'Euphoria' actress Barbie Ferreira is shattering stereotypes of plus size women: 'Everyone seems to think that being fat is really bad'
HBO’s hottest new series, Euphoria, is already being recognized for defying stereotypes when it comes to the narratives of its complex characters — and according to actress Barbie Ferreira, her portrayal of the show’s “fat girl” is no different.
In an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle on the BUILD series stage, the former model talked about how her character, Kat Hernandez, provides the refreshing and realistic depiction of a plus size teenage girl that audiences have been begging to see.
“I don’t think anyone wants to see a one-dimensional character that’s the fat best friend,” Ferreira explained. “This tragic girl who can’t seem to find it until she loses weight. And the best part is that Kat being fat really does influence a lot of it but her storyline isn’t centered around it.”
Instead, the narrative of the virgin turned latex-wearing cam girl is focused around her sexual awakening and her quest for validation, which has little to do with her physical appearance.
“I think we’ve just had enough of that tragic storyline,” she said. “There’s so many people out there that are obviously bigger than a size four, which is what we see most of the time, and not everyone is just moping around about it. Of course there’s times when you do, but that’s not the full story.”
Now, the 22-year-old who grew up struggling to find people who looked like her on the TV screen, feels lucky to provide an empowering depiction of who girls above above a size four really are and the confidence they can attain.
“People are like, ‘Oh, you can be an attractive person, you can dress well and you can be big on television.’ Which I don’t think that anyone allows that,” she continued. “Everyone seems to think that being fat is really bad.”
And although she can’t represent every plus size girl or change everyone’s perception of beauty standards, Ferreira is certainly learning something from her character who uttered the words, “There’s nothing more powerful than a fat girl who doesn’t give a f***.”
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Girl, 19, gets body-shamed at church: 'Fat girls don't wear shorts'
Woman ‘horrified’ by gym's body-shaming email: 'Call it what it is ...FAT'
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