The actor and activist uses her platform
to change our perceptions of
beauty—and she doesn’t care if she pisses
somebody off in the process. By Kate FosterBEAUTY
BODY
SELF
JAMEELA JAMIL
YOUR FIRST WORD IS...“If you’re not [an activist],
you’re part of the
problem. But it can’t just
be retweeting things on
Twitter—that’s ‘slacktivism.’
I’m obsessed with talking
to people about mental
health surrounding their
bodies, gender, identity, sex,
consent...I’m really in this
shit till the end.”“I fight the culture that
perpetuates anorexia,
because I am personally
in recovery from an eating
disorder. I mean, the
way we speculate over
Serena Williams’s body—the
woman is an unbelievable
athlete! Her power has
created her career. I’ve never
heard anyone talk about
[Novak] Djokovic’s figure.”“I have more time [these
days] for work and
relationships. I come up
with better ideas; I’m more
efficient, more present,
more fun. It has freed up a
lot of space in my brain for
innovation and happiness.”“You have to come to
Twitter with no ego, ready
to be corrected very
publicly. But it’s also one of
my favorite ways to engage
with people. Social media
is actually how I conceived
of I Weigh. I saw [a photo
of] the Kardashians, and
each of them had a number
written across her body.
It wasn’t their net worth; it
was how society weighs
them, which is in pounds.
That was really offensive.”“People are afraid that if
women discovered quite
how much power we
have, we would take over
the world. I defined
myself by my aesthetics
for 20 years, but I don’t
allow that to overpower
my sense of self anymore.”POWER
}
}
}
}
START
You can’t deny the ripple effect of Jameela Jamil’s oft-
retweeted, highly trolled social media accounts. From
clapping back at Piers Morgan for offensive statements
regarding gender fluidity to calling out fat-shaming
fashion and beauty brands, Jamil’s voice is loud and clear.
So much so that her acting career—namely her work on
the NBC series The Good Place—can seem to take second
place. That’s not an accident, Jamil says. “Acting is some-
thing I enjoy, but it’s a very toxic industry. Activism is my
calling.” Her current focus: turning I Weigh, the “radically
inclusive” body-positive Instagram account she created
last year, into a fully realized activism and allyship plat-
form with curated content for people who are tired of
being excluded. And when it comes to beauty? “I enjoy
makeup—I love it like it’s art. But there’s a way to enjoy it
that isn’t harmful, that doesn’t define you.” Jamil shares
more in our word-association interview below.ELLEWORD}
ACTIVISM
“I PASSIONATELY
LOVE FENTY BEAUTY.
THESE LIP COLORS
ARE SO BOLD
AND DON’T COME
OFF—I’VE DONE
LOTS OF KISSING IN
THEM. THE ORGANIC
PHARMACY SERUM IS
MY FAVORITE FOR AN
ECZEMA OUTBREAK.”
FROM LEFT: FENTY STUNNA
LIP PAINT IN UNLOCKED, $24,
FENTYBEAUTY.COM. THE
ORGANIC PHARMACY STABILISED
VITAMIN C SERUM, $65,
THEORGANICPHARMACY.COM.JAMIL: SELA SHILONI; REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS.104