‘90s Star Says Cult Classic Cast Her as ‘the Fat Girl’ at a Size 6
Busy Philipps said fans were shocked to discover her true size.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Actress Busy Philipps revealed she was considerably smaller than most people would expect when she was “cast as the fat girl” in the 2004 comedy White Chicks.
The 46-year-old criticized early-2000s beauty standards in a recent Instagram post, calling the decade a “f----ed up” period.
“Anytime people like would see me in public, post-White Chicks, and they’d be like, ‘Oh damn, you’re not—what happened to you? You’re so skinny now,’ and it’s like, ‘Yeah, no s--t,’” she added.
Busy Philipps, Jennifer Carpenter, and Jessica Cauffiel in White Chicks (2004).
White Chicks/Sony Pictures
Philipps noted that she was between sizes 6 and 8 when cast in the film, which is now considered a cult classic. This is approximately one to two dress sizes above the typical “sample size” for models.
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The actress says she was prompted to reflect on her own experiences in the industry after watching the Netflix documentary Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model and said watching how women were treated on the controversial show, which premiered in 2003, was “really f----ing upsetting.”
Philipps’s career is forever tied to the 1990s and 2000s: the actress came to fame through her roles on the short-lived series Freaks & Geeks, which premiered in 1999, and the early-oughts teen drama Dawson’s Creek.
Busy Philipps stands in a red dress behind Marlon and Shawn Wayans in "White Chicks."
White Chicks/Sony Pictures
She has previously been very vocal about the burdensome standards placed on women, addressing the issue on various podcast appearances and in her 2018 memoir.
Busy Philipps attends the premiere of "Mean Girls" in New York City on January 8, 2024.
EDUARDO MUNOZ/REUTERS
“At the time, I didn’t find it problematic because it was just, like, the way things were, and I was, like, in the entertainment industry as a young woman and was like, well, that’s just the way things are,” Philipps said.
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