Today's Evil Beet Gossip

Joan Cusack Told Gabourey Sidibe to Quit Acting

A photo of Gabourey Sidibe

Everybody saw Precious, right? I did, and I cried my eyes out. It was horrible – the crying, not the movie – and I was just in a funk the rest of the day because it was … I mean, it was Precious. I don’t think I need to justify those tears.

But if you saw the movie and had a similar reaction to it, then that’s at least partly because Gabourey Sidibe is a damn fine actress. She carried that movie beautifully, and I’m excited to see what she has in store (which, by the way, includes a movie about a dognapping with Woody Harrelson and Christopher Walken). But in addition to Gabourey’s incredible talent, she’s also fat. So, according to Joan Cusack, she should have just packed it up and gone on home before she started.

Here’s what Gabourey had to say on Watch What Happens Live when she was asked which celebrity she was most disappointed by after meeting them:

“It’s not in a mean way because I know she meant well. I met Joan Cusack, who is my favorite, favorite, and she… I love her. It was before I became whatever and I was like at some industry party and she says, ‘Are you an actress?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ And she says, ‘Oh honey, you should really quit the business. It’s so image conscious.’ I think she really, really meant it in a good way… I think she really, really did, so no shade to her, but I was like, ‘Oh, but I love you, please don’t tell me to quit my job.'”

I really don’t think Joan Cusack was trying to be mean with this at all. I don’t know a lot about her, but she seems like a sweet person, doesn’t she? I think, like Gabourey said, she meant it in a good way, like an “I’ve been here for a while, sweetheart, and it’s not easy if you’re not thin and a very specific type of conventionally gorgeous,” but still, hush it, Joan.

A lot of people are suggesting that Joan might have said this because she’s not that type of conventionally gorgeous, and so she understands firsthand how difficult a time Gabourey might have had. If that’s the case, then it’s really sad that Joan had that outlook, as opposed to a “screw the man, girlfriend, we’re going to take over the world!” outlook. Then Joan Cusack and Gabourey Sidibe could have become best friends, and they could have traveled the world together, starring in movies together and doing red carpets together and being super talented together. I like that better than what actually happened, don’t you?