writer loves it: 'I feel buoyant and inspired every time I watch the film. It's such a beautiful example of how much talent exists out there in the world, in unconventional places, that never gets a shot or a look in.' (Daniel Dylan Wray) Read the full review American Movie is available to rent digitally in the US and Australia and on Amazon Prime in the UK Director: Wong Kar-Wai Starring: Brigitte Lin, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung Chiu-wai Why our writer loves it: '[T]he quirky romantic comedy also manages to be his most joyous and uplifting offering.' (Rebecca Liu) Read the full review Chungking Express is available on Max and The Criterion Channel in the US and to rent digitally in the UK and Australia Director: Wes Anderson Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Olivia Williams Why our writer loves it: 'I am elated each time I watch this poignant, wise and wildly funny film – and, yes, there is a happy ending.' (Rebecca Liu) Read the full review Rushmore is available on Hoopla in the US or to rent digitally in the UK and Australia Director: Richard Ayoade Starring: Craig Roberts, Sally Hawkins and Paddy Considine Why our writer loves it: 'It might be a curious choice to name a film that traverses a troubled home life, too-much-too-young sexual experiences, and bullying as my 'feelgood' movie, but within its equally dark and peppy 97 minutes is a story about writing your own rules. Adapted from the Joe Dunthorne novel, Submarine is touching, sweet and, crucially, very funny.' (Sophie Williams) Read the full review Submarine is available to watch on Amazon Prime in the US and UK and to rent digitally in Australia Director: Gurinder Chadha Starring: Georgia Groome, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Karen Taylor Why our writer loves it: 'That's the magic of Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging for our generation. It reminds us of the joyous madness of our school days, when everything was awkward, messy and packed with heart.' (Anya Ryan) Read the full review Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is available on Hoopla and Kanopy in the US or to rent digitally or on Amazon Prime and Paramount+ in the UK Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet Starring: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz and Rufus Why our writer loves it: 'After completing several good deeds, Amélie falls in love with the elusive Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz), a sex shop employee who likes to collect strangers' photobooth pictures … Although Amélie's kindness might be the apotheosis of whimsy, it's radical in its own way – a quiet protest against the indifference and self-interest that seem to rule city life.' (Katie Tobin) Read the full review Amélie is available to rent digitally in the US Director: John Guillermin Starring: Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and William Holden Why our writer loves it: 'Among the many reasons I'm long overdue for therapy would be that I consider a feature about a bunch of people trapped in a burning skyscraper a feelgood movie. But there it is: the stunning effects (which hold up to this day), the sprawling, larger-than-life cast and accompanying who-will-make-it-to-the-end? suspense, the earnest, cheeseball dialogue – whenever I feel anxious or down, something about The Towering Inferno offers solace.' (Matthew Hays) Read the full review The Towering Inferno is available to buy digitally in the US and rent digitally in the UK Starring: Ben Johnson, Joanne Dru and Harry Carey Jr. Directed by: John Ford Why our writer loves it: 'Wagon Master's great appeal lies in the feel of the thing. 'Be gentle', Travis encourages a restless horse, and that spirit pervades the film. It is Ford's gentlest picture and arguably his most beautiful, both on the surface and beneath it. The film is a plea for tolerance – most of its characters having just been run out of town – that is augmented by a thousand perfect details in word and image: the dialogue spare and true, Ford's camera going to a square dance and focusing first on the wooden planks shifting in the dirt.' (Rick Burin) Read the full review Wagon Master is on Tubi in the US and on BBC iPlayer in the UK Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss Directed by: Steven Spielberg Why our writer loves it: 'What makes a film 'feelgood'? If it's not a romcom, or otherwise setting out to impart warm fuzzies, familiarity plays a big part. I've seen Jaws so many times that watching it now truly feels like sinking into a warm bath.' (Elle Hunt) Read the full review Jaws is available to rent digitally in the US and is on Amazon Prime in the UK Starring: Stars Nancy Allen, Bobby Di Cicco and Marc McClure Directed by: Robert Zemeckis Why our writer loves it: 'Even at the height of their parasocial hijinks, Zemeckis never treats girlhood obsession with