With no stylist or makeup artist, 'The Good Place' star Jameela Jamil takes on industry standards in Hollywood
Jameela Jamil doesn’t do glam videos.
Yet there we were getting ready with “The Good Place” star for her first ever Golden Globes.
"I wanted to go to the Golden Globes my whole life," Jamil told "Good Morning America." "Even before I wanted to be in this industry I just wanted to go because I love movies and I love comedy."
Jamil is best known for her role as Tahani, a British socialite and philanthropist with a hilarious sense of entitlement and snobbery.
"I'm way more vulgar and way less classy than my character," laughed Jamil.
Jamil describes the character as “extra,” but says that she herself is anything but.
"I crafted Tahani based on people I used to meet while I was DJing at big socialite and fashion events," said Jamil. "She represents a lot of people in this business who are insecure but doing their best."
But it’s thanks to Tahani that Jamil is attending her first Golden Globes. And there’s no bull shirt for the star when it comes to getting ready for one of the biggest nights in Hollywood.
The 32-year-old broke in her heels for the night, which complemented the cactus pajamas she was getting ready in. She was busy doing her own makeup in a small compact mirror while intermittently taking bites of her pancakes.
It’s forking awesome.
"I've never had a stylist, I don't have a makeup artist," said Jamil. "Hair and makeup doesn't have to be this, like, 45-minute extravaganza. I can do my makeup in five minutes."
Not a war on glam
Jamil might have the lazy girl approach when it comes to glam, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t find value in fashion and beauty talk.
"I don't have a problem with a little bit of makeup. David Bowie wore makeup, Bruno Mars definitely wears some makeup and they're not reduced to nothing more than just that."
Jamil strives to reach a place where she can still have fun with her appearance without the industry pressure of airbrushing.
"Wearing a bit of makeup just brings attention to what you've already got," said Jamil. "Photoshopping and changing the size of your nose is literally a lie."
Similar to Tahani in later seasons, Jamil is all about feeling like the best version of herself. Which is why she is the force behind the "I Weigh" movement, which is focused on celebrating body positivity.
If you aren't conventionally attractive then people say that you're just jealous and if you are conventionally attractive, they tell you that you can't talk about it because you have too much pretty privilege.
"It's a movement started on Instagram to get women to value themselves based on their attributes and contributions to society rather than just what they weigh and what they look like."
While the movement is an empowering one, Jamil has faced backlash for encouraging people to shed traditional beauty standards when she herself is a successful, beautiful woman.
"Occasionally, the odd female journalist will take a swipe at me because I'm slender or because I'm conventionally attractive."
The actress talks a lot about the patriarchy. She says women have internalized the male-led tradition of capitalizing on sexuality, which makes it so no one can ever talk about issues like body positivity.
"If you aren't conventionally attractive then people say that you're just jealous and if you are conventionally attractive, they tell you that you can't talk about it because you have too much pretty privilege."
For Jamil, it’s so important for her to speak out against the industry standards that she herself fell victim to early on in life.
"It was a confusing time growing up in the '90s," said Jamil. "That was the beginning of tabloid culture, thinspiration and heroin chic."
Jamil said this led her to develop an eating disorder by the time she was 13.
"Even after I stopped practicing the habit of the eating disorder, the bully in my head never went away until my 'I Weigh' movement."
Body positivity as a feminist issue
Jamil wants to be clear: she likes beauty and fashion, she just doesn’t want the focus of the conversation about her to be all about those things. Which is why she allowed us to get ready with her for this year's Globes.
"I'm doing this glam video because you wanted to talk to me about feminist issues and not just things about my diet or health regime."
The sitcom star’s approach to glam is reflective of who she is as a person: she's raw and real.
Jamil has never had a stylist and she bought her own Globes gown -- a Monique Lhuillier design she described as so fabulous it “would make Tahani die.”
She does her makeup herself in five minutes, applied some press-on nails to save time, which, compliment her Ricardo Basta Fine Jewelry. She finished the look by wearing comfy jeans under her gown.
There’s no fuss, no frills, just Jameela.
