‘Bodyguard’ actor Richard Madden has admitted he’s concerned that being objectified could harm his career in the long-term.
Richard has won near-unanimous acclaim for his role in the drama ‘Bodyguard’, currently airing on BBC One, but admits that he’s scared “objectification” could “affect his career” in the future.
“I worry sometimes about it affecting my job,” he told Mr Porter. “If people go, ‘Oh, you know, he’s that hunky thing’, then it undermines that actually I’m an actor, and I’m trying really hard to be good at it.”
However, he was quick to acknowledge the objectification that women in the acting business have always had to put up with, commenting: “I don’t really have a right to be pissed off.”
He continued: “I’ve done loads of jobs where I’ve been asked, or told, I need to lose weight – or I need to be in the gym every day. And that sucks, because it actually gets in the way of the job, a bit. And also because it’s just unrealistic. Not everyone walks around with six-packs – unless you’re on ‘Love Island’.
“I was out in Ibiza earlier this year, and it was so funny – every guy had a six-pack. It was like, have you all just worked out all year for that one week in Ibiza where you can drink and party? Or is everybody just really genetically gifted?”
‘Game Of Thrones’ star Kit Harington previously made headlines when he admitted he often feels “demeaned” when he’s branded a “hunk”, later hitting out at what he considers a “sexism towards men” in Hollywood.
He said: “I like to think of myself as more than a head of hair or a set of looks. It’s demeaning. Yes, in some ways you could argue I’ve been employed for a look I have. But there’s a sexism that happens towards men.
“There’s definitely a sexism in our industry that happens towards women, and there is towards men as well. At some points during photoshoots when I’m asked to strip down, I felt that.”
Similarly, Poldark’s Aidan Turner has admitted he recognises a “double standard” when it comes to the objectification of men, but insisted: “I try not to get involved in [that debate]. I’ve never felt objectified.”
Commenting on the issue in 2016, Ryan Gosling said: “It’s our time as men to be on the receiving end of the stick. I grew up with women so I’ve always been aware of it.
“When my mother and I walked to the grocery store, men would circle the block in cars. It was very scary, especially as a young boy. Very predatory; a hunt.”
Read Richard Madden’s full interview on Mr Porter here.