a hint of mockery or condescension. Rather, it's an affectionate celebration of what it means to be a fan – its heady thrills and innate universality – as hilarious as it is relatable. I wasn't born anywhere near the 60s, but every time I rewatch I Wanna Hold Your Hand, I feel like I missed out on all the fun.' (Miatta Mbriwa) Read the full review Starring: Hilary Duff and Adam Lamberg Directed by: Jim Fall Why our writer loves it: 'Nostalgia clouds the mind but I do think this movie is genuinely funny … While the film is undeniably a trite tableau of teen movie cliches, it avoids the harshest and grossest ones that were popular at the time. No one is mocked for having an eating disorder or stalked oh-so-romantically. It is aspirational in the silliest sense – while other movies might've inspired you to flirt like this or dance like that, nothing in The Lizzie McGuire Movie could be copied: you're either in danger of being mistaken for an Italian pop star or you're not. This means it didn't make 11-year-old me feel bad about herself, and it still makes adult me feel good.' (Amelia Tait) Read the full review The Lizzie McGuire Movie is available to watch on Disney+ in the US and UK Starring: Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea Directed by: Preston Sturges Why our writer loves it: 'Sullivan's Travels reminds us there's something inherently incorruptible about clinging to the scraps of happiness we're given.' (Alaina Demopoulos) Read the full review Sullivan's Travels is available to rent digitally in the US and UK Starring: Tony Hancock Directed by: Robert Day Why our writer loves it: '[T]there is something rather wonderful about seeing Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock in full and living colour, operating at the height of his powers, the man who his writers described as 'the best comic actor in the business'. And of course the film is a wonderful portal to a vanished world, a net-curtained Britain just on the cusp of its transformation by 60s pop culture. Lucian Freud called The Rebel the best film ever made about modern art; well, he should know, but for me it's more than that – there's an extra joy in remembering the hours I spent tittering at it with Dad as we lolled on the three-piece suite back in my gormless teenage years. If anything makes me feel good, it's that.' (Andrew Pulver) Read the full review Starring: Paul McGann and Richard E Grant Directed by: Bruce Robinson Why our writer loves it: 'The tape went back to Blockbuster. I bought my own. I took it to college and watched it drunk and sober, with friends and alone, in halls and in my desperate pit of a house. Through early adulthood, into fatherhood, on DVD then streaming. To watch Withnail is to discover it again.' (Martin Pengelly) Withnail and I is available on Max and the Criterion channel in the US and on Channel 4 in the UK Read the full review Starring: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan Directed by: Nora Ephron Why our writer loves it: You've Got Mail 'may be naive and soppy, but as a single person it keeps me optimistic that genuine connection may still be found by logging on to your computer (or unlocking your iPhone)'. (Alim Kheraj) Read the full review You've Got Mail is available on Hulu in the US and on Now TV in the UK Starring: Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan Directed by: Rob Reiner Why our writer loves it: 'I sometimes ask myself whether I should love When Harry Met Sally as much as I do. I mean, isn't the film a bit reductive when it comes to gender? Maybe. Yet at the same time, it's a romantic comedy that's actually romantic and actually funny, something few romcoms can boast today. But the reason it's my feelgood film is because I discovered it at a time when I needed it most.' (Henry Roberts) Read the full review When Harry Met Sally is available to rent digitally in the US and UK Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Amitabh Bachchan Directed by: Karan Johar Why our writer loves it: 'Scenes from this movie are seared in mind and I often quote its lines in my daily life – such is its hold on me. I am a complete sucker for the drama, the music, the pageantry, the familiar (though outdated) movie tropes, the costumes, the sets – after all, I grew up watching Bollywood movies (SRK is the love of my life, he just doesn't know it). It is a heaping dose of nostalgia that instantly uplifts my mood and restores my spirit, no matter how in the doldrums the world around might seem.' (Tasneem Merchant) Read the full review Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime in the US and UK Starring: Michael Keaton, Glenn Close and Robert Duvall Directed by: Ron Howard Why our writer loves it: 'Perhaps it's all just borrowed nostalgia for the half-remembered 90s, to remix James Murphy's lyric. But I see it as a feelgood film that makes you feel good because it never shouts about