Hollywood’s beauty ideals are often unrealistic, a sentiment echoed by comedian and actress Alex Borstein.
During the ‘Entertainment Weekly’s’ Bold School Panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Borstein, known for her role in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” highlighted an aspect of the industry that she finds troubling.
“One of my biggest irritations is the excessive fixation on youth and beauty,” remarked Borstein. “It’s just so dull.”
“So many individuals are beginning to look remarkably alike,” she added. “Every woman seems to be getting nose jobs and using filters and lip injections. It’s sheer madness, this obsession with appearances.”
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Sheryl Lee Ralph, Alex Borstein, and Kate Mulgrew participated in the Bold School Panel at San Diego Comic Con on Saturday. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
During the panel, Kate Mulgrew, who was sitting next to Borstein, inquired whether she believed changes were in progress.
“I was on-screen for five years, so it must be changing,” Borstein quipped, slightly downplaying her achievements, before sharing a more extended story about her self-reflections.
Alex Borstein portrayed the more masculine character Susie Myerson in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” (Philippe Antonello/Prime Video/Amazon Studios)
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“I always joke about the movie ‘Tootsie,’ anyone familiar?” she asked the Comic-Con audience, referencing the 1982 Dustin Hoffman film where Hoffman plays an actor who can’t find work due to his difficult reputation and becomes an actress, Dorothy Michaels, to land a role.
“I once encountered Dustin Hoffman and told him, ‘I’m such a fan. I love your work.’ I added, ‘You showed me that I can still be an unconventional-looking woman and be part of a film,'” Borstein reminisced.
In the 1982 film “Tootsie,” Dustin Hoffman plays an actor who transforms into an actress to secure a role. (Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
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“He chuckled at first but then replied, ‘Don’t you say that.’ He became quite upset, insisting, ‘Stop it. You are not ugly; you are beautiful. You are uniquely you.’
“He lost his temper a bit,” she continued, reflecting on Hoffman’s passionate response, now aged 86.
Alex Borstein recalls that Dustin Hoffman’s encouraging words inspired her to stay in the entertainment business. (Getty Images)
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“That conversation was a pivotal moment, making me think, ‘Maybe I can do this,’ and now, here I am still going strong.”
A representative for both Hoffman and Borstein did not respond immediately to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
