Chloë Grace Moretz has solidified her place in Hollywood as a young actress on the rise. The If I Stay star managed to break into the industry at only 7 years old and has since accumulated a filmography that many could only dream of.
As flattering as being in the spotlight may seem, living under the young Hollywood microscope can open you up to unsolicited and hurtful superficial opinions. While this mixed bag of attention may come with the territory, Moretz revealed that she once received it from the least expected source: her co-star.
Featured in Variety’s 2017 ‘Power of Young Hollywood’ issue, Moretz opened up about the time an actor playing her love interest body-shamed her alongside an array of sexist experiences she’s had in the industry.
With Chloë Grace Moretz’s career continuing to thrive, it only made sense that she would land a spot in Variety’s ‘Power of Young Hollywood’ issue. However, Moretz used her interview to get vocal about the sexism she faced as a young woman working in film.
The 20-year-old actress revealed that one of her past co-stars made a hurtful comment regarding her body when she was only 15 years old. While she didn’t state the name of the actor, she did mention that he was in his early twenties at the time of production.
“This guy that was my love interest was like, ‘I’d never date you in real life,’ and I was like ‘What?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, you’re too big for me’ — as in my size,” Moretz told Variety for her cover story. “It was one of the only actors that ever made me cry on set.”
The interview has sent many fans buzzing about what past costar it could have been, but Moretz’s blind offerings have also stirred up the unsettling notion of pairing a 15-year-old girl romantically with a man in his 20s.
Chloë Grace Moretz explained that after receiving the hurtful comment, she had to go back on set and still pretend she was in love with this guy who just openly insulted her.
“You have to kind of forgive and not forget really, but it was just like wow. It was jarring,” Moretz told Variety. “I look back on it and I was 15, which is really, really dark.”
As disheartening as Moretz’s experience with this costar was, it’s not the only time she’s found herself in a sexist situation on the set. Without identifying the actor yet again, Moretz shared that one costar would make up lies about her to make himself look better to the director.
“I’ve had a younger male lead ostracize me and bring up fake issues just to try and put me in my place, and make things up to the director…things that are crazy, things I would never do, unprofessional things that would make no sense,” Moretz recalled.
Moretz explained that she believes this actor’s behaviour stemmed from an inferiority issue of her being the lead in the film. However, these setbacks haven’t deterred the up-and-coming actress from pursuing her career.
Boasting credits which include Kick-Ass, (500) Days Of Summer, and Carrie, one would imagine that Moretz would have no trouble landing roles. However, Moretz revealed that she still has to fight to get parts and prove herself due to gender-based issues that still exist in the industry.
“You’ve got to stick to your guns,” Moretz told Variety. “I always say get me in the room and make me audition and I’ll try and win it and at least I’ll know then that I did my best and I gave my all, but if you just look at me and say no, then I don’t know what to tell you.”
Despite the challenges Moretz has faced, she has an impressive roster of films currently in the works and remains optimistic about the industry’s future. “We’re making big steps, but it’s a long way,” Moretz explains. “We’re nowhere near the top. We’re just catching up. We have a long way to go.”