it; there's no need to force joy, it's just there in all that messy exuberance. The maddening life happening relentlessly, the people at work in the loud city, the thrill of chasing down a story – this is what is actually joyful.' (Larry Ryan) Read the full review The Paper is available to rent digitally in the US and UK Starring: Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore Directed by: Frank Coraci Why our writer loves it: 'One thing I love most about The Wedding Singer is the soundtrack that includes You Spin Me Round (Like a Record), Blue Monday and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. Barrymore sings a bit of 99 Luftballons into her oversize headphones. Sandler gets to perform his own compositions: Somebody Kill Me ('I was listening to the Cure a lot when I wrote this') and Grow Old With You – the latter he performs on a plane to stop Barrymore from marrying the evil Glenn. The ending features a brilliant cameo from 1998 Billy Idol playing 1980s Billy Idol, who wakes from his booze-addled slumber to shove Glenn in the airplane toilets. ('Excuse me, sir. I have to serve the beverages.')' (Rich Pelley) The Wedding Singer is available to rent digitally in the US and on Amazon Prime in the UK Read the full review Starring: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried and Pierce Brosnan Directed by: Phyllida Lloyd Why our writer loves it: 'Mamma Mia! isn't a movie – it's a holiday. It's a film so divorced from subtext and intricacy that its only ask for viewers is to bask in the Greek sunshine as the sounds of Abba wash over them … It was never meant to be taken seriously; it's a film without pretense. Much of what he complains about is precisely what makes Mamma Mia! the perfect cinematic comfort blanket.' (Jeffrey Ingold) Mamma Mia! is available on Max in the US and on Now in the UK Read the full review Starring: Divine, David Lochary and Mary Vivian Pearce Directed by: John Waters Why our writer loves it: 'The will to create a movie for the specific purpose of appalling anyone unaware of its true meaning turned Pink Flamingos into the ultimate litmus test. You either got its sick jokes or you didn't. But those who did got something far more lasting than a laugh. We got a one-way ticket to an underground populated by parallel dissidents, an entire community of the unruly and free. That's a lot to gain, which is why, even decades after I first saw Pink Flamingos, I return to it whenever I need to be reminded there's a universe of possibilities out there not reflected in the world we know now.' (Jim Farber) Read the full review Starring: Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks Directed by: Albert Brooks Why our writer loves it: 'Life-affirming' is perhaps an overused adjective, but few movies have successfully illuminated the human condition as well as this one. Fear is commonplace in our daily lives, but Albert Brooks's film might hold the key to ridding the worries of anxiety-ridden people such as myself. As the new year often brings about feelings of regret and unease, Defending Your Life is the warmest hug you can receive.' (Oliver Macnaughton) Defending Your Life is available to rent digitally in the US and the UK Read the full review Starring: Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant Directed by: Roger Michell Why our writer loves it: 'What is so wonderful about the film is how effortless it all seems. The story isn't complex; there are no gunfights or CGI raccoons; the greatest jeopardy in the film involves Grant having to catch Roberts before she goes back to America – a problem that reads as plausibly insurmountable in 1999 but today would be remedied with a few WhatsApps. But, despite the illusion of effortlessness, getting everything right in this way is deceptively tricky. Has a single romcom ever managed to marry all of the necessary elements – cast, script, timing, an intangible magic – so perfectly? (No. The answer is no.)' (Ralph Jones) Notting Hill is available on Netflix in the US and Channel 4 in the UK Read the full review Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Modine Directed by: Jonathan Demme Why our writer loves it: The movie is a long list of quirky pleasures, including a 'starter kit of premium 80s college rock (New Order, Pixies, the Feelies), well-placed family dog reaction shots, and an FBI agent who dresses himself like Wallace in the Wallace & Gromit shorts. Few of the laughs in the film feel like punchlines or payoffs to some heavily orchestrated joke. Demme's approach is more low-key and breezy, cruising confidently on the assumption that his DayGlo gangland will be fun enough without him having to push too hard. He catches a rhythm and does the mambo Italiano. It feels like your feet never touch the floor.' (Scott Tobias) Married to the Mob is available on Hoopla, Kanopy and Pluto in the US and Amazon Prime in the UK Read the full review