Ranked as the 10th best drama school in the nation by the Hollywood Reporter, USC's School of Dramatic Arts is the alma mater of notable actors and performers such as Troian Bellisario, Shiri Appleby, Patrick J. Adams, Ryan Eggold, and Sabina Zuniga Varela, among others. With the gruelling demands of the entertainment industry, and the culture of harassment, rising actors and actresses are being prepared at USC to navigate through and challenge body shaming practices at both the institutional and industry levels.
Jennifer Lawrence opened up on Monday night at Elle's Women in Hollywood event about her early experience with body shaming as a woman in the movie industry during the start of her career. Calling the unexpected incident "humiliating" and "degrading", "she [was forced]… to do [a] 'naked line-up'," according to an article from People magazine. Afterwards, she was told by a producer to use the naked photographs of herself as inspiration for her diet.
Although Lawrence's experience is one of the past, the current climate remains evidently similar. Chloë Grace Moretz, Greta Garbo and Kate Nash have all spoken out this year about body shaming in the movie industry. Women are routinely required to slim down as a prerequisite to play female lead characters and they are openly poked and prodded by executives who discuss actors' unsuitable sizes.
With approximately 25 productions a year, USC's School of Dramatic Arts hosts a number of auditions, which is open to all qualified actors.
While unrealistic body standards and shaming are still prevalent in the industry, Xiaoli Liu, a filmmaker and graduate student at the School of Cinematic Arts, has not encountered this form of discrimination in USC productions.
"Every casting demand must follow the story… [depending on] the description of your character… if your character is thin or fat, then you just need to follow the character's description," Liu says.
Additionally, he notes that a possible reason the industry discriminates based on body weight and casts individuals who are fitter is due to camera lens distortion, which depicts figures to appear fuller than they actually are.
The School of Dramatic Arts is committed to challenging discrimination and harassment by upholding the standards set by USC’s Office of Equity and Diversity, according to Stephanie Shroyer, the artistic director of the USC School of Dramatic Arts, associate dean of BFA programs, and associate professor of theatre practice in acting.
In her role at USC, she makes it a point for student crew members and actors to come together during productions to recognize every individuals value as they are.
“We are they, and they are we,” says Shroyer. When asked if she thinks this attitude extends to the industry, she states, “I think it can, but does it? Of course not.”
With the recent sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the industry has been paying critical attention to the conversation surrounding body shaming and harassment.
Unfortunately, she believes, students will not necessarily be met in the industry with the respect and decency they have worked so hard to garner. "Look at the world and be prepared, without any warning, to make a value judgement about circumstances," Shroyer says. She advises students not to compromise their integrity if faced with a situation of body shaming or harassment.
When preparing students for the harsh reality, Shroyer cautions against leaping blindly towards opportunities which appear to be "big breaks". "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is," she says. However, she also makes it a point to remain optimistic while adding that careers are made up of more than only one opportunity.