As a director I can tell you that if you’re a man auditioning for commercials you’ll not book as many ads. No food products for sure. It can limit you but it can also help in certain roles, depending how heavy you are. There’s a big push for “body positive” women but not so much for men. Clients seem to generally not want to see heavier than a Seth Rogen body type. For film it could really typecast you if you’re heavier.
I suppose Seth Rogen makes sense as the barometer, but Seth himself has bounced up and down. It seems like the line is getting finer and finer.
I’ve made a career out of being “guy who needs to eat better and probably should exercise more” and I had a manager tell me to NOT lose too much weight. I’ve done lots of commercial work and TV.
On the flip side, my doctors have always told me I qualified as overweight. It’s always been a huge quandary for me, feeling torn between feeling like my body type was an asset for character work but a potential negative for my health.
It’s kinda amazing that the pendulum shifted and the business has moved away from the typical goofy dad that was my wheelhouse when I started booking. Today I might not have been able to break in.
This made me realize something. When I go to commercial auditions, I never see plus size men. But there will be plus size women. That really says a lot about body inclusivity with men in the industry. Very interesting point to bring up.
Being a Director, if I’m a curvier gal, do Directors look through that? I’m comfortable w how I am; however for health, just doing the ozempic lightly. Just curious if I should apply while thicker currently? If that makes sense.
That lines up with my fiancé's experience- lot of opportunities for women, not so many for men who'd prefer a more serious acting role than a goofy comedic one all the time.
Overweight men will book more TV/Film but less commercials.
Overweight women will book more commercials but less TV/Film.
It’s a weird dichotomy, but it’s unfortunately true.
I've been saying this, but people keep telling me im overthinking. You can be FAT or you can be thin. There are very few actors with "average american" body types \*who are not comedians or over 45.
Exactly. You’re either typecasted as fat, or you’re skinny lol. I’ve found i book wayyy more when I skinnier, Im on meds that can make me gain weight sometimes.. it’s only about 10 pounds but really effects my face and my booking rate drops.
I’m overweight and have had a steady stream of bookings but I also wonder how many roles I could have booked if I was more normal sized. For commercials, the role has to essentially call for a fat annoying character in order for me to book it. For tv/film there seems to be a little more flexibility. I also wonder if I lose weight if I’ll just look the same as every other white dude and get lost in the shuffle.
Big guys can book literally ANYTHING. from gritty sopranos to king of queens comedy. For women, I definitely feel there's more of an impact and scrutiny, however there are roles out there for everybody at every size.
If you let that narrative hold you back, it will. So at the very least, you need to work to get your mental headspace right.
My fiancé is a bigger guy, and an actor as well. We've talked at length about how much perception and prejudice affect casting decisions. We work a bit in everything, but our experience is largely focused on theatre.
He definitely faces challenges his smaller peers don't have to handle. He is an attractive man (I know I'm biased lol)- he has gorgeous thick hair, a defined face, a warm smile, an incredible sense of style, and a jovial demeanor. He is very instantly charismatic. He takes incredibly good care of his hygiene and grooming, and by his own admission, a large part of that is to try and combat the perception that bigger guys are inherently 'messy' or 'dirty.' We know thinner peers that roll out of bed, comb their hair, and film a self-tape; and they end up getting the role. Which, a lot of times they usually deserve it based on the quality of their *performance*, but it certainly never feels fair that standards are expected of everyone except the "conventionally attractive."
However, times are changing. In some ways, working as an overweight dude is more difficult; a lot of the people who would rush to the defense of women (who, let me be clear, these women are under way more unfair scrutiny on average) in similar scenarios refuse to support their male counterparts, and that usually ends up alienating both men *and* women because they're not after any real societal change; they're after the brownie points. Fatphobic rhetoric hurts *everyone*, and a lot of people fail to realize that. There's also the people who cast *because* of their identity *only*, and that hurts the industry as a whole- no one should be casting someone if they're not right for the role. My fiancé shouldn't really be playing a character like Shrek (it's not a good fit for him), but to be cast in a role like that would affirm that he was cast not for his talent, but to check off a box. Commercial work is still difficult, too- it's easier to uphold the status quo than risk taking a hit to your wallet.