Starring: Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker Directed by: Brett Ratner Why our writer loves it: 'Rush Hour taps into something that stirred my heart then and now: an ease settles into the two actors, Chan and Tucker's joviality feeling so genuine that the east-meets-west tropes evolve into characters who have something real at stake, and who are also having fun.' (Tammy Tarng) Rush Hour is available on Netflix in the US and Amazon Prime in the UK Read the full review Starring: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Martin Short Directed by: Charles Shyer Why our writer loves it: 'Why do I come back to this film again and again? As a girl and younger woman I was emphatically against marriage (though I've since softened) and watched it more as a comedy horror than anything aspirational. The only aspect of the Bankses' life I'd want is the kitchen. And yet watching Franck and the family put on their ridiculous show makes me want to be part of it. I love ritual, and ceremony, and Steve Martin, and Martin Short, and Diane Keaton.' (Laura Snapes) Where to watch: Father of the Bride is available on Hulu and Disney+ in the US and on Disney+ in the UK and Australia Read the full review Starring: James Woods and Louis Gossett Jr Directed by: Michael Ritchie Why our writer loves it: 'Diggstown is the perfect feelgood movie – a breezy but exciting genre mashup with enough of a hangout vibe that you can have it on in the background, but also enough stakes that you will inevitably end up giving it your full attention.' (Zach Vasquez) Where to watch: Diggstown is available on Amazon Prime Read the full review Starring: Cher and Christina Aguilera Directed by: Steve Antin Why our writer loves it: 'Many of those who panned Burlesque on its release would feel punished by this cosmically appointed choice of comfort movie. A sequined patchwork quilt of all manner of backstage musicals and melodramas from various eras of Hollywood – starring, in a naked reach for cross-generational gay fandom, dual divas Christina Aguilera and Cher – the film inspired critical comparisons to A Star is Born, Cabaret and Showgirls, most of them unflattering. It made $90m at the global box office: not a flop but not a palpable hit either, least of all for a film where the feather budget alone could have funded a modest indie drama. Antin, whose long but scattered pre-Burlesque career ran the gamut from acting to screenwriting to stunt work to producing Pussycat Dolls reality shows, hasn't directed another film since. The world, by and large, hasn't mourned.' (Guy Lodge) Where to watch: Burlesque is available to watch on Netflix in the US, on Sky Cinema in the UK and ABC iView and Amazon Prime in Australia Read the full review Starring: Chris Rock and Bernie Mac Directed by: Chris Rock Why our writer loves it: 'I've come back to this film so many times after the election for laughs, only to wind up seeing the whole picture as a clearer allegory for Kamala Harris's defeat than Obama's victory. Like Harris, [Chris Rock starring as Mays Gilliam, a small-time politician turned presidential hopeful] was a party sacrifice, offered up to make a certain loss look less bad on the cards, thrown into the fray at the 11th hour, plugged into a humming campaign apparatus, and touted as a history maker. It really makes you think about how close comedy is to horror.' (Andrew Lawrence) Where to watch: Head of State is available to stream in the US on Freevee, Tubi, Paramount+ and MGM+, in the UK on Paramount+ and on Amazon Prime in Australia Read the full review Starring: Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon and Paul Bettany Directed by: Brian Helgeland Why our writer loves it: 'To me, watching a feelgood film is an intensely nostalgic exercise. That's because whenever a film is special or timely enough to take up lodging in your heart, rewatching it is also an act of remembering an old version of yourself. A Knight's Tale is shaded by the genuine sadness of Ledger's death only seven years after its release, but when I watch it I also remember the way it used to make me feel, as a girl who loved the jousting because her older brother did, all the while secretly cherishing an action film for being so brazenly sentimental.' (Francesca Carington) Where to watch: A Knight's Tale is available on Amazon Prime in the US and available to rent digitally in the UK and Australia Read the full review Starring: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz and Jennifer Connelly Directed by: Robert Rodriguez Why our writer loves it: 'My feelgood movie for when humanity lets me down is Alita: Battle Angel, a movie where much of humanity hangs out in a city-sized junkpile. And though I don't press play with this aspect particularly in mind, it's nice to imagine a future where things have gone terribly wrong (that just seems realistic at this point) yet unforeseen