Melanie Lynskey Is Happy Being a Size 10 and Has Choice Words for Body Shamers
The body positivity movement has made a lot of strides in the last few years, but there’s still a ways to go. Actor Melanie Lynskey recently talked about what it’s like being a size 10 in Hollywood, and how she responds to body shamers.
Melanie Lynskey’s acting career
Lynskey has been acting professionally since she was 16 years old. She made her mark in cult classic movies like But I’m A Cheerleader and Coyote Ugly, as well as blockbusters like Sweet Home Alabama, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Don’t Look Up.
The actor has also conquered the world of television with memorable roles in hit shows like Two and a Half Men, House, Castle Rock, Candy, and Yellowjackets, one of the most talked-about shows of the year.
Melanie Lynskey’s response to body shamers
While Lynskey has definitely proved she’s a talented actor, she admitted she had struggled with her body image while working in Hollywood. In a recent interview with The Skimm, Lynskey talked about what it’s like to be a size 10 next to so many size 0s.
“It’s been a very long journey,” she shared. “I fought against it for a very long time—the shape that my body’s supposed to be.” Lynskey also talked about her struggles with an eating disorder, saying, “I spent many years not really eating, and being very worried about what I look like.”
“It’s hard to be a size 10 next to a size 0,” the actor concluded. It might be hard, but Lynskey has come up with the perfect response to body shamers who insist that their hurtful comments about her body are actually well-meaning concerns for her health.
“The story of my life since Yellowjackets premiered,” Lynskey tweeted, responding to a since-deleted tweet about her body. “Most egregious are the ‘I care about her health!!’ people … b—- you don’t see me on my Peleton! You don’t see me running through the park with my child. Skinny does not always equal healthy.”
Melanie Lynskey wants ‘to be representative of what a lot of women in the world look like’
Lynskey shared that she truly started loving and accepting her body after going through a heartbreaking loss. “A couple of years ago, I had a miscarriage, and I just didn’t really recover from it physically,” she revealed.
“ … having a very young daughter made me really think about: Okay, I need to be kinder to myself and accepting and saying sorry to my body for what it just went through and giving my daughter a positive example of what it looks like to have a mother who just is accepting her body.”
The actor shares her daughter with her husband and fellow actor Jason Ritter. The couple started dating in 2013. They got engaged in 2017 and tied the knot in 2020.
Speaking further about her thoughts on having a positive body image, Lynskey continued, “I just think it’s good for women to get to see different shapes and sizes. I want to be representative of what a lot of women in the world look like.”
Lynskey is one of many actors working today who are committed to showing women of all shapes and sizes on screen, brushing off the haters, and lifting up other women!
