The film adaptation of Freida McFadden's bestselling thriller, "The Housemaid," hasn't even been released yet, and the casting is already causing controversy. Amanda Seyfried, chosen to play Nina Winchester alongside actress Sydney Sweeney, is being criticized by some viewers who feel her physique doesn't match the character described in the novel. On TikTok and in online comments, one phrase keeps recurring about the actress: "She's not fat enough."
Who is Nina Winchester in the book?
In the novel "The Housekeeper," Nina Winchester is portrayed as a wealthy, elegant woman whose body evolves throughout the story, notably through weight gain linked to the psychological context and violence she endures. Many readers emphasize that her appearance is an integral part of the narrative and the power dynamic with her husband. For some fans, this physical dimension is not a mere detail, but a key element in how the character exists and perceives herself within the novel.
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Amanda Seyfried facing reader expectations
When the film's cast was announced, with Amanda Seyfried in the role of Nina, many internet users expressed surprise, even disappointment. On social media, readers—including French content creators on TikTok—felt that the actress, thin and very much in line with Hollywood standards, didn't reflect the Nina they had imagined, going so far as to say she "wasn't fat enough" for the role. Some posts pointed out that Amanda Seyfried's physique is very similar to Sydney Sweeney's, which, according to them, erases an important contrast between the characters in the book.
@auriane_jt I'm disappointed because I love the actress , but they should have stuck to the character's physical appearance… #thehousemaid #sydneysweeney #amandaseyfried ♬ GIVE TO ME - 𖣂
A controversy that goes beyond the case of a single film
This controversy is part of a broader debate about the representation of bodies in film. Readers point out that this isn't the first time a character described as overweight or fat in a novel has been portrayed on screen by a thin actress, citing other adaptations as examples of this recurring phenomenon. For many, this illustrates a structural problem: Hollywood accepts the idea of "curvy" characters on the page, but hesitates to cast actresses who actually deviate from the norms of thinness in these roles.
Fidelity to the text or artistic freedom?
Faced with these criticisms, another segment of the public defends the casting choices, pointing out that film is an adaptation, not a carbon copy of the book. Some argue that Amanda Seyfried's performance, her ability to convey Nina's psychological complexity, can take precedence over an exact faithfulness to the novel's physical description. Others hope that the direction, costumes, or even a slight physical transformation will allow the film to translate Nina's relationship with her body onto the screen without necessarily adhering to every detail of the text.
The phrase "She's not fat enough" ultimately sums up the tension at the heart of this controversy: what's at stake isn't just Amanda Seyfried's body, but how the industry chooses which bodies are deemed "acceptable" on screen. Caught between a desire for fidelity to the book, artistic freedom, and a growing demand for body diversity in film, the debate surrounding "The Housemaid" shows that audiences are no longer content to accept casting choices without question. It remains to be seen whether the film will win them over...
