Jenny Beavan, the three-time Oscar-winning costume designer known for her work on films such as Mad Max: Fury Road and A Room with a View, has revealed that a surprising number of male actors do not wear underwear to costume fittings. In an interview with The Telegraph, Beavan stated, 'It’s astonishing the number of male actors who don’t wear underwear. I’ve had to go out and buy them pants – not Calvin Klein or anything like that; I usually get them from Marks – otherwise they try to hide themselves behind a chair looking marginally awkward.'
Beavan, who has worked with actors including Daniel Day-Lewis, Anthony Hopkins, and Robert Downey Jr, expressed her bewilderment at the trend, noting that she would personally wear underwear if trying on second-hand clothes. The revelation has sparked discussion about professionalism and modesty in the film industry, particularly in the context of the #MeToo movement, which has highlighted issues of power dynamics and inappropriate behaviour on set.
Beyond the moral implications, the article questions the practicality of going without underwear, citing risks such as testicular torsion and the need for a 'drip blotter' to avoid wet patches. The piece concludes that the identities of the actors involved are less important than the apparent epidemic of pantless actors in Hollywood.
