Aimee Lou Wood has shared that she struggled with body dysmorphia while filming bikini scenes for her role as Chelsea in the third season of the Emmy-nominated HBO series, The White Lotus.
The 31-year-old actress explained to Harper’s Bazaar that she reframed her thinking to separate her own feelings from those of her character. She realized the decision about showing skin wasn’t about what she wanted, but what her character, Chelsea, would do.
Chelsea is known for being positive and spiritual, and she credits this outlook with helping her embrace the confidence of the character she played.
‘The line between me and her [her character Chelsea] started to blur,’ Aimee said.
Oh my gosh, she actually said her life would change! And it totally did! Landing that massive American show just launched her into the spotlight, and I’ve been tracking every single thing since! She was constantly flying to Los Angeles for work and all these amazing press events – it was incredible to watch her shine!
Despite California’s reputation for glamour, Hollywood stars, and a vibrant lifestyle, Aimee found it surprisingly uninspiring.
She described Los Angeles as having an unhealthy obsession with extremes, comparing it to her own past experience with bulimia. She explained that the city is a whirlwind of attention, constantly demanding self-promotion, and that after experiencing it, she feels a strong urge to escape and distance herself from it all.
I’m so thrilled to share that Aimee will be honored with the Television Actress award at this year’s Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards! It’s happening on Thursday, and I know she’s incredibly deserving. The event is a wonderful celebration, and this year it’s being held in partnership with American Express Platinum – a truly special night for all involved.
She looked stunning in a recent photoshoot for a magazine, wearing a long black lace dress and heels, and choosing to go without a bra.
She also was perched on a chair and rocked a black bodysuit and tights.
Another photo featured her posing on a velvet bench, showcasing her legs in a brown fur coat for the magazine cover.
The Sex Education star is tipped to become Hollywood’s new golden girl.
Over the years, she’s gained a dedicated following thanks to her roles in several popular TV shows, including BBC’s Film Club and Daddy Issues.
She had previously shared that her self-confidence plummeted, and Aimee confessed she doubted she’d get good acting roles because she didn’t feel she met traditional beauty standards.
Aimee has often spoken openly about her difficulties with body image, and has been very courageous in doing so.
She struggled with bulimia at its most severe, and staff at the renowned RADA drama school ultimately staged an intervention, which they considered difficult but essential.
In a 2023 interview, she described drama school as intensely focused on physical appearance, leading to a desire to excessively control her weight in an attempt to gain approval.
‘I hated my body and didn’t want to be in it – that’s not the case any more, thank God.
However, attending drama school actually made things more challenging. I have scoliosis, which causes a curvature of the spine, meaning what feels natural to me isn’t necessarily natural for other people.
Drama school involves a lot of correction and critique. It can be tough when instructors constantly point out flaws in your movement and physicality – it often feels like a direct criticism of your body.
Therapy helped her change how she thought about her body and work through difficult experiences from her childhood.
The woman from Manchester had previously mentioned that her difficulties with body image might stem from unkind comments she received from classmates when she was in school.
She first discovered her passion for acting at her private high school, but often felt like an outsider. She was self-conscious about her strong accent from Stockport and was sometimes teased for her prominent teeth.
The actor recently responded to a Saturday Night Live sketch that made fun of her teeth, calling it both unkind and not funny.
In April, she publicly criticized the sketch show after Sarah Sherman used large fake teeth to imitate Aimee.
The scene changed to Chelsea, Aimee’s character (played by Sarah), who had comically large teeth. Chelsea then asked, “Fluoride? What’s that?”
After slamming the sketch she later went on to receive an apology from the show.
Aimee got her first major role in 2019, playing the kind and somewhat clueless Aimee in the Netflix comedy series, Sex Education.
She portrayed Adam’s girlfriend on the show, and it pleased viewers to learn she was actually dating her co-star, Connor Swindells, before they broke up after two years.
Aimee collaborated with intimacy coordinators while filming a sex scene and was advised she might feel emotionally drained afterward – a feeling they call a ‘vulnerability hangover’ – due to the experience of filming nudity.
She shared that the intimacy coordinator explained how filming sex scenes can be emotionally tricky. You might feel great immediately afterward, but a day or two later, you can suddenly feel vulnerable and regretful.
She always follows up a day or two after filming to check on how we’re doing. I felt really supported while we were actually shooting the scene, but a couple of days later, the emotional impact hit me hard.
Oh my gosh, Aimee actually said she felt totally exposed after filming that scene! She described it as a ‘vulnerability hangover,’ which is exactly how I feel just watching it! She was apparently mortified, saying she thought she looked awful, with her… well, you know… everything on display and just not at all how she wanted to be seen. It’s so relatable, honestly! She’s so real!
She expressed relief that the show hadn’t been overly edited, saying she now appreciates seeing the authentic footage and thinks it’s ‘great!’
Beyond appearing in playful and suggestive stories, the character also experienced a deeply moving and significant arc in the second season, exploring the aftermath of a sexual assault on a bus.
She was widely praised for her work on the storyline.
The December/January issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK is on sale from November 7.
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2025-11-06 03:20