Why Hollywood Has a Fatness Problem

You're listening to the Burnt Toast podcast! We are Virginia Sole-Smith and Corinne Fay, and today our conversation is with actress Jen Ponton about what it's really like to be fat and working in Hollywood. Jen Ponton is an actor and writer whose work explores the intersection of fatness, representation, and storytelling. Over the past 15 years, she's built a career with credits including Dietland, Not Suitable for Work, 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and the recent off-Broadway run of her solo show, Sugarcoated. She currently stars in the independent feature Resentment, where she plays a confident, sensual, whipsmart leading woman whose body is neither the punchline nor the plot. Jen joined us to talk about where the fatphobia shows up in Hollywood, how GLP-1s are changing the game, and the major TV hit that would only cast her if she agreed to a weight loss contract. And more! It's a good one, you guys. And on Indulgence Gospel! We're tackling one of your questions: Does your family have siblings with different body types? How does everyone feel about that? Because this listener is struggling. Indulgence Gospel segments are for paid subscribers, who also get transcripts and commenting privileges. Don't miss out!