Mad Men actress Christina Hendricks ‘outraged’ after failing to secure acting roles because of her curves
The voluptuous actress says she has lost out on jobs because casting agents think her body shape is unsuitable for parts like doctors and police officers
MAD Men star Christina Hendricks has revealed her anger at being turned down for acting roles because of her famous hourglass figure.
The flame-haired actress, best known for playing Joan Holloway in the award-winning drama Mad Men, has declared it's "outrageous" there aren't more varieties of body shape shown on screen.
These days she's praised her voluptuous figure and killer curves, but before Mad Men came along, the 42-year-old was often told her body shape was unsuitable when she auditioned for roles such as police officers or medics.
"I auditioned for things where I knew I killed the audition. I knew I did," she told The Times.
"It was like. 'Oh, should I give you my sizes now, or...?' And they would call up and say, 'We just don't think that a doctor would look like that'.
"I would be embarrassed to even say that out loud.
"There should be a million different body types [on television].
"It's outrageous that there aren't. And it's outrageous that we're sitting here having this conversation and it's even a thing."
Everything changed for Christina when she landed the role of Joan in period drama Mad Men, which ran from 2007 until 2015.
"I walk [into my audition] a little bit defeated. But I just put on my game face and did it. And I got this role. And ever since then I get all these, like, amazing strong-a**ed, powerful women."
Christina previously credited living in Italy as an up and coming model for helping develop her amazing figure.
She told The Sun in 2013: "I started out as a model and when I went to Italy to build my book I gained 15lb from all the pasta and cappuccinos that were part of my life over there.
“I saw my body change and I loved how it changed my appearance and how it made me look more womanly and sexy.
“I give credit to my mum, who told me to feel good about my appearance and not feel embarrassed about my body because she was never worried about looking too big or feeling fat.”
She added: "I know I have a figure and I long ago decided that I wouldn’t starve myself and try to become one of those typically skinny actresses.
“I’m completely comfortable with my body."
Christina also told Health magazine that after gaining those 15lbs she felt "beautiful" and decided to never lose weight, despite pressure in Hollywood.
"I felt gorgeous! I would take my clothes off in front of the mirror and be like, 'Oh, I look like a woman!'
"And I felt beautiful, and I never tried to lose it, 'cause I loved it."
She added that she was flattered by the attention her curves have received from men, but also those women, who aspire to achieve a similar body shape.
"It's such a compliment, because of all those times I had agents who were like, 'You have to lose some weight,' and all of a sudden, people are celebrating it." she said.
"It's like: 'Oh, thank you! Thank you for letting me be me.'"
