Bello champions normal-size actresses
A History of Violence beauty Maria Bello has lashed out at the pressure to be skinny in Hollywood, insisting she will tell any director who asks her to lose weight to get lost.
The 38-year-old actress, who has been nominated for a Golden Globe at next week's awards ceremony, is happy with her fluctuating weight and refuses to believe her dress size should compromise her acting roles.
Bello says: "I still have to fight the idea that I'm supposed to look a certain way. I was 20 pounds heavier when I did The Cooler, 40 pounds heavier on Auto Focus. And they're the best work I've done so far.
"It hasn't mattered what I looked like in terms of: 'Am I getting great roles?' I've been successful at any weight.
"Somehow when I had a very thin body, I felt like a boy and didn't want to have fun. Now I'm feeling good.
"I never get pressure from directors. You know why? Because people know they can't tell me stuff like that. If I had someone around me saying you need to lose weight, I would laugh in their face and never work with them."
