**19 Actors Who Were Told To Get Cosmetic Surgery But Refused**
Hollywood is synonymous with impossible beauty standards. Even the most stunning actors you can think of have probably been told that there’s something about their appearance that needs to be “fixed.” While some performers decide to go under the knife in hopes of boosting their career prospects, plenty of others have flat-out refused.
Elizabeth Banks once said, *“The first agent I ever met in this industry told me to get a boob job. I was so grateful that I didn’t have enough money at the time to follow his advice.”*
Here are 19 actors who rejected advice to surgically change themselves for the industry:
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### 1. Sandra Oh
In 1995, Sandra Oh met with an LA agent who advised her to consider cosmetic surgery because she wasn’t “pretty enough” to be a lead actor. In 2018, Sandra told *Vulture*,
> “It was the way that she said, ‘Listen: I’m not going to lie to you. A lot of people are going to lie to you. But I’ve got nothing for you here. I have Suzy Kim’ — I’m just making up names — ‘she has an audition in like six months. There’s nothing for a year. My best advice for you is to go back home and get famous.’”
Sandra shared how hurtful the experience was, saying it cut her to the core.
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### 2. Dame Helen Mirren
Speaking on the *Hollywood Reporter’s* Drama Actress Roundtable in 2025, Dame Helen Mirren revealed,
> “I was told to have a nose job in my 20s. Someone said, ‘You’ll never get work if you don’t have a nose job.’ I said no. I didn’t want to be a pretty actress anyway. I elected to be not so pretty.”
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### 3. Priyanka Chopra Jonas
In her 2021 memoir *Unfinished*, Priyanka recalled her first meeting with a director after winning Miss World 2000. He suggested she get a boob job, fix her jaw, and add cushioning to her butt to have her “proportions fixed.” Her then-manager agreed, leaving Priyanka feeling “stunned and small.” Shortly after, she cut ties with that manager.
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### 4. Dante Basco
In a 2010 blog post, *Hook* actor Dante Basco shared,
> “One day my then-manager suggested I get a nose job. I was only 14. They wanted me to ‘fix’ my nose to look more like a white person’s nose.”
Despite the pressure, he refused and kept his natural Filipino nose, which he credits for his success in Hollywood.
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### 5. Winona Ryder
In 2025, Winona told *Elle* that female directors had been advising her to start Botox:
> “They’ll say, ‘Just relax your forehead. Relax.’ I’m trying to be a great actor, and they’re saying that over and over. There’s still enormous pressure. Every role I get is for a mother. My career has definitely shifted.”
She aspires to roles that celebrate age and experience.
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### 6. Rosie Perez
In 2023, Rosie told *Variety* about an agent who said,
> “If you dyed your hair blonde and got a nose job, I can get you more jobs because you’re not Black.”
Rosie fired the agent and found an ally in Jennifer Grey, who had also been pressured into surgery that harmed her career.
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### 7. Kirsten Dunst
While shooting *Spider-Man*, a producer arranged for Kirsten to get her teeth straightened without her knowledge. She refused:
> “I was like, ‘No, I like my teeth.’ Sofia Coppola later told me she loved my teeth. I realized I’m not going to change my face to look like everyone else. I’d rather age naturally and take good roles.”
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### 8. Elizabeth Banks
At the 2017 Women in Film Los Angeles Crystal + Lucy Awards, Elizabeth said,
> “The first agent I ever met told me to get a boob job. I was so grateful I didn’t have enough money to follow his advice. I didn’t sign with him either.”
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### 9. Claudia Doumit
Speaking at the 2024 Comic-Con, *The Boys* actor Claudia revealed,
> “I always thought when I booked my first job, I’d get a nose job. After booking several jobs, I realized I didn’t need one. I wanna see more big noses on women on screen. It’s beautiful.”
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### 10. Julia Roberts
In 2014, Julia told *You* magazine,
> “By Hollywood standards, I guess I’ve already taken a big risk by not having a facelift. I want to be an aging model and stay relevant.”
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### 11. Kate Winslet
In 2011, Kate told *The Telegraph*,
> “It goes against my morals and upbringing to have work done. I am an actress and don’t want to freeze my expressions.”
In 2024, she told *Harper’s Bazaar*,
> “I’m more comfortable with myself as I age. Opinions of others don’t affect me as much.”
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### 12. Lea Michele
In 2022, Lea shared with *Town & Country*,
> “Growing up, people told me to get nose jobs. But I loved my nose because it’s mine. Choosing not to do it helped me land roles I might have missed otherwise.”
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### 13. Halle Berry
In 2015, Halle told *Yahoo Beauty*,
> “There’s pressure to do cosmetic work. People suggest ‘lift this’ or ‘fix that.’ But aging is natural, and I want to look like myself.”
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### 14. Debra Messing
In 2017, Debra revealed to *Elle.com* that director Alfonso Arau yelled on set about needing a plastic surgeon for her nose during filming. She described it as a shocking moment that made her feel reduced to her “un-Hollywood nose.”
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### 15. Sophia Loren
In 2014, Sophia told *The Hollywood Reporter*,
> “People said my nose was too long and mouth too big. Even my husband suggested maybe I should change it, but I refused. I like my face as it is.”
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### 16. Park Seo-joon
In 2023, the K-drama star shared on *You Quiz on the Block*,
> “Casting directors told me to get plastic surgery because of my look. It was difficult, and I struggled with self-esteem, but I toughed it out.”
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### 17. Dame Maureen Lipman
In 2023, Maureen told *The Telegraph*,
> “An agent told me I needed my nose done for a film career. They even sent me to a plastic surgeon. I realized I could change my agent instead of my nose and am glad I did.”
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### 18. Dame Sheila Hancock
In 2024, Dame Sheila recalled to the *BBC*,
> “Someone told me I needed plastic surgery because my nose was ‘odd.’ I didn’t fit the beauty pattern of the ’50s.”
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### 19. Ruth Wilson
In 2023, Ruth told *The Guardian*,
> “Everyone uses Botox and fillers. Few resist. I haven’t done anything yet, but it’s a constant thought. It’s a multibillion-dollar industry perpetuating a false sense of empowerment.”
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These stories highlight the ongoing pressure actors face to conform to narrow beauty standards, and the courage it takes to stay true to themselves. Their refusals remind us that confidence and talent transcend appearances.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristenharris1/actors-who-refused-plastic-surgery
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