{"id":2132,"date":"2025-05-28T04:10:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T03:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/?p=2132"},"modified":"2025-05-28T04:10:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T03:10:29","slug":"this-girl-hated-her-body-and-felt-ugly-at-31-shes-a-top-star-but-still-gets-mocked-for-her-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/?p=2132","title":{"rendered":"This Girl Hated Her Body and Felt \u2018Ugly\u2019 \u2013 at 31, She\u2019s a Top Star, but Still Gets Mocked for Her Teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For much of her life, the public figure \u201cfelt like a floating head,\u201d disconnected from her body due to unhappiness with her appearance. Although her self-image has improved, she is still surprised by how often people comment on her teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The celebrity has faced many struggles with body image, beginning in her early childhood. Born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, she battled intense shyness and an eating disorder since she was 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Her challenges were not limited to personal struggles. With a mother who worked at Childline and a father who sold cars while battling addiction, she faced an unstable environment at home. The actress revealed in an April 2025 interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI was almost mute, very socially anxious. I couldn\u2019t sit down and eat a meal. My mum had to leave food around the house and I\u2019d have to snack around. Now I know it was neurodivergence.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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That confusion only grew stronger as she got older. She could not understand why tasks that seemed easy for others felt so difficult for her, and why things others struggled with came naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI got diagnosed a few years ago with ADHD with autistic traits,\u201d she explained. \u201cBut then it\u2019s been advised that I should go for an autism assessment. They think that maybe it\u2019s autism that\u2019s leading the charge, and the ADHD is almost a by-product of the masking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As life at home became more difficult, new challenges appeared at school. After her parents\u2019 separation, the future star\u2019s stepfather enrolled her in a private school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The actress arriving for the annual BAFTA Breakthrough Brit Party on November 7, 2019, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There, she endured relentless bullying and deep unhappiness. \u201cI can remember the day where I made the strategic choice, in year seven, to change,\u201d she recalled in another interview. During a drama class game of freeze tag, a teacher gave her a simple nod \u2014 \u201cDo it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The celebrity attends The ELLE List event on June 19, 2019, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that moment, she realized, \u201cI\u2019m at a crossroads. I can either carry on how I am and be really miserable or I can get up and do a funny character that might make people laugh.\u201d She took a chance, and to her surprise, it worked \u2014 perhaps too well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The actress arrives for the opening night of \u201cAll About Eve\u201d on February 12, 2019, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That decision to embrace humor opened new doors, leading her toward a future in acting. After graduating from RADA, she landed her first television role as Aimee Gibbs in the hit Netflix series \u201cSex Education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Her character\u2019s storylines explored personal liberation through masturbation, surviving sexual assault, and, later, coping with its emotional aftermath in season three. She recounted in another interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI remember feeling quite vulnerable after \u2018Sex Education.\u2019 If it had been all of us getting our boobs out, then I would feel better. It felt like I was the one that had done the freakiest stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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However, the fame that followed brought new struggles. As the show\u2019s audience climbed past 50 million viewers, she grew uneasy off-screen, often dressing in quirky, frumpy clothes \u2014 if she went out at all. Struggling with body image once again, the celebrity began covering up, desexualizing herself, and denying the desire to feel confident and alluring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This discomfort carried into her professional life. While preparing for her role in the musical \u201cCabaret,\u201d rehearsals started well \u2014 acting and singing came naturally \u2014 but dancing proved harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI was so embarrassed. At drama school I was being told consistently that I was moving my body in the wrong way. So when I walked into a rehearsal, where I have to express myself through my body, I felt like I was going to burst into tears. I hate feeling awkward in my own body,\u201d she admitted, adding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s definitely tied into having had eating disorders. Your body becomes like an enemy. I was so detached from my body when I was in the eating disorders, it was like I was outside it, scrutinizing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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The uneasiness eventually kept her indoors. Leaving the house became rare, as the pressure of being recognized everywhere took a heavy toll. She once explained:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIf you\u2019ve been bullied as a kid, like I was at school, the feeling of being noticed wherever you go\u2026 it was not healthy for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Encounters with fans varied \u2014 some asked for selfies, others secretly filmed her on the tube, while many wanted to share personal stories after the second season of \u201cSex Education.