Actress Brooke Shields, who has been making waves in the media since the trailer of her upcoming documentary Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields came out, discussed the emotional experience of watching her life play out on screen.
The docu-film chronicles Shields’ journey, delving into her experiences of being objectified as a child actor and her intricate association with her deceased mother. It also talks about Shields’ development of resilience, exploration of her own identity, and initiation of discourse on significant challenges faced by women in the entertainment industry.
“I have never seen my whole life played out, and I’m so proud of my work,” she said during an interview on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on March 31.
“I was always pretty, or famous, or infamous, or tall or eyebrows, or whatever it was, and nothing was ever really discussed about what I was working so hard for and loved more than anything,” she said in the candid late-night conversation.
The actor added: “And then to watch it all in a row and realize that I really did survive it and I fought for it. I have a healthy life–I’m so proud of that little girl–how she was able to just forge ahead and grow into a healthy person.”
In the discussion Shields reflected on her early career in Hollywood, stating, “You see this little girl, and she’s trying so hard, and she’s poised, and there’s so many heartbreaking moments in it of this 12-year-old who’s under attack, and I’m doing everything I can to protect my mother.”
Shields also discussed the negative treatment she received from journalists at a young age, explaining, “And then you start hearing [her] voice changing, and you start seeing me start to zone out. I was just sort of shutting out because journalists were so unkind and rude to me. You know, asking for my measurements, and talking to a child the way you really shouldn’t be talking to a child,”
She added: “Journalists would comment on how gorgeous she was and ask her inappropriate questions related to her virginity and sexuality when she was just 12 years old.”
Documentary director Lana Wilson has also pressed on the documentary’s message by saying: “The film and Brooke’s story, to me, is not only about Hollywood. It’s about the objectification of girls and women in general,”
She added: “Brooke is a nuclear version of what it’s like to be treated as a beautiful object, objectified by millions of people without them even being conscious of it. What the documentary asks is: what kind of psychological impact does that have on a person?”
“This is a moment I wanted to feature and unpack because, even if child Brooke was fully cognizant of the role she was playing, and even if she realized that acting was pretend, I can’t help but think: ‘This is an actual 11-year-old girl having to kiss an actual 29-year-old man,’” says Wilson. “That inescapably is real. And the impact of that is real, too. Eleven-year-old Brooke expressed discomfort during the filming of this moment, but that discomfort was not taken seriously by the director.”
Would you like to know more about the Pretty Baby documentary? Please let us know!
The two-part documentary sees the accomplished actress and passionate activist shed light on her tumultuous modeling and acting journey. Among other things, including sexual assault, she unpacks the disturbing incident involving a family acquaintance who attempted to publish nude pictures of her that were taken when she was only ten years old. Despite her objections, the court granted him permission to release them, causing immense emotional distress. Furthermore, she explains how the pressure to conform to Hollywood’s beauty standards led her to appear in several nude scenes, which made her feel vulnerable and objectified.
Brooke Shields started her career as a child model and gained fame at the age of 12 with her role in the movie Pretty Baby, where she played a young prostitute. She then became part of a controversial advertising campaign for Calvin Klein Jeans and appeared in two romantic movie dramas, Blue Lagoon and Endless Love. Shields later took a break to pursue higher education at Princeton University but returned to the entertainment industry in the 1990s.
After her hiatus, Shields took on various roles on TV and Broadway, including starring in Suddenly Susan and The L Word. Her talent and versatility were once again praised by the audience and critics alike. Shields proved to be a formidable force in the entertainment industry and continue to be an inspiration for aspiring actors and actresses around the world.
Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields is set to premiere on Monday, April 3, exclusively on Hulu. Here’s a guide to watching the documentary on Hulu outside USA.