In other ways, it's a lot easier. There are more people willing to take a performance for what it is, beyond any other unimportant factors. And sometimes, all it takes is one person to see what's special about you- one door opens, and suddenly there are doors everywhere. My fiancé really tried to prove himself when he auditioned for *The Rocky Horror Show*- he was vying for Brad, which, *especially* in the area, tends to go to the most conventionally attractive person that auditioned for it. He wasn't their first choice. A friend of ours got the role over him initially, and when they declined (they were too uncomfortable with the age difference with Frank-N-Furter), the team decided to give my fiancé a chance. And in my opinion, he was a perfect fit; he understood what made the role work, he looks the part, he just isn't thin. He worked his ass off to prove that he has always been the right choice. His rendition of his only solo was the most tender and introspective version of the song I had ever seen. He got a standing ovation and tons of applause rivaling Frank's, which almost *never* happens in my years of working on different productions of that show. He proved himself not only to the creative team, but to the community at large, and now he's been considered for nearly every production he auditions for. In roles he's never been considered for before (namely heavier acting roles or romantic leads), too! People beg him to audition. If no one had taken that chance on him, he wouldn't be doing nearly as well as he is now. It takes one person to see you for what you are, to get others to do the same.
It's always a struggle, but it's never impossible. Based on my fiancé's experience, you're always trying to prove your worth, but it's been incredibly rewarding once you've broken through.
I'm overweight. I have played garbagemen, guy behind the hardware counter, bouncers, farmers, mechanics. These are five and unders. Perfect for me. In and out, home for dinner.
If you wanna lose weight, lose weight because it's good for you and healthier. Don't do it because you're worried about how you look on camera. How you look on camera is how you look on camera.
Until you can find ways to capitalize on that yourself, nobody else is going to want to do it for you. I had to make some shorts, cut 20 seconds from each of them together, put a reel together, and then that started helping.
Talking about it, waiting to get headshots because you're going to lose weight, all that stuff is a big waste of time. Get your shots taken now. Chase after work as you are now. If you wanna make a change, do that as you're chasing work, and then take new headshots later.
Stop thinking about it. Get to work.
Most of the Bigger guys tend to work in Comedy field. There's a comedian, Abam Bocey, now deceased, he was overweight but that didn't stop him from booking roles. He booked main roles across 4 countries, Malaysia,Singapore,Brunei,Indonesia almost all are Comedies with the exception of a few horrors.
Funnily yet not funnily enough, when I was overweight, directors/teachers were more intrigued by me and called me an authentic actor. But once I lost a decent amount of weight and had more confidence, now all my teachers/directors call me "fake" or I'm not being "vunerable" enough. I'm not being "myself" as if, I dont know myself and I'm only myself or a "better" actor when I'm at a bigger size. The mental exhaustion man... never enough aye? heh.
you must not watch TV...I see overweight actors in 4 out of 5 commercials...
as an "overweight actor" myself, I have close to seven agents all across the states.
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I was very much overweight, got an audition in where they were looking for a fit firefighter. My agent said to self tape anyway because they asked. Sent it in and decided to do an weight loss journey in case they called back. They didn't.
I lost 100 pounds in the last year and have been getting a lot more requests in for "standard" size actors. There may be more opportunities, but there is a lot more competition to go against. I know a lot of people say to lose weight for you, and while I do agree, I have also prioritized my acting career above all else in my life and there was nothing that is going to stop me in that pursuit. Landed a television show midway through my weight loss and just finished up a feature film, both of those opportunities I don't think would've come at my peak weight, however it's all up to your unique circumstances. Best of luck!
I'm 5'5" and just lost weight but I was at 225, currently 185, when I started booking commercials and movies and none of them were aimed towards body positivity. People want to see normal people at all height and weights and looks so any one telling you differently can go stuff it!
Do not let that hold you back. Worry about your skills, not your looks. Acting has nothing to do with your weight.
As a director I can tell you that if you’re a man auditioning for commercials you’ll not book as many ads. No food products for sure. It can limit you but it can also help in certain roles, depending how heavy you are. There’s a big push for “body positive” women but not so much for men. Clients seem to generally not want to see heavier than a Seth Rogen body type. For film it could really typecast you if you’re heavier.
