Jameela Jamil was told she was "too old, fat and ethnic" for Hollywood.
The ‘Good Place’ star has opened up about the setbacks she has faced in her career, admitting she is fed up of people who "project their fears" on her.
Speaking during the Create & Cultivate Desert Pop Up at the 2019 Coachella Music Festival, she said: "I was told I was too old, too fat, and too ethnic for Hollywood, but I’m here today. Don’t listen to people who project their fears on you. If you’re going to be an activist or feminist, you have to be willing to take an L and know that we don’t know everything. We have to be willing to shut up, listen, and learn, and not be too proud about it."
Jameela previously insisted she won’t stop speaking out against inequality in Hollywood in fear of losing work.
She said: "The funniest thing is when people are like, ‘You’re just saying all this stuff to further your career.’ Are you in insane? I’m biting all the hands that could possibly feed me. But I won’t go away. I’m sure that this has cost me. I would earn much more if I didn’t keep slagging off industries that pay a lot of money. But I can’t live with hypocrisy. I want to work with brands that are on women’s sides."
Jameela left her job as a successful Channel 4 TV presenter in the hopes of making it big as an actress in Los Angeles, but admitted previously people from the UK tried to discourage her from pursuing her dream.
She explained: "I was literally starting again and I was actively discouraged by everyone in England. Everyone said I was being mad, throwing away an eight-year career, and that I was too old – I was only 29 – too ethnic, and too fat to come over to Los Angeles."
Jameela Jamil was told she was too ‘fat, old and ethnic’ for Hollywood