triumphs still emerge from the tech-nightmare garbage heap. There are plenty of more time-honored films that take a more direct path to temporary bliss, including sci-fi movies better-equipped to restore faith in humanity.' (Jesse Hassenger) Where to watch: Alita: Battle Angel is available to watch on Hulu in the US, on Netflix and Disney+ in the UK and on Disney+ in Australia Read the full review Starring: Wendy Hiller, Roger Livesey, Pamela Brown Directed by: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger Why our writer loves it: 'I Know Where I'm Going! offers up such portentous moments of mystical and romantic significance lightly, alongside comical asides and colourful eccentricity. It's a disarming strategy, which tends to leave the audience every bit as bewitched as (the film's main character) Joan. In this corner of the universe, anything might be possible, even an ancient curse.' (Pamela Hutchinson) Read the full review for I Know Where I'm Going! Where to watch: I Know Where I'm Going! is available to watch on Tubi, Amazon Prime and the Criterion Channel in the US and is available to rent digitally Australia and in the UK and watch on BBC iPlayer Read the full review
Metro
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Hollywood's 'fat funny friend' trope is dying - that might not be a good thing
For years, the 'funny fat friend' was one of the few ways fat women were allowed to exist on screen. Loud, self-deprecating, endlessly available for mockery, the fat actress was never the lead unless the story was about her becoming thin. She offered comic relief, emotional support, and often served as a human buffer to make thinner leads look more desirable, more serious, or more whole. If she was sexual, it was a punchline. If she was confident, it was exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Her humour was a shield and a survival tactic in a culture that treated her body as a problem to be solved. Think of Jan in the movie Grease, a Pink Lady whose only defining traits are her constant references to her size and her love of junk food. The cliché is all the more jarring given that the actress playing her wasn't noticeably larger than the other female characters. The trope is so blunt in this instance that near the end of the film, Putzie (one of the T-Birds) tells her, 'I think there's more to you than just fat' and she reacts like its the nicest thing anyone's ever said to her. And while fat men are certainly pigeonholed for their weight as well, bigger men have always had more space in media. From Oliver Hardy to John Candy to Jack Black, large male comedians were lovable, central, and often the stars. Their size might have been part of the joke, but it didn't define them completely. Countless other examples of the fat funny girl include characters like Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect, Melissa McCarthy's character Sookie in Gilmore Girls, and Nancy in Stranger Things. But now, the fat funny friend is vanishing from screens. At first glance, the decline of this archetype might seem like progress: Isn't it good that fat women are no longer required to joke about their bodies just to be visible? In theory, yes. But what's replacing her isn't better representation, it's just more thin people. The rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro has transformed the conversation around fatness. More people than ever – especially celebrities and influencers – are losing weight rapidly and dramatically, often without fully disclosing the methods they use. These drugs have become both miracle and metaphor: an escape hatch from shame and a pharmaceutical reset for anyone who once had to laugh their way through being fat. But instead of challenging the cultural narrative around body size, Ozempic has exposed just how deeply fatphobia still runs. For Emma Zack, self-identified fat activist and founder of the size-inclusive vintage shop Berriez, this moment has been fraught: 'It's been hard watching people who once proudly claimed the word fat suddenly slim down,' she tells Metro. 'I'm like, 'Wait, did you just want to be thin all along? Did you secretly hate yourself?' That's been the hardest.' The list of public figures who've transformed in the age of GLP-1s reads like a roll call of former 'fat but funny' icons: Rebel Wilson, Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hill. While few have confirmed using medication, their weight loss has invited speculation and shifted public perception. Comedians like Amy Schumer and Jim Gaffigan have been open about using weight-loss drugs, despite having built careers partly on body-related humour. Even for those who have truly slimmed down through lifestyle changes, the cultural impact remains the same, and it's hard not to wonder if the availability of weight-loss drugs has made thinness more attainable and, in turn, more expected. And with that