Emma Thompson Seen Wearing ‘Degrading’ Fat Suit in New Trailer for Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical
Netflix’s Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical is facing backlash for Emma Thompson’s fat suit as Miss Trunchbull. The trailer for the 2022 adaptation of the 1988 Roald Dahl book came out last week on June 15, revealing Emma Thompson fitted with prosthetics.
Many are criticizing the choice to cast a thin actress to play a fat character in a larger conversation about representation and fatphobia.
“Prosthetics are not a good enough excuse for purposefully not hiring plus-sized actors. It’s disappointing that in 2022, we still can’t recognise the talent and humanity of plus-sized people,” Metro columnist Emmie Harrison-West wrote in her Metro article. “Do we really need another skinny actress in a fat suit?”
Some point out that the characterization of fictional headmistress Miss Trunchbull is fatphobic before compounding the use of a fat suit in the adaptation. Author Roald Dahl creates a dichotomy between the hero and villain of the children’s book, relying heavily on appearance to do so. The monstrous Miss Trunchbull is big and masculine whereas the sweet Miss Honey is petite and feminine.
Yes, it’s offensive about Emma Thompson wearing a fat suit in the Matilda movie. But the initial failure is that almost every woman Dahl wrote is either a sugar-sweet, pretty, good natured Miss Honey or a haggard evil (and in his mind, physically disgusting) Miss Trunchbull.
— Vaxine Beneba Clarke (@slamup) June 20, 2022
Harrison-West explains, “As a bigger woman, I find this caricaturisation of my body type utterly dehumanising, and degrading.”
Many took to Twitter to express their disappointment in the film’s use of a fat suit.
“We literally never need a skinny actor in a fat suit. And we should definitely hold actors, producers, directors and casting directors accountable to that until they STOP,” Brooke Obie tweeted.
We literally never need a skinny actor in a fat suit. And we should definitely hold actors, producers, directors and casting directors accountable to that until they STOP https://t.co/7uwZhj98vo
— Brooke Obie Is Excessively Black (@BrookeObie) June 20, 2022
Amanda Levitt tweeted, “I can’t believe someone would agree to put a thin person into this costume for Matilda the musical. The original was already fat phobic enough but now they put Emma Thompson into a fat suit.”
I can’t believe someone would agree to put a thin person into this costume for Matilda the musical. The original was already fat phobic enough but now they put Emma Thompson into a fat suit. pic.twitter.com/TQRo7GrWoo
— Amanda Levitt (@FatBodyPolitics) June 17, 2022
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical will be released in December 2022. You can watch the trailer below.
