Will Poulter hits back at people who joke about his eyebrows
Will Poulter has opened up about the online scrutiny he faces surrounding his appearance.
Poulter starred in his first film at the age of only 17, taking on the role of cousin Eustace Scrubb in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Since then, his career has continued to excel, thrusting him further and further into the spotlight.
However, with greater fame comes even more publicity and online chatter - and not all of it has simply been about Poulter's performances as an actor.
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Success comes at a cost, particularly in the world of TV and film, with Poulter telling GQ 'virtually every day' for the 'last few years' someone has taken 'a photo [of him] without asking'.
He continues: "To a large degree, male privilege has protected me from that kind of objectification and the idea that up until now really I've been able to go about my job and not have my physical appearance be something of a subject matter - that privilege hasn't been afforded to my female counterparts in the industry."
Either way, one things for sure, the constant scrutiny and picture-taking is certainly 'uncomfortable'.
But where do Poulter's eyebrows - of all things - come into it?
Poulter found it 'weird' when his physical appearance started being debated by social media users, weighing up whether he was 'attractive or unattractive'.
Thankfully, the 30-year-old is 'very comfortable and secure in the knowledge [he's] not conventionally attractive'.
However, in particular, Poulter notes he's 'always had remarks about looking unusual' linked to his eyebrows - Poulter being dubbed 'eyebrow kid' by some for how he uses them in facial expressions - or something else. "People have made a thing of that," he says.
Ultimately, while Poulter is luckily not as easily affected by such online discussion, it's important to talk about because he believes it 'speaks to a wider issue'
"Why are we discussing or spending so much time discussing people's physical appearance? Especially in the case of women. But whether you're male or female, why is that the focus so much?
"Unfortunately, social media has created this problematic idea that everyone's opinion on everything matters equally," Poulter explains.
And the comments linked to his appearance don't just stop online either.
Poulter notes how 'all context is lost' when 'things trend like that on the internet,' a 'big one' being 'overnight transformations'.
Poulter says: "The one that went viral in relation to me was a picture of me in We're The Millers next to a picture of me in Guardians. There's literally 10 years between those two pictures but people don't even realize it. Someone in the pub two days ago said, 'Oh, you've had a glow up. Congrats.' It's a little bit hard to not accept that as, 'You were ugly for the best part of your life, and now things are looking up a bit!'
"I don't know if that's just me being cynical, but it's hard to not take it as a backhanded compliment. People say it like it's positive, but it could also contribute to a complex."
Topics: TV and Film, Social Media, Twitter, Mental Health
Poppy Bilderbeck