After three decades in the movie industry, Ellen Barkin is often recognized for two things – her big mouth and her “unconventional” looks. For evidence, just follow the outspoken star on Twitter (@EllenBarkin), where her PR team recently asked her to tone down her language, according to The Huffington Post.
At 57 years old, the movie vet is certainly not shy with her opinions. However, it has taken a while for her to gain that confidence regarding her looks as well.
When she was younger, Barkin said that the criticism of her looks bothered her. She once read that she looked like Diane Sawyer after her face had been smashed up against a windshield after a boxing match.
Barkin says that she finds the emphasis on appearance irrelevant insensitive. She says, “It hurts my feelings when any actor is either condemned or complimented for their appearance. You know what I want from a movie star? I want an interesting face that I can look at for two hours.”
She goes on to explain that when she watches an actor, she looks “for the wheels turning behind their eyes and you can have the most gorgeous face in the world and show me that.” She cites George Clooney as an actor and movie star who embodies that. “I can look at that face for 24 hours.”
Barkin is comfortable with who she is and how she looks. “Look, I know my face is an acquired taste. I’m not the girl — and never was — that everyone says, “Oh wow.” No one’s ever going to call me pretty,” she said. “There’s a part of me, for whatever reason and it doesn’t always work to my advantage, that doesn’t care what anybody thinks of me. I’ve never left a room, a meeting, a job and thought, “I wonder if they liked me.”
Ellen Barkin can next be seen in Another Happy Day, also starring Thomas Haden Church, Demi Moore and Ellen Burnstyn.
Written by Jillian Sara Santella