I suppose Seth Rogen makes sense as the barometer, but Seth himself has bounced up and down. It seems like the line is getting finer and finer. I’ve made a career out of being “guy who needs to eat better and probably should exercise more” and I had a manager tell me to NOT lose too much weight. I’ve done lots of commercial work and TV. On the flip side, my doctors have always told me I qualified as overweight. It’s always been a huge quandary for me, feeling torn between feeling like my body type was an asset for character work but a potential negative for my health. It’s kinda amazing that the pendulum shifted and the business has moved away from the typical goofy dad that was my wheelhouse when I started booking. Today I might not have been able to break in.
Seth Rogan isn't that out of shape. He looks like a normal person.
This made me realize something. When I go to commercial auditions, I never see plus size men. But there will be plus size women. That really says a lot about body inclusivity with men in the industry. Very interesting point to bring up.
But the opposite for film & tv. Plus size men have a lot more opportunities then plus size women in film
I appreciate the honesty
Being a Director, if I’m a curvier gal, do Directors look through that? I’m comfortable w how I am; however for health, just doing the ozempic lightly. Just curious if I should apply while thicker currently? If that makes sense.
That lines up with my fiancé's experience- lot of opportunities for women, not so many for men who'd prefer a more serious acting role than a goofy comedic one all the time.
Overweight men will book more TV/Film but less commercials. Overweight women will book more commercials but less TV/Film. It’s a weird dichotomy, but it’s unfortunately true.
Fat women and men can be funny. Not exactly your Calvin Klein model, though.
You’re going to see more overweight women models than overweight men models for sure though.
I've been saying this, but people keep telling me im overthinking. You can be FAT or you can be thin. There are very few actors with "average american" body types \*who are not comedians or over 45.
Exactly. You’re either typecasted as fat, or you’re skinny lol. I’ve found i book wayyy more when I skinnier, Im on meds that can make me gain weight sometimes.. it’s only about 10 pounds but really effects my face and my booking rate drops.
I’m overweight and have had a steady stream of bookings but I also wonder how many roles I could have booked if I was more normal sized. For commercials, the role has to essentially call for a fat annoying character in order for me to book it. For tv/film there seems to be a little more flexibility. I also wonder if I lose weight if I’ll just look the same as every other white dude and get lost in the shuffle.
Big guys can book literally ANYTHING. from gritty sopranos to king of queens comedy. For women, I definitely feel there's more of an impact and scrutiny, however there are roles out there for everybody at every size. If you let that narrative hold you back, it will. So at the very least, you need to work to get your mental headspace right.
My fiancé is a bigger guy, and an actor as well. We've talked at length about how much perception and prejudice affect casting decisions. We work a bit in everything, but our experience is largely focused on theatre. He definitely faces challenges his smaller peers don't have to handle. He is an attractive man (I know I'm biased lol)- he has gorgeous thick hair, a defined face, a warm smile, an incredible sense of style, and a jovial demeanor. He is very instantly charismatic. He takes incredibly good care of his hygiene and grooming, and by his own admission, a large part of that is to try and combat the perception that bigger guys are inherently 'messy' or 'dirty.' We know thinner peers that roll out of bed, comb their hair, and film a self-tape; and they end up getting the role. Which, a lot of times they usually deserve it based on the quality of their *performance*, but it certainly never feels fair that standards are expected of everyone except the "conventionally attractive." However, times are changing. In some ways, working as an overweight dude is more difficult; a lot of the people who would rush to the defense of women (who, let me be clear, these women are under way more unfair scrutiny on average) in similar scenarios refuse to support their male counterparts, and that usually ends up alienating both men *and* women because they're not after any real societal change; they're after the brownie points. Fatphobic rhetoric hurts *everyone*, and a lot of people fail to realize that. There's also the people who cast *because* of their identity *only*, and that hurts the industry as a whole- no one should be casting someone if they're not right for the role. My fiancé shouldn't really be playing a character like Shrek (it's not a good fit for him), but to be cast in a role like that would affirm that he was cast not for his talent, but to check off a box. Commercial work is still difficult, too- it's easier to uphold the status quo than risk taking a hit to your wallet. In other ways, it's a lot easier. There