Carey Mulligan has slammed the notion of ‘perfection onscreen’ as she claimed women aren’t allowed ‘to look normal anymore’ in films.
The actress, 35, reflected on Hollywood and the industry in a candid interview with The New York Times on Wednesday, as she spoke about her new film Promising Young Woman.
Discussing how her film examines societal expectations on how a woman should look and behave, she criticised the idea that actresses are required to look like ‘supermodels’ for a role.
‘We don’t allow women to look normal anymore’: Carey Mulligan slammed the notion of ‘perfection onscreen’ in a new interview on Wednesday
Carey explained: ‘We don’t allow women to look normal anymore, or like a real person. Why does every woman who’s ever onscreen have to look like a supermodel?
‘That has shifted into something where the expectation of beauty and perfection onscreen has gotten completely out of control.”
‘I just don’t think that’s really what storytelling or acting needs to be about. Things can be beautiful without being perfect.’
Candid: Discussing how her film Promising Young Woman (pictured) examines unreasonable expectations of woman, she criticised the idea actresses should look like ‘supermodels’
Promising Young Woman is a revenge thriller that follows the story of Carey’s character Cassie, a barista who feels unfulfilled in her life.
In a bid to lift her spirits, the medical school dropout lets loose at bars every week, where she becomes intoxicated and on the brink of passing out.
Traumatised by a tragic past event, Cassie is on the warpath as she tries to seek out vengeance on those who have wronged her, including men who pretend to ‘help’ her and end up attempting to take advantage of her drunken state.
The star recently opened up to NET-A-PORTER’s digital publication, PORTER, in which she discussed her thoughts on the #MeToo movement, life after children and toxic masculinity in her new film.
Thoughts: Carey said of Hollywood’s beauty standards: ‘We don’t allow women to look normal anymore, or like a real person… perfection onscreen has gotten completely out of control’
The award-winning actress, who shares Evelyn, five, and Wilfred, three, with musician husband Marcus Mumford, 33, also insisted she’s content with juggling her career with motherhood, saying: ‘I haven’t been in a bar in ages, and I’m very glad of that’.
Carey claimed her new film, penned and directed by Killing Eve showrunner, Emerald Fennell, highlights the importance of awareness surrounding topics such as sexual assault and toxic masculinity.
The British actress said: ‘It’s funny, because the reaction I first had when I read the script was, “This is soooo romantic”.
One to watch: Promising Young Woman is a revenge thriller that follows the story of Carey’s character Cassie, a barista seeks revenge on men who take advantage of her
‘[But] Emerald’s [point] was: if [you] take someone home and they are really drunk, and then that person reveals they are not drunk, and you feel guilty, then you know what you are doing isn’t right.’
‘What we reflected on, making this film, was the amount of real-life stories like this we know. A lot of this film is stuff that pretty much every woman I know has experienced in some way. ‘
When asked whether she misses her life before welcoming her kids, the mother-of-two, who wed musician Marcus in April 2012, declared: ‘Noooo.
‘In fact, every time we stepped into a new bar set, Emerald and I would both be like, “God, we haven’t been in a bar in a really long time”. And I’m very glad of that.’
Family first: The thespian shares children Evelyn and Wilfred with husband Marcus Mumford (pictured in 2012), and recently said she’s content with juggling her career and motherhood