Fatsuit
Encyclopedia
A fatsuit is a bodysuit
-like undergarment used to thicken the appearance of an actress or actor of light to medium build into a heavy-set or obese character, in conjunction with prosthetic makeup
. Other spellings include fat suit and fat-suit.
It is worn by actors in TV shows (eg. the Nina Bott
fat makeup to coincide with the release of Shallow Hal
) and various film
s (eg. Shallow Hal
and Adaptation featuring Nicolas Cage
). It is usually supposed to provide comedic effect, as in "Weird Al" Yankovic
's music video, "Fat
" and the video "Keine Lust
" by the German band Rammstein
.
Fatsuits may be intended to be either deliberately visible, or invisible. Most are intended as unseen body padding beneath a costume (Shallow Hal, Eddie Murphy's Klumps
), others appear as realistic flesh and are viewed directly (Fat Bastard
in Austin Powers
, Tom Cruise's character Les Grossman's hands in Tropic Thunder
).
Bodysuit
In clothing, a bodysuit, body-liner, or body is a unisex form-fitting garment that covers the torso. The bodysuit often has sleeves and varying collars. A bodysuit is distinguished from the similar leotard by the use of snaps or hooks at the crotch. A bodysuit may be worn as a top for the smooth...
-like undergarment used to thicken the appearance of an actress or actor of light to medium build into a heavy-set or obese character, in conjunction with prosthetic makeup
Prosthetic makeup
Prosthetic makeup is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects...
. Other spellings include fat suit and fat-suit.
It is worn by actors in TV shows (eg. the Nina Bott
Nina Bott
Nina Bott is a German actress.-Acting:Between August 1997 and September 2005 she played Cora Hinze Moreno on the popular German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten. She then appeared in the period drama Unter den Linden - Das Haus Gravenhorst. Nina Bott then joined the soap opera Alles was...
fat makeup to coincide with the release of Shallow Hal
Shallow Hal
Shallow Hal is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, and Jason Alexander. It was directed by the Farrelly Brothers and filmed in and around Charlotte, North Carolina as well as Sterling and Princeton, Massachusetts at Wachusett Mountain.- Plot :Hal Larson is a...
) and various film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s (eg. Shallow Hal
Shallow Hal
Shallow Hal is a 2001 romantic comedy film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, and Jason Alexander. It was directed by the Farrelly Brothers and filmed in and around Charlotte, North Carolina as well as Sterling and Princeton, Massachusetts at Wachusett Mountain.- Plot :Hal Larson is a...
and Adaptation featuring Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
). It is usually supposed to provide comedic effect, as in "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
's music video, "Fat
Fat (song)
"Fat" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of "Bad" by Michael Jackson. It is the second parody Yankovic did of a Jackson song, the first being "Eat It", a parody of Jackson's "Beat It"...
" and the video "Keine Lust
Keine Lust
"Keine Lust" is a song by the German band Rammstein. It was released as a fourth & final single from the album "Reise, Reise" on 28 February 2005 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as a maxi-single, a limited edition digipak single, a 7" vinyl single, a 12" Vinyl single, and as a...
" by the German band Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
.
Fatsuits may be intended to be either deliberately visible, or invisible. Most are intended as unseen body padding beneath a costume (Shallow Hal, Eddie Murphy's Klumps
The Nutty Professor (1996 film)
The Nutty Professor is a 1996 science fiction-romantic comedy film starring Eddie Murphy. It is a remake of the 1963 film of the same name, starring Jerry Lewis. The original music score was composed by David Newman. The film won an Academy Award for Makeup.Murphy plays benevolent university...
), others appear as realistic flesh and are viewed directly (Fat Bastard
Fat Bastard (character)
Fat Bastard is a fictional character in the second and third of the Austin Powers films. A morbidly obese henchman hailing from North Britain, Fat Bastard serves Dr. Evil in his quest to defeat Austin Powers. The character is portrayed by Mike Myers....
in Austin Powers
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember is a 2002 American spy comedy film and the third installment of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember,...
, Tom Cruise's character Les Grossman's hands in Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunder is a 2008 American action satire comedy film written, produced, and directed by Ben Stiller, and starring Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr., and Jack Black. The main plot revolves around a group of prima donna actors who are making a Vietnam War film...
).
Experience of obesity
Fatsuits may also be used to impart the experience of being obese to the wearer, not just the appearance of obesity to their audience. The suit in this case is weighted, as well as padded. Where the intention is to impart the experience of being seen as fat in a community, its appearance must also be realistic and so a fat suit rather than just a weight belt is needed. Several celebrities noted for their slimness have worn such garments and recorded their, and others', reactions as documentary of social attitudes to weight.Fat suits in media
- An episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirThe Fresh Prince of Bel-AirThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
has Will wearing a fat suit when a personal trainer dares him to feel what his overweight uncle feels. - In three episodes of MonkMonk (TV series)Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, the three actors (Adam ArkinAdam ArkinAdam Arkin is an American television, film and stage actor and director. He played the role of Aaron Shutt on Chicago Hope. He has been nominated for numerous awards, including a Tony as well as 3 primetime Emmys, 4 SAG Awards , and a DGA Award...
, Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
, and Ray Porter) that played Dale the Whale wore fat suits to appear extremely overweight. - An episode of George LopezGeorge Lopez (TV series)"The George Lopez Show" redirects here. For the late-night program hosted by the same comedian, see Lopez Tonight.George Lopez is an American sitcom starring comedian George Lopez...
features Ernie with a fat suit and prosthetic makeup. - The 2007 film version of HairsprayHairspray (2007 film)Hairspray is a 2007 musical film produced by Kolaja Productions and distributed by New Line Cinema. It was released in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2007. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John...
has John TravoltaJohn TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
wearing a fat suit to secure the role of Edna Turnblad. - The Big Momma's HouseBig Momma's HouseBig Momma's House is a 2000 American crime comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell, written by Darryl Quarles and Don Rhymer, and starring Martin Lawrence as FBI agent Malcolm Turner. The majority of the film took place in Cartersville, Georgia, but the film was shot on location in California. The...
films have been criticized for being a joke about a transvestite fat suit, and nothing more than this.- In the TV show Friends, the fatsuit has recurring appearances. Once in an alternate reality where Joey is married to Monica, and several other times where Courteney CoxCourteney CoxCourteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
wears a fatsuit to accommodate Monica's overweight past.
- In the TV show Friends, the fatsuit has recurring appearances. Once in an alternate reality where Joey is married to Monica, and several other times where Courteney Cox