Melanie Lynskey Shuts Down Criticism of Her Body Type in Latest Role on the Last of Us
Melanie Lynskey, an acclaimed actor in Hollywood, recently joined the cast of HBO’s hit series The Last of Us as Kathleen. After her first episode aired, model Adrianne Curry took to twitter with criticism that Melanie’s body type didn’t fit her character and suggested a different actress for the role. In response to this criticism, Lynskey shut down the comment and detailed why she loves playing Kathleen on The Last of Us – emphasizing how important it was to have someone in a leadership position who wasn’t “the coolest or toughest person,” but rather had great organizational skills and multitasking abilities. Jason Ritter also seemingly called out Adrianne for deciding to “double down” on her remarks about Melanie’s body type not fitting with Kathleen’s character description. This isn’t new territory for Lynskey, who discussed being mistreated due to physicality while filming Coyote Ugly as well as having faced eating disorder issues after being constantly told earlier in her career what beauty looked like according to Hollywood standards.
In an interview last year she commented that: “…it can be hard when you’re surrounded by extremely thin women all the time and you start to think that maybe I’m not OK if I don’t look like them too.” Lynskey has used the platform of social media to address the criticism head-on and unapologetically stand up for herself while making a larger statement regarding body positivity and representation in TV and film. Her attitude is inspiring many young women (and men) who find themselves facing societal expectations they do not conform to or necessarily want. It’s clear that there is more progress yet to come in terms of positive representation in entertainment media, but we must start somewhere and Melanie Lynskey’s statement gives us one small step towards achieving this goal.
By raising her voice, Lynskey is helping to pave the way for more diverse representation in entertainment. Society has long perpetuated the idea of one “ideal” body type being beautiful, but it’s important to recognize that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. By standing up and challenging societal norms, Melanie Lynskey is helping to create an environment where everyone can feel comfortable in their own skin, regardless of their size or shape. This serves as a reminder that everyone should be treated with respect and kindness — no matter what they look like. By challenging convention, Lynskey is setting a precedent for other actors who have faced similar criticism in the past and helping to create a more inclusive and diverse society.