Beyonc Criticized Her 'Austin Powers' Poster Because She Appeared "Too Skinny"

Beyoncé fans are looking back on the superstar's theatrical film debut.

Twenty years ago, the multi-hyphenate starred in the 2002 Mike Myers comedy Austin Powers in Goldmember, playing the undercover spy Foxxy Cleopatra. In an interview with Vulture, as part of a retrospective oral history filled with behind-the-scenes details, makeup artist Kate Biscoe said that the superstar reportedly asked the film's marketing team to re-do their promotional poster because she didn't look like herself.

"When we were shooting, someone brought her a poster that would be promoting the movie," Biscoe told the outlet, adding that the marketing exec asked for the star's opinion. "She says, 'You made me too skinny. It’s not me.' Then she did this hourglass shape. And he said, 'Okay, we'll fix that.'

Biscoe added, "She walked away to go do the scene, and I looked at him and smiled, like, 'Is that the first time that you've ever had an actress ask to make her body bigger?' He was like, 'Yes. It's going to cost me thousands of dollars, but I am going to do it.'"

After Goldmember, Beyoncé went on to star in films including Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records, and Obsessed, before directing her own visual albums later in her music career.

"I was very interested in filmmaking, and my first project was directing my concert film I Am…World Tour," she said in her September 2021 Harper's BAZAAR cover interview. "I learned how to edit the cut myself in Final Cut Pro, and it was the beginning of a newfound love and creative expression, which led to creating the visual album with my self-titled album, Beyoncé, then Lemonade, Homecoming, and Black Is King."

The poster anecdote is in line with what we know about Beyoncé, who has been extremely thoughtful about the work she puts out since the beginning of her career. She recalled the lessons she learned in her 20s, including how to advocate for herself, in her BAZAAR interview.

"My 20s were about building a strong foundation for my career and establishing my legacy. I was focused on commercial success and number ones and being a visionary no matter how many barriers I had to break through. I was pushed to my limits. I learned the power of saying no," she said.

Quinci LeGardye is an LA-based freelance writer who covers culture, politics, and mental health through a Black feminist lens. When she isn’t writing or checking Twitter, she’s probably watching the latest K-drama or giving a concert performance in her car.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qa3RqZyrq5KWx6Kt0WeaqKVfmLKtscGroK2xX6GutbHSrWaabGBrgHJ%2Fk29mm52ppLuksYycqaKsmZi2u7HDZpiuq6Seu268zrCcq6tdnLytsMyepJudomK9sL%2FTnqlmrJ%2BkerS3yKelsmc%3D