Blake Lively Wants To Break Out Of Gender Norms And Play A ‘Charming A$$&?!%’ Movie Role

Blake Lively has declared that she wants to break out of conventional gender roles and break the norm by playing a “charming a$$&?!%” in a movie. She points out that men do it all of the time, but it is time more women did. Blake Lively has noticed that men like her husband Ryan Reynolds can have a charming edge, but women have to always be “nice.”

When she recently spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about her latest movie movie release, All I See Is You, Lively went into detail about portraying a blind woman.

The Age of Adeline star explained that she went as far as physically wearing contact lenses to portray Gina, a woman that starts out the movie blind, before having cornea surgery. Lively would physically put on the lenses, blinded by them, but then the magic started as her other senses would take over. She found all of this very powerful, and made her more self aware as a person.

In the movie, after Gina can see again, her entire life has changed, but most importantly, her relationship with her husband James changes. Her eyesight has transformed their relationship, as she is no longer dependent on him. But, as Blake explains, James is the love of Gina’s life. Gina is not still there because he is taking care of her. Instead, she is there because “she chooses him.”

Lively loved playing Gina because she had flaws, but she was also authentic. She enjoyed not needing to play someone that was always “nice.”

Lively then spoke of specific stereotypical gender issues, as portrayed in movies, such as men “being emasculated” and women, “being controlling.” But she also thinks that these stereotypes can limit each gender, particularly women.

“Yeah, and I think that that’s real life. Women experience highs and lows, and women do ‘good’ things or ‘bad’ things… We’re always so obsessed with women being likable in movies. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard ‘well, she has to be likable.’ I never heard that about a man in a movie. I never heard them say that about a character my husband [Ryan Reynolds] has played.”

What exactly does Blake mean by “charming a$$&?!%”? She sees them as tough characters that reveal “love, warmth, and affection” and “they’re not these sexist jerks.”

She gave a few examples of what she mean, starting with her husband Ryan, and everyone’s favorite rogue, Han Solo. Lively points out that what Han says to Princess Leia is not at all what you are supposed to say, but he is so charming, he can get away with that. Women are always worried about being portrayed in this way.

Lively thinks that people want to see authentic characters on screen.

When asked, Lively admits that she felt that she did play a “charming a$$&?!%” in the upcoming mystery, A Simple Favor. She really dug into this character and enjoyed this deep dive into this normally male gender role. Perhaps after the Paul Feig-directed movie is released in 2018, perhaps she will play more of these not so nice girls?

Would you like to see Blake Lively skip a “nice girl” part, and instead play a “charming a$$&?!%”? Do you think that women’s gender roles are too defined?

[Featured Image by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images]