Actress Hilary Swank addresses the notorious scene from The Office that critiqued her physical appearance and sheds light on how Hollywood’s beauty standards have adversely impacted her portrayal of diverse characters.
For context, in the 2009 episode “Prince Family Paper,” The Office cast members were seen rating many of Swank’s red carpet looks over the years. Before ultimately concluding that Swank was deemed attractive, some cast members describe the star as a “monster” and a “female Boris Becker.”
In a recent discussion panel at the Toronto International Film Festival, which has since gone viral after being shared on the company’s social media platforms including TikTok last month, Swank revealed how she felt regarding the situation and opened up about the differences men go through as opposed to women in the entertainment industry. She said,
“I play real people and I think beauty is very subjective. I feel like no one would ever ask a man that.”
Further into the conversation, Swank—whose career spans over three decades and has been in more than 50 projects—disclosed that in the past, she was constantly bombarded with questions about possibly playing a character that is considered “a pretty girl.”The Alaska Daily star added that the comment initially rubbed her the wrong way because she felt everyone she has portrayed and shared their story over the years was “beautiful.”
“I used to get asked often in my interviews you know, ‘you’re such a beautiful woman. You’re sitting here and you’re so beautiful. When are you going to play a pretty girl?’ It just blew my mind because the women that I play are so beautiful.”
Since the TikTok post went viral, it has generated over 6 million views and more than 736,000 likes. As fans began to view the upload, many supported Swank and praised the Freedom Writers star for her response.
One TikTok user wrote that many people forget that celebrities are real people.
“I’ve seen this episode so many times and never thought of her opinion on it. Sometimes we forget celebrities are real people.”
At the same time, another person wrote how much they love Swank’s remarks on the characters she plays.
“I love her response ‘because the women I play are so beautiful’ this was everything!!”
A third social media user echoed a similar statement by thanking Swank for choosing this moment to empower others rather than commenting on the criticism.
“Powerful answer … Thank you for empowering others instead of reacting to criticism.”
Lastly, another individual commended Swank for her response and for showcasing how beauty is subjective.
“Beauty is very subjective. Well said.”
This isn’t the first time Swank has addressed this situation. In 2010, a year after The Office episode aired, Swank told Time magazine that she found that moment flattering after being made aware of it by loved ones. Still, Swank considers it a disservice to women because life is more important than how someone looks.
“I’m not a big television watcher, but definitely everyone made me aware of it. It’s flattering anytime someone mentions you. But I don’t think of myself in terms of that.
There is so much [emphasis] put on the way we look, which is interesting, going back to the Office question. Are you hot, or are you not? It really does a disservice. There’s so much more to life than looking a certain way.”
At this time, it is unclear if any cast members from The Office will respond to Swanks’ remarks.