Melanie Lynskey, of “The Last of Us” fame, recently looked back on the fact that she has frequently been cast as the overweight companion in various parts.
The 45-year-old starlet expressed her thoughts in an interview with The New York Times, noting that she has frequently been cast as "the fat friend" or "the jokey fat person."
Lynskey informed the magazine that she had come across a piece of writing where a candy bar appeared in every scene. She wished to alter the way she was seen in the entertainment industry, as her previous projects such as the show "Two and a Half Men" and the romantic comedy "Sweet Home Alabama" had suggested.
The "Yellowjackets" star declared, “I would love to be featured in a role as an intriguing character who is not concerned with their physical appearance. It would be great to not have to talk about this as much if there was more representation of people like me onscreen.”
Lynskey previously opened up about body image while explaining her connection to the late actress Brittany Murphy, who she remembered as being typecast as the overweight companion in "Clueless." Murphy unfortunately passed away from a cardiac arrest at 32 in 2009.
Lynskey said, as reported by IndieWire, that she told herself to “normalize” the situation and to hope that more women who look like her would come along so that people wouldn't feel the need to give backhanded compliments.
She went on to say, "I sometimes get tired of the constant talk about my body, even if it is positive. I just need a break from thinking and hearing about it, and I'm sure all women feel the same."
Lynskey addressed the negative response she received for being chosen as Kathleen, the head of a revolutionary organization in ruined Kansas City in HBO Max’s popular show “The Last of Us.”
She expressed her excitement on February 8th in a tweet, saying that while feeling like she was in someone else's body after action was called was incredible, the most thrilling part of her job was surprising people by not being the expected casting for a role.
In a subsequent post, Lynskey said, “I'm portraying someone who has carefully plotted and implemented a coup against FEDRA. I need to be seen as intelligent – no need for me to be muscular, that's what henchmen are for.”