\u201d Overwhelmed and caught in a constant fight-or-flight state, she chose to stay at home for what she described as \u201ca long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Though friends would visit during the evenings and the actress still managed early mornings at work, simple outings like shopping or walking down the street filled her with dread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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She often felt as if she were failing those who approached her, believing she was not giving enough. Yet, with time and therapy, the actress recognized that she was simply trying to go about her day and was not an expert, just an ordinary person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was during this period of growth that Aimee Lou Wood gave voice to a feeling that had shadowed her for much of her life. She revealed that, because of her history with eating disorders and body dysmorphia, she often \u201cfelt like a floating head\u201d\u2014 a mind full of ideas but disconnected from her body due to deep self-hatred, a feeling she gratefully no longer carries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood, who also suffered from anorexia and bulimia, now views her mental health as part of her reality, not an abstract idea, \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018no, accept the brain that you\u2019ve got and now start living for that truth.’\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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She described herself as someone living with many mental illnesses and believes there is nothing wrong with being mentally ill. A psychic\u2019s advice \u2014 that as long as she stays in reality, the world is her oyster \u2014 continues to steady her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Still, insecurities linger beneath the surface. The 31-year-old recalled working on \u201cThe White Lotus,\u201d where a producer mentioned how much Mike White had fought to cast her. Although the comment came from a kind place, she could not shake the thought:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHBO didn\u2019t want me. And I know why HBO didn\u2019t want me, it\u2019s because I\u2019m ugly. Mike had to say \u2018Please let me have the ugly girl!’\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Even as her career grew, the focus on her appearance proved harder to escape. Discussions about Wood\u2019s teeth \u2014 once celebrated as a refreshing contrast to Hollywood\u2019s obsession with perfection \u2014 soon became exhausting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Though she appreciated the message of rebellion it carried, the endless attention made her feel reduced to her looks. The English native, whose Stockport accent has also been criticized, once expressed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe whole conversation is just about my teeth, and it makes me a bit sad because I\u2019m not getting to talk about my work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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She admitted feeling disheartened, questioning why such scrutiny persisted and wondering if a man would have faced the same obsession over appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The scrutiny over her appearance reached even wider audiences. A skit on \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d recently mocked Wood\u2019s teeth, portraying her \u201cWhite Lotus\u201d character with oversized fake teeth and a clumsy British accent. Although she received apologies from the show\u2019s team and managed a smile, the skit reportedly bothered her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the public attention, Wood continues to be honest about her own insecurities. In an earlier interview, she admitted that her worries about her teeth were a barrier she created in her own mind, not something that actually cost her roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Theatre auditions had always felt easier, but television made her doubt herself, especially seeing the polished smiles on platforms like Netflix. Over time, messages from fans who shared her features helped shift her perspective. She credited Georgia May Jagger, whose success helped her see that having prominent teeth could be seen as beautiful, not awkward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As her confidence grew, Wood found herself speaking more openly about embracing her natural features. During a March 2025 appearance on \u201cThe Jonathan Ross Show,\u201d she admitted, \u201cI can\u2019t believe the impact my teeth are having.\u201d Hearing orthodontists say she did not need to change anything felt \u201clovely,\u201d a full circle moment after years of bullying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond that, Wood has also been vocal about keeping her appearance natural. She opposes Botox, explaining that while others are free to choose for themselves, her own career depends on the ability to move her face. \u201cSo, I can\u2019t start freezing my face. It needs to move,\u201d she joked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Through years of personal battles, Wood has learned to embrace every part of herself, from her body image struggles to the features that once made her feel different. Her journey shows the strength in choosing authenticity over perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Whether speaking about mental health or standing against unrealistic beauty standards, she continues to carve out a space defined by honesty. In doing so, Wood reminds others that there is beauty in simply being real.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For much of her life, the public figure \u201cfelt like a floating head,\u201d disconnected from her body due to unhappiness with her appearance. Although her […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2132"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2133,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132\/revisions\/2133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}