# Casting bias against busty actresses? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 7, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253 "2010-04-07T07:18:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/41 "2010-04-07T19:23:19Z")
> [@Made\_in\_Macau](#): > > It seems to me that there is a difference between having breasts and having large breasts. > It may be that my perception is somewhat skewed by…local circumstances. > > I didn’t like to think of an actress being taken less seriously for a role because her breasts were too big . . . it seems that unless you want to be the kooky best friend or wise-cracking support staff - **you better get to the gym**. (bolding mine) Dude, if the sort of breast size you’re talking about can be altered by going to the gym (as opposed to a plastic surgeon), it’s not tits you’re into, it’s fat chicks. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/42 "2010-04-07T19:25:13Z")
> [@Made\_in\_Macau](#): > > As I said upthread, my view of what equates to ‘busty’ may well be skewed so it would be nice to be without the snark. I guess I’m just confused. Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansen are two of the biggest actresses in Hollywood today. Unless you’ve never seen anything they’ve ever been in, I don’t understand why you’d think busty actresses can’t get work. Also, on the subject of Christina Hendricks. If you’ve ever seen her first guest spot on Firefly, you’d have no idea just how busty she really is. I imagine this happens a lot because not everyone wears something to accenuate their bust all the time. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/43 "2010-04-07T19:29:52Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Cite? I’m not Mr. Skin. I can’t imagine anyone has ever conducted an internet search for stills of a celebrity topless, but if one were to conduct such a search for Reese Witherspooon one would stumble accross the film in question. She’s got nice cans. ETA the film is called [Twilight](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119594/) (different one) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/44 "2010-04-07T19:36:09Z")
> [@whole\_bean](#): > > Reese is stacked as well. She’s done some topless work that confirms this. Ah yes… I forgot about that film. I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/45 "2010-04-07T19:38:17Z")
And heeeeeeeere’s Christina Hendricks: [http://morganzilla.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Christina-hendricks.jpg](http://morganzilla.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Christina-hendricks.jpg). Too much of a good thing, IMHO. Paget Brewster, also mentioned earlier: [http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/j/Paget%20Brewster.jpg](http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/j/Paget%20Brewster.jpg) Elisha Cuthbert (from the first coupla seasons of _24_): [elisha-cuthbert-154.jpg (image)](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LE94r3nHuVk/ShBU5CXyn6I/AAAAAAAAAgg/iW8FAQNqq68/s1600-h/elisha-cuthbert-154.jpg) Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) on ST:TNG was quite well-endowed, and her costumes were usually cut accordingly: [http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/ccindy/StarTrek/DeannaTroi.gif](http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/ccindy/StarTrek/DeannaTroi.gif) Joy Turner (Jaime Pressly), exuberantly white trashy, in _My Name is Earl_: [http://www.dimensionetv.com/userfiles/image/earl/3204joy\_turner.jpg](http://www.dimensionetv.com/userfiles/image/earl/3204joy_turner.jpg) Ya know, I think it depends on the role. Serious roles for younger women (cops, doctors, lawyers) will indeed tend to go to slim and not busty women; other roles could go either way. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/46 "2010-04-07T19:49:35Z")
> [@Made\_in\_Macau](#): > > ‘She’s perfect - but her tits are too distracting’ or even more extreme - would some consider breast reduction in order to get roles? I’ve heard pretty much this from the mouth of a casting director looking for a host for a science-related documentary series. Breasts ≠ serious because, I guess, they remind people you’re not a man and might even make them think of sex instead of work or very important issues (how dare you!), which I fear sometimes carries over to real life. Also, as in real life, the less body fat you have the smaller your boobs (I know this is not always the case, but it usually is, especially when you go to extremes aka most Hollywood diets). If an actress wants to be petite enough to get cast without anyone worrying about that 1/2 inch of arm fat jiggling in HD, she’ll probably pilates herself down by a cup size or two. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/47 "2010-04-07T22:31:53Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I guess I’m just confused. Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansen are two of the biggest actresses in Hollywood today. Unless you’ve never seen anything they’ve ever been in, I don’t understand why you’d think busty actresses can’t get work. > > Also, on the subject of Christina Hendricks. If you’ve ever seen her first guest spot on Firefly, you’d have no idea just how busty she really is. I imagine this happens a lot because not everyone wears something to accenuate their bust all the time. I’ve never seen a Jolie movie (although I like the look of the Changeling), and have only seen Johansen in Ghost World where she does not steal the show re - breast size. Thora Birch would definitely answer my own question insofar as having got the roles she has. Wonder if she has been turned down for any? As I said - never seen or heard of C Hendricks before. Cat Fight’s post is interesting though don’t you think? MiM ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/48 "2010-04-07T23:27:38Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Jennifer Connelly Had 'em cut down years ago, about the time she started moving up to leading roles. Same with Christina Ricci. I hope to hell they didn’t do it for the sake of the Industry, or ancillaries like designer endorsements, or for body-image issues. Connelly in particular has become unpleasantly thin and angular. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/49 "2010-04-08T00:46:07Z")
