White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood admits she used to 'desexualise' herself
'White Lotus' star Aimee Lou Wood used to "desexualise" herself as she entered young adulthood and "denied herself" the chance to embrace her own body.m
Aimee Lou Wood used to "desexualise" herself.
The 31-year-old actress admitted that because she was dealing with various body image issues as she entered young adulthood, it became her "worst nightmare" to expose any part of herself, and this manifested itself when she made her on-screen debut as Aimee Gibbs in the Netflix hit 'Sex Education'.
She told The Sunday Times: "I remember feeling quite vulnerable after Sex Education. If it had been all of us getting our boobs out, then I would feel better. It felt like I was the one that had done the freakiest stuff.
"When I was younger and I was dealing with my eating stuff, it was my worst nightmare to get my body out. But I’d worked through that stuff — and then I was back to covering up. I look back and there was so much in the way that I started to desexualise myself. Sometimes you just want to put on a sexy dress and be a siren, but I denied myself that.
Aimee has now gone on to a successful career in the US with her role in 'White Lotus' and admitted that this time around, she feels "less alone" because she is able to discuss intimate scenes with colleagues.
She said: "We were having these really helpful chats so I felt less alone, to the point where, when I knew the episode was coming out that had my sex scene in, I didn’t even think about it."
Meanwhile, Aimee admitted that she was "almost mute" in her youth but is now aware that her "neurodivergence" was behind it all.
She said: "I was almost mute, very socially anxious. I couldn’t sit down and eat a meal. My mum had to leave food around the house and I’d have to snack around. Now I know it was neurodivergence.
"I got diagnosed a few years ago with ADHD with autistic traits. But then it’s been advised that I should go for an autism assessment. They think that maybe it’s autism that’s leading the charge, and the ADHD is almost a by-product of the masking."
Despite her success, Aimee admitted that sometimes the monotony of life as an actress working on a television show can get to her and she almost "burst into tears" one particular day when she spotted a group of friends having brunch together at a gym and wished she could do the same.
She said: "Another day of getting in the car, going to set, getting your hair and make-up, face touched the whole day, body touched the whole day, get home, go to sleep, get back up, do the same thing."
"I just wanted to burst into tears. I want to sit with my friends and have a chat and do a Pilates class. Oh my God, that must feel like the best thing in the world, to have the choice.
