You don't go after Chelsea this way.
Though real ones know about her phenomenal work on Sex Education, Aimee Lou Wood recently shot to mainstream stardom after playing Chelsea, everyone’s favorite tragically romantic, flag-waving Aries, on The White Lotus.
Of course, as her star was rising, the actress made just as many headlines for her unique teeth as for her acting work. And while it’s been mostly in praise of her unconventional look, Wood has been grateful for the “full circle moment” after being bullied for her teeth. She has also understandably begun to speak out about why she wishes it wasn’t always the topic of conversation.
“It’s still the thing that’s defining me…It’s, like, cool, and now I want to stop f***ing talking about it. Can I talk about my character? Why am I talking about my gnashers? It’s like now I’m just a pair of front teeth,” she told The Sunday Times.
That being said, it’s no wonder she had some words for Saturday Night Live's White Lotus–themed skit from earlier this year, which made an unsavory jab at Wood’s expense. In the skit, titled "White Potus," SNL parodies one of the season’s main storylines by showing President Donald Trump attempt to unwind at an exotic vacation resort while harboring secret anxiety about the financial blowback of his tariff policies, in the same way Jason Isaacs’s character experiences turmoil in The White Lotus.
Arguably, the jabs at political figures (Jon Hamm playing a chaotic RFK Jr., Chloe Fineman donning Parker Posey’s North Carolina accent for Melania Trump) were all harmless fair game, but then we have Sarah Sherman sporting exaggerated prosthetic teeth to play Chelsea, who shows utter confusion at the mention of fluoride, an obviously low blow.
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In a series of Instagram stories shared the day after, Wood called the skit “unfunny and mean.”
“Yes, take the piss for sure – that’s what the show is about – but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way?” she added. “I am not thin skinned. I actually love being taken the piss out of when it’s clever and in good spirits…I don’t mind caricature — I understand that’s what SNL is. But the rest of the skit was punching up and I/Chelsea was the only one punched down on.”
Wood also shared another person’s comment, which linked the joke to "1970’s misogyny," saying it "summed up" her view entirely. Previously in an interview with GQ, she said, "I don’t know if it was a man would we be talking about it this much? It’s still going on about a woman’s appearance."
Lastly (though important to note, as it reflects her character), Wood also wrote that she didn’t cast any blame on Sherman for her portrayal but rather just “hated the concept.”
A snapshot of Wood's Instagram story preview.redd.it
Wood would later share that she received an apology from SNL, along with “thousands” of messages from fans showing their support, all of which made her “glad” she spoke out.
Women have fought hard to ensure their appearance is not the main focus—whether it’s perceived as attractive or not—for so long, and still, comments like this show that outdated views persist. Yet more women like Wood aren’t willing to laugh it off, choosing instead to take a firm stand against it. This not only empowers them, but women everywhere.