> [@palindromemordnilap](#): > > More women, and more actresses have B size breasts than any other, followed by C. Nope. The most common bust size for grown women is 36C. It _used to be_ 34B, but women are generally fatter now. Well, people are getting fatter, since I’ve seen plenty of guys who’d fit in a B or C cup too 😃 As for actresses, I find it a bit surprising that there aren’t more busty girls on **Melrose Place** considering all the pool scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/50 "2010-04-08T01:02:18Z")
I’m not sure I’d agree with the OP, but to think out loud: As actors enter the job market for the first time as pretty young thangs, the ones with the most awesome of bodies will have the easiest time finding work, but all of that work will be in B movies, soft porn, or hard porn. It might not be glamorous, but it is a paycheck and just getting a paycheck is a pretty big accomplishment in the acting world. It would be hard to convince yourself to give it up and try to go back into serious acting. So, that leaves the girls who are still pretty but not pin-up to battle for parts in clean and A roles. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/51 "2010-04-08T11:17:18Z")
Doesn’t Criminal Minds have Garcia, the chick with the mindblowing GUI, aka [Kirsten Vangsness](http://www.subs.gr/portal/images/criminal_minds__007.jpg)? She’s not waif thin, more average to fat and totally TV fat. But is she busty? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/52 "2010-04-08T14:36:00Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Had 'em cut down years ago, about the time she started moving up to leading roles. I think they just both lost a lot of weight. I don’t believe either had breast reduction surgery. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/53 "2010-04-08T16:15:51Z")
Several of the actresses people are citing as “busty” really aren’t all that well endowed, but have perfectly nice normal bust lines and are in shape. The show that consistently cast the thinnest, smallest people I can ever recall seeing on a TV show was Ally McBeal. It was an alternate universe. It was waif central. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/54 "2010-04-09T01:58:00Z")
> [@astro](#): > > The show that consistently cast the thinnest, smallest people I can ever recall seeing on a TV show was Ally McBeal. It was an alternate universe. It was waif central. No kidding. That set was so bad Jane Krakowski was the fat chick. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/55 "2010-04-09T02:04:20Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I think they just both lost a lot of weight. I don’t believe either had breast reduction surgery. Now that I re-google it, all such references contain the word _rumor_. My bad. I remembered it being simply reported as matter-of-fact. ---
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/56 "2010-04-09T07:27:36Z")
I agree that many actresses listed here I wouldn’t consider “busty.” I think of busty as D-cup or higher. For me, ScarJo is busty; AnJo is not. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/57 "2010-04-09T08:51:19Z")
> [@HoldenCaulfield](#): > > I agree that many actresses listed here I wouldn’t consider “busty.” I think of busty as D-cup or higher. For me, ScarJo is busty; AnJo is not. She had to have her boobs enhanced to play Tomb Raider, so I agree. And I think some people are conflating accented boobs with actually being busty. When you’re busty, your boobs are noticeable even when you aren’t trying to show them off. A quick example is that I had not noticed the boobs on Alison Brie, and the pic provided requires showing almost all of the cleavage to show them off. [This](http://tnaron.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/alison-brie-as-annie-in-community.jpg) is the way I picture her in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/58 "2010-04-09T15:48:04Z")
Jessica Simpson is “busty”. Whether she’s an “actress” is another issue. [This no makeup pic of her](http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/36276868/ns/today-today_fashion_and_beauty/)is actually much hotter than any other pic of her I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/59 "2010-04-09T15:54:27Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > She had to have her boobs enhanced to play Tomb Raider, so I agree. > > …A quick example is that I had not noticed the boobs on Alison Brie, and the pic provided requires showing almost all of the cleavage to show them off. [This](http://tnaron.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/alison-brie-as-annie-in-community.jpg) is the way I picture her in my mind. I’d never heard that Ms. Jolie had a boob job for _Tomb Raider_. I thought she got that gig pretty much because of her already-well-known natural endowments. I prefer Ms. Brie this way, but YMMV: [http://www.sportressofblogitude.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/alison-brie2.jpg](http://www.sportressofblogitude.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/alison-brie2.jpg) or [http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjE0MDQ4NDc0NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODc3ODAzMg@@.\_V1.\_SX296\_SY400\_.jpg](http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjE0MDQ4NDc0NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODc3ODAzMg@@._V1._SX296_SY400_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253/60 "2010-04-09T16:00:43Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I’d never heard that Ms. Jolie had a boob job for _Tomb Raider_. I thought she got that gig pretty much because of her already-well-known natural endowments. > > I prefer Ms. Brie this way, but YMMV: [http://www.sportressofblogitude.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/alison-brie2.jpg](http://www.sportressofblogitude.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/alison-brie2.jpg) or [http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjE0MDQ4NDc0NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODc3ODAzMg@@.\_V1.\_SX296\_SY400\_.jpg](http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjE0MDQ4NDc0NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODc3ODAzMg@@._V1._SX296_SY400_.jpg) Not boob job, just a suit designed to lift, separate, and accentuate. -Joe [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casting-bias-against-busty-actresses/535253.md?page=4)