We spend quite a bit of time talking about how actors physically prepare for roles -- particularly in big-budget action movies. However, Chris Pratt's "What's My Snack" and other fun social media moments sometimes belie the fact that not all of losing weight for a movie is a cakewalk, or even pleasant. In fact, Gemma Arterton recently spoke out about the process of filming a movie and confessed that people on the set reportedly pressured her not to eat, even going so far as to have her filmed while she worked out. The actress revealed:
They'd measure me and they'd call up the personal trainer at like nine at night going: 'Is she in the gym? And if she isn't, why isn't she in the gym?'... And there was one day when I went to get some snacks, they have like snacks on set, and I went to get some apricots, some dried apricots and the man went, this big, fat, obese producer went: 'I hope you're not going to eat that.' I said 'Do you know what? I'm going to eat about 20, then I'm going to go home and eat all the stuff in the mini bar and then I'm going to vomit it all up.'
In principle, Gemma Arterton doesn't necessarily seem to have an issue with the personal trainer or her requirement to stay in shape for the project. Movies (particularly tentpole action films) are intensive endeavors that demand performers to remain in top physical form. Her problem with this particular situation (which she eventually referred to as "traumatic") seems to lie more with the fact that she appears to view the perceived micromanagement of her diet and workout schedule as an overreach. With this mentality, we can marvel at the physiques of superhero actors like Josh Brolin or Ray Fisher all we want, but if Arterton was guilted into losing weight, that's less marvelous.
Gemma Arterton did not mention this specific film by name during her appearance on The Guilty Feminist podcast, but some have already begun to theorize about the possible film in question. The former Bond girl has previously spoken out about the uncomfortable process of losing weight for her role as Tamina in 2010's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, so that certainly seems like a viable option. Beyond that, the video game adaptation filmed in Morocco, which means that could be the production referred to in her comments. Prince of Persia star Jake Gyllenhaal notably increased his own muscle tone for the movie as well, so it would obviously prove interesting to be able to go back and see how the production monitored his diet and workout schedule at the time, too.
In the years since this incident reportedly took place, Gemma Arterton has fashioned herself as a champion for the equal treatment of women in the film industry. She claims that her personal ideals have caused her to miss out on roles, but she feels it is worth it to stand for equality between actors and actresses. That said, she seems to have remained fairly busy in recent years (with stellar performances in films like The Girl With All The Gifts and Their Finest), so it looks like she's continuing to find success on her terms.
If you're looking for more information related to the rest of 2017's major theatrical releases, then take a look at our movie premiere guide and fill out your moviegoing calendars accordingly!
