Former Home and Away actress Sophie Dillman spoke out against body shaming, admitting that she had experienced it while working on the serial opera.
The actress, who quit her role as Ziggy Astoni in March of this year after six years on the show, claimed in a blog for Yahoo Lifestyle Australia that she was ‘virtually assured’ to be asked in interviews about her feelings about wearing a bikini on film.
The actress responded, “This question has a lot of layers, and my answer constantly changed throughout my time in the Bay and is still changing today,” adding that “physically working in a bikini is simple” and not dissimilar from donning any other costume.
She revealed, however, that “the emotional aspects of being in a bikini on primetime television is the tough bit”, adding that, in her experience, she was one of the only cast members who was frequently questioned about this.
This suggests to me that the general consensus was that I shouldn’t look well in a bikini or that I shouldn’t be wearing one at all, she added. “None of the straight-sized performers or actresses had their self-assurance or worth questioned. That says what exactly?
She went on to explain that she “hated wearing a bikini” and found it “the scariest thing” about her profession, claiming that she was “dying inside” the first time she had to wear a bikini on set.
“Our lovely director of makeup told me to avoid looking at press images and reading the accompanying stories. Naturally, I disregarded that guidance,” she continued. “I cried for days after discovering those photos.”
The actress, who is currently dating her former Home and Away co-star Patrick O’Connor, claimed that the harassment was “awful and endless,” including “articles written about my boobs being too big” and people “constantly” enquiring as to whether she was pregnant.
She revealed that it was thinking about her younger self that helped her through the most trying days, saying, “The effect that those comments and articles had on my self-esteem still affects me to this day.”
I began to contemplate 10-year-old Sophie, who grew up in the 1990s and saw celebrities like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera being viewed as “healthy,” she added. “Perhaps she wouldn’t have grown up to feel this way about someone being in a bikini on television if she could have watched someone who ate pizza, enjoyed her body, and surfed without being self-conscious.
Therefore, I kept tiny Soph in mind and strutted up the beach for her on difficult days.
In her final statement, the actress expressed her delight in her current form, adding, “I love that my body is strong, resilient, and healthy. I enjoy my ability to swim, run, dance, sing, play, act, and laugh. I am capable of doing those things regardless of my appearance.
“Have we grown tired of discussing bodies yet? Can we concentrate on something more crucial? Added she.
