In the glitzy world of Hollywood, the chase for youth and beauty never seems to stop. However, every now and then, someone comes along with a refreshingly real perspective. Enter Alex Borstein. At the San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Borstein didn’t hold back, sharing her thoughts on Hollywood’s obsession with looks, a chat she had with Dustin Hoffman and her take on today’s beauty standards.
Alex Borstein doesn’t like Hollywood’s ‘wild obsession’ with beauty
During Entertainment Weekly’s Bold School Panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Alex Borstein shared some candid thoughts about the industry’s fixations. When the moderator inquired about the panelists’ pet peeves, Borstein didn’t hold back.
She highlighted Hollywood’s “wild obsession and focus on youth and beauty.” While she found her response “so boring,” she humorously apologized to “all the beautiful young people” in the audience.
A memorable run-in with Dustin Hoffman
During the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 panel, Alex Borstein recounted a memorable conversation with Dustin Hoffman and connected it to his iconic 1982 film, Tootsie. “The movie Tootsie, anybody heard of it?” Borstein asked the audience.
The movie stars Hoffman as an actor who can’t land a role, due to his difficult nature, so he reinvents himself as actress Dorothy Michaels, securing a job in a soap opera. She described how she once approached the actor, expressing her admiration. “I once ran into Dustin Hoffman and I said to him, ‘God, I’m such a fan. I love you. You showed me that I can still be an ugly woman and get on a movie.'”
Dustin Hoffman set Alex Borstein straight
Initially, Dustin Hoffman laughed, but his demeanor quickly shifted. “He said, ‘Don’t you do that! Stop that! Don’t you do that! You are not ugly! You are beautiful! You are different! You are packaged differently,'” Alex Borstein recalled.
Hoffman’s passionate response left a lasting impact on Borstein, reinforcing the idea that beauty in Hollywood shouldn’t conform to a single standard. She reflected on this moment, saying, “But it really was a moment… and lo and behold, I’m still here.”
Society’s changing beauty standards
Alex Borstein also shared her views on today’s societal beauty standards. The actor isn’t the first to speak out about the industry’s beauty standards, especially toward women.
“It’s just so many people just starting to look exactly the same,” she observed. “Every girl is getting a nose job and filters and lip [explitive]. And it’s madness. And the obsession with it.”
Alex Borstein is optimistic about the future
However, Alex Borstein expressed optimism regarding recent changes in the industry.
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“I’ve been so excited to see that the Emmys of late have been going to people of a certain age [who have] done their time,” she added. She’s proud actors in their older years are being recognized for the hard work they put in and the performances they’re able to provide.