In recent days, a debate has flared up about how female actors are denied roles because of cosmetic procedures. At the same time, criticism is directed at the industry’s double standards and women testify that they are expected to stay young in order to get roles.
In recent days, several casting agents have testified about how actors who have undergone cosmetic surgery are denied certain roles, sometimes even without being told why. Cast member Catrin Wideryd tells Kulturnytt that botox and fillers can affect facial expressions and facial expressions in a way that is not desirable for the directors. “You can lose nuances. Your facial expressions and your expressions are very much your tool as an actor,” she says.
Another reason that actors who have undergone cosmetic surgery are denied roles may be that the current series or film takes place during a historical time when cosmetic surgery did not exist. At the same time, female actors testify that they are expected to stay young in order to get roles.
“The industry has a huge responsibility”
The director and actor Helena Bergström was recently interviewed about the issue in TV4’s After Five. She then emphasized that it is important that the issue be discussed on a structural level, instead of pointing out specific actresses. The question was also raised in the program by the film critic and journalist Wanda Bendjelloul. She says that the issue was already discussed in the United States around the turn of the millennium, but that a lot has happened since then, even if it is slow. Today, she believes, female actors who have not had surgery get more interesting and age-appropriate roles. “The industry has such a huge responsibility,” she says in the interview. “You have the power to change this,” she adds.
Helena Bergström also agrees with the industry’s responsibility. “It is a problem that you are not allowed to age,” she says in Nyhetsmorgon. “Show that you want women who are allowed to age too,” she says, addressing the Swedish film industry.
