Kate Beckinsale reveals she was asked to lose weight for Pearl Harbor movie role

Kate Beckinsale recalled being asked to lose weight for her role in 2001 film Pearl Harbour by director Michael Bay in a new interview with Women’s Health. 

Despite ‘not feeling good’ about shedding the pounds for her portrayal as Nurse Lt. Evelyn Johnson, the actress, 46, admitted she was relieved she could ‘hang on to my teeth’ after her co-star Ben Affleck, 47, was required to get a new set of gnashers. 

The screen star also discussed her experience with body image while working in the industry as she claimed ‘women are body-shamed 100 million percent more than men’ on most occasions.

‘ It wasn’t great, I didn’t feel good’: Kate Beckinsale recalled being asked to lose weight for her role in 2001 film Pearl Harbour in a new interview with Women’s Health

The film, which documented the Japanese Navy’s military strike against the US in 1941, marked the thespian’s first major role on the big screen. 

Kate served as the mutual love interest between Ben’s character, pilot Rafe McCawley, and fellow captain Danny Walker, played by Josh Hartnett.   

The media personality confessed she ‘didn’t feel good’ when she was forced to kick start a workout routine by the director, but weighed up the advantage of not having to undergo dental surgery like actor Ben.

In the candid discussion, she said: ‘It wasn’t great… and in general, I think women are body-shamed 100 million percent more than men. But on this particular project, I wasn’t.’

Pros vs cons: The actress, 46, was relieved she could ‘hang on to my teeth’ after co-star Ben Affleck, 47, was required to get a new set of gnashers, despite having to shed the pounds (pictured in the film)

Candid: The screen star also discussed her experience with body image while working in the industry as she claimed ‘women are body-shamed 100 million percent more than men’

Love triangle: The thespian served as the mutual love interest between Ben’s character, pilot Rafe McCawley, and fellow captain Danny Walker, played by Josh Hartnett (pictured)

‘After Ben, who’d already done a movie with the director, was like, “This happened to me. They made me get new teeth.” And I was like “Cool, at least I get to hang on to my teeth.”‘ 

Pearl Habour was only her second part in a Hollywood film – after 1999’s Brokedown Palace, which saw her and Claire Danes co-star as teenagers jailed in Thailand on drug-smuggling charges.

Since then she has appeared in more than twenty projects, including Underworld, Laurel Canyon and Everybody’s Fine. 

Veneers: Kate confessed she ‘didn’t feel good’ when she was forced to kick start a workout routine, but didn’t have to have dental surgery like Ben (pictured left 1997, right in October)

Elsewhere in the interview, the media personality revealed she believes sticking to her six-days-a-week exercise schedule is as paramount as maintaining a healthy mental state.

She explained: ‘Now exercise is almost more important to me moodwise. The other aspects feel like a great side effect.’ 

‘I’m very connected to my body, so if I’m going to experience stress, I’m probably going to experience it physically.’  

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