Credit: Marvel Studios A Marvel star recently spoke out on her experience working for the studio and how her performance impacted her mental health.
With over 30 movies and series spawning after the premiere of Iron Man in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has featured some of the most extraordinary talents of the last decades, including stars like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner — who recently made a public appearance after a severe accident —, Mark Ruffalo, Tatiana Maslany, Jameela Jamil, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Hiddleston, Iman Vellani, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, and more. Many actors have commented that their roles in the MCU have changed their lives and are trying to use their platforms to promote fundraisers and health campaigns and raise awareness about delicate but urgent topics.
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And perhaps one of the most outspoken actresses to have played a role in the MCU is Jameela Jamil, who portrayed the villain Titania on the Disney Plus original series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Jamil takes every chance she gets to speak about abortion rights and body positivity when invited to different talk shows, being an outspoken mental health and eating disorder advocate.
During a recent interview on the TODAY Show, Jameela shared how her role in the Marvel Studios changed her mental health and how she felt about exercise and her body. The Marvel star commented how the weight loss and diet industries often exclude minorities like people of color, people with disabilities, pregnant people, and people who live in bigger bodies, among others. “Every time we see someone in a bigger body wearing exercise clothes, there’s outrage, global outrage.”
Jamil continued by saying that mental health is the biggest benefit of exercise rather than fitness and weight loss. “You don’t have to wait six months for it to show. It’s immediate. You have endorphins, and just, dopamine, and all kinds of happy chemicals. Stress relief, you sleep better, you feel better, you feel more in control of your life.”
“And I say this because I had an eating disorder for 20 years, and so I looked at exercise as something I used to do just to punish myself for eating,” said Jameela, adding, “And when I did Marvel, because they wanted me to gain weight, they made me exercise every single day, and I used my body in this new way that wasn’t about becoming thinner and starving myself. And it changed my mental health.” You can watch Jameela Jamil’s interview on the TODAY Show (@todayshow) below:
@jameelajamil reveals how one role changed the way she looks at #Exercise and how movement changed her #MentalHealth. #JameelaJamil #TheGoodPlace #SheHulk #TODAYShow #3rdHourTODAY
@todayshow @jameelajamil reveals how one role changed the way she looks at #Exercise and how movement changed her MentalHealth. #JameelaJamil #TheGoodPlace #SheHulk #TODAYShow #3rdHourTODAY
Despite divisive reactions to the show, Jameela Jamil had the time of her life bringing Titania to life, as the star frequently posted photos and videos of her in character in her everyday life, blurring the line that divided Jameela and Titania. In addition, Jameela shared her joy after pitching the idea and being allowed to “vandalize” posters for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to promote the Disney Plus series. “They are the most fun creative team EVER. And their marketing has been INSANE for this show. I love @marvelstudios team @shehulkofficial 4 EVA,” posted the actress.
Did you enjoy She-Hulk: Attorney at Law on Disney Plus? Let Inside the Magic know what you think about the Marvel series in the comments below!