Kirstie Alley: Industry Called Me Fat at 114 Pounds

By Amber James Posted Mar 19th 2010 10:00AM

The world has seen Kirstie Alley's weight yo-yo since 2005, when her weight had increased to over 200 pounds. She poked fun about herself on 'Fat Actress' and then lost 75 pounds after becoming a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig. But then her weight crept back up, and she set out to lose the weight... again. This time, she's documenting her journey in A&E's 'Kirstie Alley's Big Life,' which debuts March 21 at 10 PM. As the feisty actress battles the bulge, she reveals the industry has always been obsessed with her weight -- even when she weighed 114 pounds.

"When I went in to meet with Adrian Lyne [for an audition for 'Fatal Attraction'], I weighed about 125. He told me to go home, lose at least ten pounds and he wanted to see me in two weeks. I got down to 114" and didn't even get offered the role, Alley recalled Wednesday after a private screening of her new show. "The industry is psychotic."

On Hollywood's weight obsession: "I don't know if it is as bad on TV now, but all along the way, I know of actresses being called in ... and you're too fat when you're under 140 pounds. I see young actresses now, and they're emaciated. We know what happens. They do drugs to make themselves stay in this emaciated little girl state, and we've seen some of them lose their lives. That's a horrible thing.

Whether or not she'll pose in a bikini again: "After I did the bikini thing, it became sort of fashionable. I do need to think of a new gimmick. I can't do nude. I really don't want to go there, but if I could, I probably would."

Why she won't ever be on 'Dancing With The Stars': "I love watching 'Dancing With The Stars.' I'm really competitive and to be honest, I don't know if I could win it. I wouldn't go on unless I could. All I need is one Apolo Ohno pirouetting to just knock me out of the game. If the panel said, 'It wasn't really good,' I would be like, 'F*** you.' I couldn't stand there and be polite."

On her obsession with Twitter: "One of the episodes we do a Twittervention... [Twitter] became a bit of an addiction. I like talking to people. I know most celebrities just post 'Driving in my car in Malibu with the top down.' I really get into conversations. They point out to me, in the Twittervention, that Ashton Kutcher has 4 million people and only 5,000 tweets. And I have 600,300 people and I'd done 14,000 tweets. [Laughs]"

On her love life: "This is the only time in my life where I've had my own life to make my own decisions. I've had probably the best years of my life. That sounds a little selfish, but I have my kids all to myself... I didn't have some guy telling me, 'Oh you should do this..' I got to go where I wanted when I wanted. I didn't have to be accountable to any guy. It has been refreshing."

"Somebody will say, 'Kirstie, you need to hook it up with some dude.' But unless I meet some guy who is incredibly fantastic and going to add something major in combination with me, I'm like, 'What's the point?'"

On her friendship with John Travolta and Kelly Preston: "John and Kelly are my best friends in the entire world... They have supported me in every endeavor I've ever done and vice versa. As friends you sit there and go, 'Here's this great idea, what do you think?' John always says the same thing, 'Oh my god! That's a great idea! That's the best idea in the world!' [Laughs]... He's my sounding board."

Above: Kirstie Alley takes a look at the necklace John Travolta and Kelly Preston gave her as a birthday gift. Her surprise birthday party is documented in the third episode of 'Kirstie Alley's Big Life.'

Want More? Kirstie Alley Rips 'Today Show'

Tags: dancing with the stars, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, kirstie alleys big life

Comments

(71)

Friday 19 March

By Bait

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I agree, she is using her weight problem as a way to stay in the public eye. However, in Hollywood that is probably the only way a fat, white woman can get a job. I really think she is obnoxious but the truth is Hollywood casts fat white women aside. I think it is so unfair that on T.V. and in the movies black actresses can be any weight and movie moguls just accept it but black actresses are not held up to the same weight standards. Hey Hollywood, drop the double-standard

By Stone

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BAIT, black actresses don't have the same opportunities as white actresses. The roles aren't there. You act like movie moguls are just throwing black actresses parts while casting white actresses aside. The opposite is true. The roles that larger black actresses have gotten is because of black movie makers, not the ones handed out by the good old boy network.

By penny

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Kristi, I am your clone only older... I I had ever heard you have such a pretty face again I would smack them.. I ended up having gastic bypass 28 years ago. In the last year I've gained almost all my weight back. I hate myself and my joke motto is.. if I was given one year to live, I'd eat myself to death in six.. I love food love to cook and enjoy life.. but damm I'd rather wear a size 10 than an 18.. you know how I feel and I feel for you being in the spotlight..

By Teri

Did You Know that Marilyn Monroe was a size 18?

By Diana

Kirstie is beautiful at any weight. Yes, she has gained weight, as we all do as we age. Its really no ones business but her own. Its a shame that in holly wood they go by looks instead of experience. And all of this does make an inpact on young girls. Some of them will grow up thinking that being thin, is the most important thing in life. There are alot more important things in life than looks.

By elmir

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

114 lbs of all fat is fat, the industry was didnt mean to hurt your feelings they were just being real.

