Why do British film, TV, and theater productions cast more average or even ugly people than Americans do?

Posted by LegitimateFoot3666@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 27 comments

Is it that Britons are more realistic in their visual tastes or simply prefer competence over appearances with all else equal?

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beseeingyou18@reddit

Both.

Actors in the UK tend to work in theatre before they do films, whereas in America they go into films first. In theatre productions, there often isn't a leading man/woman in quite the same way as a film.

You don't need to look like you're in a boy band to play the Duke of Milan in The Tempest, for example.

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TwistMeTwice@reddit

I'm intrigued by that idea, though.

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beseeingyou18@reddit

O brave new world that has such boybands in't!

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InternationalRide5@reddit

More widows in them of this business' making, than we bring men to comfort them.

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AgingLolita@reddit

Because it's realistic. We are quite scornful of American programs with their 32 year old highschoolers with fake tits and diamond white teeth. It's silly.

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Slight-Brush@reddit

The Derry Girls and the Inbetweeners could beat the cast of any US high school drama into next week. Hell, even the Heartstopper kids could probably manage it.

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Agitated_Ad_361@reddit

Because life would be shit without Timothy Spall in films and dramas

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SquareYogurtcloset88@reddit

And David Bradley 😂

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SquareYogurtcloset88@reddit

I think our actors/actresses are very natural looking. Perhaps that's all the difference is?

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LegitimateFoot3666@reddit (OP)

Intriguing

I thought that British and Americans generally share the same beauty standards albeit Yanks place more emphasis on "I grew up in a tiny rural poor village with literally no sugar to eat" straight white teeth.

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SquareYogurtcloset88@reddit

I suppose in some ways, we do share the same beauty standards. But in others, we don't. Hence a British actor/actresses tendency to not get their teeth done, it isn't that dentists aren't a thing over here, but I suppose we just don't put as much emphasis on teeth? 🤔 I'm not actually sure.

I think the British actors also let themselves age naturally 🤷‍♀️ face lifts, Botox and plastic surgery isn't such a big thing over here 🤔

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LegitimateFoot3666@reddit (OP)

Valid point.

In America people hate what they see in the mirror. Older people often wanna look like leather handbags stretched over Classical Greek statues. Younger people get that one ghoulish surgery to remove all their cheek fat or inject necrotic adipose tissue into their asses to get bigger butts.

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SquareYogurtcloset88@reddit

Yeah see that's always weirded me out 🙃 I think over here the term "you have to love yourself as you are" is told to a lot of people. While yes, you CAN change things about yourself on the outside, it isn't necessarily going to change how you feel on the inside 🤷‍♀️

Or at least that's what my family taught me 🥰

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kh250b1@reddit

After a year of wearing braces

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wtf_amirite@reddit

America is obsessed with looks - a veneer of quality is enough.

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nonsequitur__@reddit

Realism/relatability maybe. More focus on talent.

I think what we find attractive is somewhat different to American audiences. A lot of American shows have casts that are kind of bland looking. I don’t think of American shows having especially attractive people so much as generically good looking people. Technically good looking but not especially attractive, I guess. I think we value the attractiveness of personality, humour, charisma etc at least as highly as looks.

I think it has changed over time too - the cast of friends aren’t especially good looking for example.

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Lyrael9@reddit

They cast based on their ability to act. American media is more interested in the way they look. And because of that a lot of mediocre or ugly people in the UK become successful actors whereas in America they get weeded out. That's also why British actors are generally better than American. And partly why average British TV is better than average American TV.