For three Hollywood stars, the future is in gains, losses

By SAMANTHA ETTUS
Scripps Howard News Service
11-NOV-04

This week we take note of the sacrifices three of Hollywood's most beloved faces have made for their trade. George Clooney, Charlize Theron and Renee Zellweger all have packed on pounds to more realistically portray characters on film.

How they handle the weight gain and subsequent loss will affect their personal brands and our affinity for these stars.

Renee Zellweger

Zellweger stole our hearts along with Jerry Maguire's when she starred opposite Tom Cruise in the 1995 romantic comedy. She subsequently trumped that performance with a spot-on depiction of Brit chick lit queen Bridget Jones, a role for which she gained 20 pounds and an Oscar nomination.

Once filming wrapped she promptly dropped the weight, winning the admiration of diet-obsessed America and becoming the golden girl of women's magazines everywhere. When Zellweger returned to film the sequel, "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason," she put on enough weight to jump from a size 4 to 14.

But she then took a frightening turn by dropping all that weight in a matter of weeks. The irony of this situation is that she gained the weight to accurately depict a "normal" woman in Jones _ a character who is supposed to communicate to women that it's okay to be a little plump.

Yet she failed her fans by relying on unhealthy methods to drop the weight, serving as a negative role model by sending the message that it's not acceptable to be overweight after all. We understand that in Hollywood a thin body is essential for obtaining top roles, but Zellweger is looking alarmingly thin. She rose to fame with a girl next door image and she is now looking like a sick girl next door, a hindrance to her brand. Though Zellweger makes public statements about the sad focus our society places on weight loss and body image, her actions signify she may be a victim of the very problem she speaks out about.

Renee Zellweger's Brand A$$ets

George Clooney

Clooney has gained a reported 40 pounds to play CIA agent Robert Baer for his role in "Syriana." But unlike his female counterparts, he doesn't have to contend with extreme media focus on his body. Additionally, Clooney has deflected some of the weight gain attention by announcing that he will shave his head and practice celibacy for the role. Nonetheless, after his current project he will have to return to his former svelte figure in order to maintain his leading man status.

Though the jury is still out on how Clooney will handle his weight loss regimen _ he has actually turned to Zellweger for tips on how to drop pounds _ as long as he doesn't adopt his friend's accelerated time line, he should be all right.

George Clooney's Brand A$$$ets

Charlize Theron

Theron added weight to her athletic frame to portray serial killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster." She won an Oscar for her performance, and there's no doubt that her weight-related sacrifice helped. Yet she also changed her walk and her talk, and added prosthetic teeth to complete the transformation, pushing the weight gain to a mere supporting role in her performance.

Furthermore, unlike Zellweger, Theron seemed to escape the onslaught of weight-based attention. Though Theron was required to lose the weight at a rapid six-pound per week pace for her next film, she did so quietly and never complained about the weight, allowing her fans to focus on her acting first and her body second. As for the extra weight, Theron gave new meaning to the term, "She wore it well."

Charlize Theron's Brand A$$$$ets

Remember: The most dependable road to the top is to treat your brand as your greatest asset.

(Samantha Ettus is the author of "The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do" (Random House). Contact her at Samantha(at)celebrityassets.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com)