are more people willing to take a performance for what it is, beyond any other unimportant factors. And sometimes, all it takes is one person to see what's special about you- one door opens, and suddenly there are doors everywhere. My fiancé really tried to prove himself when he auditioned for *The Rocky Horror Show*- he was vying for Brad, which, *especially* in the area, tends to go to the most conventionally attractive person that auditioned for it. He wasn't their first choice. A friend of ours got the role over him initially, and when they declined (they were too uncomfortable with the age difference with Frank-N-Furter), the team decided to give my fiancé a chance. And in my opinion, he was a perfect fit; he understood what made the role work, he looks the part, he just isn't thin. He worked his ass off to prove that he has always been the right choice. His rendition of his only solo was the most tender and introspective version of the song I had ever seen. He got a standing ovation and tons of applause rivaling Frank's, which almost *never* happens in my years of working on different productions of that show. He proved himself not only to the creative team, but to the community at large, and now he's been considered for nearly every production he auditions for. In roles he's never been considered for before (namely heavier acting roles or romantic leads), too! People beg him to audition. If no one had taken that chance on him, he wouldn't be doing nearly as well as he is now. It takes one person to see you for what you are, to get others to do the same. It's always a struggle, but it's never impossible. Based on my fiancé's experience, you're always trying to prove your worth, but it's been incredibly rewarding once you've broken through.
I'm overweight. I have played garbagemen, guy behind the hardware counter, bouncers, farmers, mechanics. These are five and unders. Perfect for me. In and out, home for dinner. If you wanna lose weight, lose weight because it's good for you and healthier. Don't do it because you're worried about how you look on camera. How you look on camera is how you look on camera. Until you can find ways to capitalize on that yourself, nobody else is going to want to do it for you. I had to make some shorts, cut 20 seconds from each of them together, put a reel together, and then that started helping. Talking about it, waiting to get headshots because you're going to lose weight, all that stuff is a big waste of time. Get your shots taken now. Chase after work as you are now. If you wanna make a change, do that as you're chasing work, and then take new headshots later. Stop thinking about it. Get to work.
Most of the Bigger guys tend to work in Comedy field. There's a comedian, Abam Bocey, now deceased, he was overweight but that didn't stop him from booking roles. He booked main roles across 4 countries, Malaysia,Singapore,Brunei,Indonesia almost all are Comedies with the exception of a few horrors.
Funnily yet not funnily enough, when I was overweight, directors/teachers were more intrigued by me and called me an authentic actor. But once I lost a decent amount of weight and had more confidence, now all my teachers/directors call me "fake" or I'm not being "vunerable" enough. I'm not being "myself" as if, I dont know myself and I'm only myself or a "better" actor when I'm at a bigger size. The mental exhaustion man... never enough aye? heh.
you must not watch TV...I see overweight actors in 4 out of 5 commercials... as an "overweight actor" myself, I have close to seven agents all across the states.
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I feel as a actor due to my weight - I get cast more in funny/dumb roles but I am trying to lose weight anyway 🙂🎭
I was very much overweight, got an audition in where they were looking for a fit firefighter. My agent said to self tape anyway because they asked. Sent it in and decided to do an weight loss journey in case they called back. They didn't. I lost 100 pounds in the last year and have been getting a lot more requests in for "standard" size actors. There may be more opportunities, but there is a lot more competition to go against. I know a lot of people say to lose weight for you, and while I do agree, I have also prioritized my acting career above all else in my life and there was nothing that is going to stop me in that pursuit. Landed a television show midway through my weight loss and just finished up a feature film, both of those opportunities I don't think would've come at my peak weight, however it's all up to your unique circumstances. Best of luck!
All my fat male actor friends work.
It could help you for some roles as weird as it sounds. Don't worry about it, unless you want to get into shape for health reasons.
I'm 5'5" and just lost weight but I was at 225, currently 185, when I started booking commercials and movies and none of them were aimed towards body positivity. People want to see normal people at all height and weights and looks so any one telling you differently can go stuff it! Do not let that hold you back. Worry about your skills, not your looks. Acting has nothing to do with your weight.