Claire Foy.Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty ImagesClaire Foyis over the concept of “strong female characters.“The 38-year-old actress’s new film,Women Talking— which just hit theaters — follows a group of women in an isolated religious colony as they grapple with the gender-based power imbalances and abuse they experience in their community.In anew interview withEmpire, Foy, along with some of herWomen Talkingcostars and director Sarah Polley, chatted about the film and its themes, and theBreathestar revealed her hatred for the notion of the “strong female character” in films.When asked what she thinks of the phrase, Foy responded, “I viscerally hate ‘strong female characters.’ It says what? All other female characters are weak?““You don’t separate men like that,” theFirst Manactress continued, “They’re allowed to be unlikeable, likable, strong, weak, scary, cuddly… all sorts of different things.“Polley echoed Foy, adding, “We’ve been foils for so long in movies about men. I think a ‘strong female character’ is just a fully realized human being.““It’s just sad how long we’ve gone with very few of those in movies, where we’re not a means to an end,” theWomen Talkingdirector toldEmpire. “A ‘strong female character’ can take a million forms that don’t just look like a stereotypical strong man and a female body.“Orion Pictures /Courtesy Everett CollectionFoy, who is best known for portrayingQueen Elizabeth IIin the first two seasons of Netflix’sThe Crown, has previously spoken out about sexism in Hollywood, including how filming sex scenes makes her"feel exploited.““It’s a really hard line because basically you do feel exploited when you are a woman and you are having to perform fake sex on screen,” the actress toldBBC Radio 4. “You can’t help but feel exploited,” she said. “It’s grim – it’s the grimmest thing you can do.“In the same interview, she also condemned the practice of “slut-shaming,” saying “I hate the phrase ‘slut-shaming.’ I absolutely hate it.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“But I think that women have basically been slut-shamed forever,” Foy continued. “I think Eve probably was slut-shamed.”
Claire Foy.Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Claire Foyis over the concept of “strong female characters.“The 38-year-old actress’s new film,Women Talking— which just hit theaters — follows a group of women in an isolated religious colony as they grapple with the gender-based power imbalances and abuse they experience in their community.In anew interview withEmpire, Foy, along with some of herWomen Talkingcostars and director Sarah Polley, chatted about the film and its themes, and theBreathestar revealed her hatred for the notion of the “strong female character” in films.When asked what she thinks of the phrase, Foy responded, “I viscerally hate ‘strong female characters.’ It says what? All other female characters are weak?““You don’t separate men like that,” theFirst Manactress continued, “They’re allowed to be unlikeable, likable, strong, weak, scary, cuddly… all sorts of different things.“Polley echoed Foy, adding, “We’ve been foils for so long in movies about men. I think a ‘strong female character’ is just a fully realized human being.““It’s just sad how long we’ve gone with very few of those in movies, where we’re not a means to an end,” theWomen Talkingdirector toldEmpire. “A ‘strong female character’ can take a million forms that don’t just look like a stereotypical strong man and a female body.“Orion Pictures /Courtesy Everett CollectionFoy, who is best known for portrayingQueen Elizabeth IIin the first two seasons of Netflix’sThe Crown, has previously spoken out about sexism in Hollywood, including how filming sex scenes makes her"feel exploited.““It’s a really hard line because basically you do feel exploited when you are a woman and you are having to perform fake sex on screen,” the actress toldBBC Radio 4. “You can’t help but feel exploited,” she said. “It’s grim – it’s the grimmest thing you can do.“In the same interview, she also condemned the practice of “slut-shaming,” saying “I hate the phrase ‘slut-shaming.’ I absolutely hate it.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“But I think that women have basically been slut-shamed forever,” Foy continued. “I think Eve probably was slut-shamed.”
Claire Foyis over the concept of “strong female characters.”
The 38-year-old actress’s new film,Women Talking— which just hit theaters — follows a group of women in an isolated religious colony as they grapple with the gender-based power imbalances and abuse they experience in their community.
In anew interview withEmpire, Foy, along with some of herWomen Talkingcostars and director Sarah Polley, chatted about the film and its themes, and theBreathestar revealed her hatred for the notion of the “strong female character” in films.
When asked what she thinks of the phrase, Foy responded, “I viscerally hate ‘strong female characters.’ It says what? All other female characters are weak?”
“You don’t separate men like that,” theFirst Manactress continued, “They’re allowed to be unlikeable, likable, strong, weak, scary, cuddly… all sorts of different things.”
Polley echoed Foy, adding, “We’ve been foils for so long in movies about men. I think a ‘strong female character’ is just a fully realized human being.”
“It’s just sad how long we’ve gone with very few of those in movies, where we’re not a means to an end,” theWomen Talkingdirector toldEmpire. “A ‘strong female character’ can take a million forms that don’t just look like a stereotypical strong man and a female body.”
Orion Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection
Foy, who is best known for portrayingQueen Elizabeth IIin the first two seasons of Netflix’sThe Crown, has previously spoken out about sexism in Hollywood, including how filming sex scenes makes her"feel exploited.”
“It’s a really hard line because basically you do feel exploited when you are a woman and you are having to perform fake sex on screen,” the actress toldBBC Radio 4. “You can’t help but feel exploited,” she said. “It’s grim – it’s the grimmest thing you can do.”
In the same interview, she also condemned the practice of “slut-shaming,” saying “I hate the phrase ‘slut-shaming.’ I absolutely hate it.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“But I think that women have basically been slut-shamed forever,” Foy continued. “I think Eve probably was slut-shamed.”
source: people.com
