Abstract

Typecasting of actors in film and television based on physical appearance is common as it facilitates the narrowing of an immense talent pool (Zuckerman et al., 2003). Despite its apparent advantages, however, this categorization process has been criticized for participating in the reproduction of heteronormative standards (Dean, 2008). Research on fatness and masculinity in film is scant and tends to focus on issues of representation (Fouts & Vaughan, 2002). Very little research examines the lived experiences of those men whose work is to perform fatness onscreen. Because of the demands of their work, men in the performing arts are uniquely positioned to offer insight into how the fat male body is constructed in light of contemporary shifting ideals of the male body in popular culture (Morrison & Halton, 2009). In many cases, these men are called upon to embody fat masculinities that have the capacity to both subvert and reinforce hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 2005; Buchbinder, 2008; Benson-Allott, 2012). In light of the reductive nature of acting roles for fat men (Gilman, 2004), this research examines how fat male actors negotiate their personal and professional identities and, in doing so, disrupt or conform to heteronormative constructions of the body in popular culture. This thesis draws on findings from a video research project in which fat male film and television actors were tasked with co-creating their own narratives by discussing their experiences as professional actors vis à vis participant-produced video diaries.