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Krysten Ritter Felt She Lacked "the Boobs and the Big Hair" to be a Superhero

By Genevieve Burgess | Streaming | November 21, 2015 |

By Genevieve Burgess | Streaming | November 21, 2015 |


The big news this weekend is the release of the first season of Jessica Jones on Netflix. One of the more interesting aspects of the show, from what I understand, is how atypical Jessica doesn’t really fit the traditional superhero look or attitude. So much so that star Krysten Ritter was hesitant about even auditioning for the role. In an interview with People magazine Ritter revealed that her manager had to talk her into the part. Ritter states “I don’t look like superheroes that we’ve all seen in that female form with the outfit and the boobs and the big hair - that’s just not me.” And goes on to reveal “I was like ‘Well, I’m never going to get that.’ And my manager was like, ‘No, no - it’s actually really right for you: she’s a superhero, but she’s really bad at it.’”

It wasn’t until she actually read the script (in a locked room without her phone) that she realized “‘Obviously I have to play her’, … I felt it was just a massive opportunity for me to get to do everything, all in one role. In the past, I’ve had opportunities to be funny or be more dramatic in things, but never once have I had an opportunity like this where I literally got to use everything I’ve got.”

The interview goes on a bit to describe Jessica’s style and Ritter’s work getting in shape for the role, but her appreciation that there’s no “flying over the city with her arms spread out” involved. It sounds like it’s a perfect fit, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing it myself. I’m sure many of you are already hours deep into the series, so feel free to share thoughts, but do your best to be courteous of others who may have (foolishly) not cleared their schedule for the sake of the show.