I don't get it. I remember Kirstie when she was young. Even then I never thought she was beautiful. I'm sorry but I think she is rather strange looking. However, looks are only the outside of a person. We should get to know the true person. However, from what I have seen of Kirstie she's not so hot on the inside either.

By JEN

I have always been a Kirsty Alley fan. I thinks she's funny, confident and I would love to hang with her for an afternoon.
KIRSTY: you are a great actress no matter what your weight. I wish people would stop all the B.S. meaness.

By albuquirky

Kirstie, you were cute thin, but I love your luscious body even more when heavy. I want to get lost in your full plump breasts. The only reason to lose the weight is for your health.

By SaMM

I really like Kirstie Alley, and I wish her the best of luck in life, as well as with her show (I'll be watching). I can't believe the haters here! I've had some small experience with the "lose more weight" aspect of the entertainment business. Tall, with a 23 inch waist, everything else in proportion, and I was told to drop 10 lbs! Yet the longer most men are in a successful show, the more their weight increases, and they get no negative feedback.

Kirstie Alley is talented, open, honest, flamboyant and funny. Why in the world shouldn't she take the one thing which is preventing her from getting good roles and make it work for her?

By Nancy

If your friends always say " ... the same thing, 'Oh my god! That's a great idea! That's the best idea in the world!", believe me -- they're not your friends. They're your enablers. Your TRUE friends will speak up and say so when your idea stinks.

Sunday 21 March

By GG

It is horrible how the media seems to feel they have the right critique and condemn female celebrities. They should be ashamed of their ghastly denunciations. How cruel. Yet, they seem to leave the male celebrities alone regarding their weight increase. There are many heavy male actors; Alec Baldwin is incredibly huge, John Travolta carries a lot of extra weight; Denzel Washington just recently lost a lot of weight, etc. etc. But does the media mistreatment and condemn the male actors? No! It is never acceptable to mistreat and condemn others. No one has the right to be so judgmental and critical of others. I wish the people who seem to think they do have a right, would take a look in the mirror and at their own families. Obviously no one is perfect. When you condemn others, you condemn your family too!

By jcbrod1

Its not her weight that is the biggest issue..its her personality..too much anger and obnoxiousness(is that a word?). you can beautiful and thin, but walk around bitter, hateful and sarcastic and you will be just as alone.

By bazook

Amen.

By jeanne

I have always been "BIG".But have at last found the solution,and have lost 110 pounds. Feel great!!!Done on my own. Its a whole new life.People are so cruel to overweight people.

By MEL RASMUSSON

DONT JUDGE ME TIL U WALK IN MY SIZE 52 PANTS

By don

Between weight, law suits, infidelity, durgs, scandels, reality shows, and deaths, what is happening to LA, LA, LAND?????donllivi

Saturday 20 March

By D

Okay, lets just say it this way: If she is too fat for you (or anyone else), just send her over here. I'll buy her all the doughnuts she wants and will STILL HOLD HANDS WITH HER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MALL!

'nuff said!

Ahem.....

By elorac

I'm getting a little sick of Kirstie.....people are obviously not really interested in her and her fat issues. Every show she's had has bombed. It's not because of her fat; it's because of her lousy personality. She is totally self-absorbed. One can only imagine how she stuffs herself with food to end up a bloated mess. She was once quite attractive.

By basketpam

While I am not a fat person, nor have ever been I still VERY badly for people who suffer weight problems. Especially those who have dealt with it their entire lives. I have two very close near and dear family members that were ALWAYS struggling with their weight and it just broke my heart to see at times what they went through. In fact, an aunt I was very close to always worried about her weight. Now she was never massively obese but what people would call chunky. She was about 5'9" and probably weighed about 180. She lived through 1930s until the 1990s and during those years thin was in. Just to show you how badly this can mess up someone mentally that when she became terminally ill with lung cancer and her weight dropped to about 70 or 80 pounds, she thought she looked good. She basically looked like a walking skeleton. But in her mind, for the first time in her life she wasn't "fat" and she thought she looked good. I literally at times had to leave and cry when I thought how horrible it is that our society can mess up a person this badly. This is why I say, raise your hand out there if you'd like to go smack up side the head those Hollywood "experts" that go around telling these women that they are too fat. It's not the other actors and actresses, it's the producers, the directors, the studio execs. The show-called big shots. And you know what, the overwhelming majority of them are usually men. Now they can go around with pot bellies, frumpy, bald, anything else they want. But yet, they have the gall to put down a woman who weighs 114 pounds. I could smack the crap out of someone who acts like that. It's we, the public, who need to start demanding that things change. If these so-called experts start to feel the pinch in the wallet, then they'll change their tune about how they treat the women. So the next time you hear someone has been told their too fat by a Hollywood producer, start boycotting his movies and then we'll see if he keeps up this crappy behavior. I for one am up for it. I can live without a certain movie in my life. The earth won't stop revolving in its orbit and neither will you.

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