expectation comes intensified pressure to conform. Framed as personal triumphs, these transformations are often positioned as journeys of health, discipline, or self-love – which many of them very well maybe. Indeed, there's nothing wrong with someone losing weight for whatever reason they may choose and by whatever method they deem best for them (as long as they do so safely). But in a media landscape shaped by pharmaceuticals, it's worth asking how much of that 'health journey' and 'self love' branding is genuine and how much is a survival strategy in a world that punishes visible fatness. Emma admits she's felt pressure to try weight loss drugs: 'I would be lying if I said I didn't feel it. I've had this conversation with so many others… Fatphobia is so ingrained in our culture. You can't help but wonder if life would just be easier if you were thin.' This isn't just a physical shift, it's a narrative one. When fat actors vanish from screens by becoming thin, or when fatness becomes a temporary obstacle rather than a permanent facet identity, the culture isn't evolving. It's regressing – just with a cleaner, more discreet delivery system. For decades, humour was the only reliable pathway to visibility for fat women. Totie Fields in the '60s, Roseanne Barr in the '90s, Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids, Rebel Wilson's Fat Amy all detonated comic relief roles into something bold and physical. But even when the characters were nuanced, their weight came first and it was the filter through which every other trait was interpreted. And even those rare moments of representation came with tight restrictions. Pitch Perfect 2 opens with Fat Amy splitting her pants mid-performance. In I Feel Pretty, Amy Schumer's character must suffer a head injury before she's allowed to feel attractive. The fat body, no matter how central to the story, was always the joke or the obstacle to overcome. The body positivity movement attempted to reframe this, promoting pride, visibility, and self-love. But over time, it was diluted into marketable slogans, co-opted by brands, and rarely centered the people most marginalized by fatphobia – especially Black, disabled, trans, and very-fat individuals. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Now, weight-loss drugs threaten to replace that movement with something quieter and more insidious: compliance. Why accept your body when you can afford to change it? Why be the funny fat friend when you can become the slender lead? But this isn't liberation. It's the erasure of a harmful stereotype, only to replace it with no fat people at all. In a culture where thinness is still the price of admission, choice becomes murky. Representation becomes hollow when those who once stood outside the norm quietly conform – not necessarily because they want to, but because the alternative still invites ridicule, judgment, and exclusion. Still, there are signs of something better. In Lena Dunham's hit new show Too Much, Megan Stalter's Jessica is messy, emotional, and deeply lovable and she doesn't constantly comment on her weight. The camera doesn't flinch from her softness or flatten her into a caricature. Her body is a fact; not a plotline. More Trending Emma points to Lena Dunham's work as another step forward: 'Her character is way more dynamic than just the funny fat girl, and she doesn't talk about her body in the episodes I saw. That's so important, because usually when a fat girl is the protagonist, the whole show is about her accepting her body. Like that's all she is.' Moments like these suggest a future where fat women aren't erased, but reimagined, not required to self-deprecate to be seen, and not expected to disappear to be respected. If fatness remains something we only ever see in 'before' photos – or something that must be overcome for the story to begin – then we haven't progressed, we've simply upgraded the tools of exclusion. The funny fat girl doesn't need to vanish. She needs to be freed from the obligation to make her own body the punchline and from the burden of being both mascot and martyr. She can still be funny, but her dignity doesn't need to be sacrificed for the laugh. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Full of delightful surprises': why Spy is my feelgood movie
