Jesse Metcalfe, who is best known for appearing on the Desperate Housewives, has admitted that he struggled with his body image on the show.
Actor Jesse Metcalfe Admits That ‘Being A Sex Symbol’ Was Hard To Deal With
The primary reason why Jesse had suffered was due to the fact that he had to play John Rowland, who was known for being the good-looking gardener on the show.
And as part of his scenes, a significant proportion of his time on screen meant that he had to be shirtless. With that in mind, there was an expectation on him to ensure that his body was in good shape throughout the year.
But away from the movie screens, it is hard to maintain that when you have the daily struggles of life to contend with. In an interview with i-D, he said: “Being a sex symbol is very much about the roles that you play and my roles put me up on a pedestal.
“Having your shirt off in every episode of Housewives brought a lot of pressure.” It is no surprise then that the role started to impact his mental health.
There was a huge expectation on him to look a certain way, which only went on to cause him anxiety with his body. This meant that his acting credentials were ultimately not praised as they would otherwise have been with a bigger focus on his looks.
While that does have some favourable benefits, it is ultimately secondary to the fact that acting talent is the most important thing. He added: “I was definitely caged by it.
“The industry tends to think if you look a certain way that’s all you have to offer. The best thing I could’ve done at that time was be patient, which I was not.”
Jesse’s story has shown the dangers of being expected to conform to high standards within the acting industry. But in light of everything that he went through, he is now in a much better place to deal with such things should he have to cross them in his path.
And that is something positive which he has managed to take from a negative experience. Let us know what you think in the comment section down below. Remember to stay up to date with the latest news on TheOvertimer. Don’t forget to visit ScreenJuicer for great videos, news, and gameplay!
