The Flaws That Made Them Fabulous: Scars

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As human beings, we like to find our flaws. As women we have mastered flaw-finding and we are constantly expanding on what a flaw is; yesterday, it was I’m too fat or too skinny. Now, it’s all the little details in-between, like one of my ears sticks out more than the other. We take these flaws and we let them hinder us. As actors, we spend a whole scene worrying about what our hair looks like, rather then actually being invested in what is going on in the scene or with the other person acting in it. Well, I ask you to challenge yourself and embrace your differences, because that may just be the thing that gets you into the door.

I have a scar. A pretty big one at that, and in the sea of fake blondes (and real ones too) who live in LA, I’m probably one of the only ones who has a scar. I had three open heart surgeries by the time I was five, but have since had no complications with my health. There was a time in my life where I wouldn’t be caught dead in a bikini and v-necks were not my go to choice of tops, but as I grew up, I realized that people admired me for it. They often commented on what my family and I must have gone through and how brave I was. I was very young, so have little to no memory of the actually surgeries, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt amazed by what I had gone through, and maybe, just maybe I was a bit of a badass. Recently, I have been much more open about having a scar in an audition room (I’d basically have to wear a turtleneck to avoid people seeing it.) I’ve been shocked by how intrigued people are. At a recent audition I was asked by the director if my scar could some how be incorporated into the film. What!? I have since started to notice how many actors out there have scars, these are a few I found the most interesting.

Catherine Zeta-Jones has one on her neck from a life-saving tracheotomy surgery. She has been quoted saying “Makeup artists are always trying to cover it up, but I don’t want to hide it I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t have this scar.” Hell yeah, Catherine! It certainly hasn’t stopped her from having an incredible Oscar-winning career.

Miles Teller (although not female, we’ll give the boy some loving) has possibly one of my favorite stories, because his scars directly affected one of his first movie roles. He was in a terrible car accident that left his face scared. His first role was in the film Rabbit Hole which, if you have not seen the movie or read the play, is a beautifully tragic story. (spoilers) In the film, he plays a young high schooler who gets in a car accident, killing a four-year old boy. At first casting was worried that the character might be a little to close for comfort but it ultimately gave him an edge and helped land him his first role. He clearly proves himself a brilliant actor up against big stars like Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart and certainly has a long career ahead of him. “’Nicole said she voted for him because that was just so real,’ said John Cameron Mitchell, the film’s director. ‘The accident he had experienced just gave him this incredible emotional weight.’”

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” -Kahlil Gibran

Next time you walk into an audition I challenge you to leave all your worries at the door, whether it’s your crooked tooth, or dumbo ears or big scar on your chest. You never know what might set you apart from the rest.