It has a plot and a cast that seem cooked up during a hallucinatory fever dream. It shouldn't work, but it does – and so splendidly, too. In Paul Feig's comedy Spy, Melissa McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, a timid CIA desk agent who gets sent out into the field by her fearsome boss (Alison Janney) after the death of her slick Bond-like colleague, Bradley Fine (Jude Law, in a rare comedic turn). The cast is full of delightful surprises. Rose Bryne is a stiletto-clad Oxford-educated villainess with quips so brutal that she makes Regina George look like Barney. Peter Serafinowicz does a game turn as an – admittedly very pre-#MeToo – cringey Italian pervert figure named Aldo ('like the shoe store found in American malls'). And in the film's most magnificent twist, Jason Statham parodies the hard-as-nails action leads he's played over the years as a hard-edged buffoon with 'a habit of doing things that people say I can't do: walk through fire, water-ski blindfolded, take up piano at a late age'. That's not even to mention whatever it is that's going on between English comedian Miranda Hart, who stars as Susan's best friend and co-conspirator, and American rapper 50 Cent, who plays himself. I was first introduced to McCarthy's charms in another Feig feature, the 2011 comedy Bridesmaids, then hailed as a vital intervention in the major debate, considered legitimate and interesting at the time, about whether women were funny. Bridesmaids proved the affirmative. There were gross-out gags: who could forget Maya Rudolph's diarrhea-ridden bride-to-be, festooned in her custom designer dress, running through a busy street before giving up to let loose among the cars, the sacred commingling with the literally shitty profane. Then there were the nuances of girl-world jockeying: the self-cannibalising competition involved in organising a bachelorette party, or showing up to a fancy party in your best clothes, only to be asked by the insouciant rich girl whether you had just 'come from work'. Among this cast of funny women, McCarthy was a scene-stealer. As Megan, she first appeared as someone Hollywood would at best ignore or at worst despise: she was plus-sized, she was unglamorous, she dressed in clothes that – to borrow a joke from Spy – made her look like 'someone's homophobic aunt'. But McCarthy delivered a magnetic performance of a woman who was foul-mouthed, sexually confident and utterly self-possessed. Far from being a figure of pity, McCarthy made Megan a figure of admiration. Those comic gifts are given more space to roam in Spy. McCarthy's Susan Cooper is a meek middle-aged woman stuck in a fossilised routine, unappreciated at work and unseen in life. She watches her younger, thinner colleague get served faster at the bar, basking in the glow of the kind of male attention Susan's never had in her life. Jude Law gives her a hideous necklace with a grinning cartoon cupcake, which says: I like you, but I do not respect you. It is Susan's invisibility, and the fact that people will underestimate her at every turn, that grants her a chance to go on a mission. Just follow the target from a distance, her boss tells her. Inevitably, Susan breaks the rules. My love for spy films began in the 2000s with cartoon Totally Spies, which follows a trio of high school girls in California who spend their time shopping, partying and undertaking high-flying missions for an international organisation. I was drawn to the boundlessness of their lives, their glamorous escapades, their incredible gadgets and total competence. That quickly led me to McG's Charlie's Angels films (great fun, dodgy accents) then later the classics: the Hitchcocks, the Bonds, the Le Carré adaptations. The spy films I returned to most, though, were the comedies that embraced the high camp of the genre, understanding that these stories were as total a fantasy as those about being saved by a perfect prince. I was also drawn to the stories about women, because the appeal of the genre is, to me, indelibly tied to gender. In a world that reminds girls that danger may be lurking around every corner, and asks women to embrace a kind of harried, self-sacrificial domesticity, the female spies in these films were a perfect on-screen foil. Spy – it's in the name – is both a satire and homage. There's a high-powered gadget lab with cars that look like smooth, expensive spaceships, and a sardonic gadget master to match. There's a high-stakes poker game; a dangerous drop-off in a bumping club; a high-speed car chase through a European city. These tropes are both indulged and subverted to fun, frothy effect. And Spy is radical in other respects: it remains the only major Hollywood spy film that features a middle-aged woman as the lead. I know because every so often, in search of a feelgood film, I rewatch what can be inelegantly described as 'female-fronted spy comedies': Charlie's Angels 1 and 2, the recent reboot of Charlie's Angels, as well as the fun Mila Kunis-Kate McKinnon buddy comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me. Projects like these are few and far between; I guess Hollywood does not think there's enough of an audience for them. To that I say: join us. The delights are profound; the sense of freedom intoxicating; the costumes and the gadgets and the intrigue sexy and absurd and larger-than-life – and an exciting new adventure, that great siren song to the desk-bound, is always just around the corner. Spy is available on Hulu in the US and Disney+ and Netflix in the UK and Australia
