Saturday Night Live has reportedly issued an apology to Aimee Lou Wood after the actress publicly criticised a sketch that made fun of her appearance.
The Sex Education star, who is currently appearing in season three of The White Lotus, took to Instagram on Sunday night to call out the long-running comedy show for a skit in which cast member Sarah Sherman wore exaggerated fake teeth while parodying her.
The sketch, titled The White POTUS, reimagined the Trump family and several political figures vacationing at the fictional resort made famous by the HBO series.
While meant to be a satire, many viewers – and Wood, 31, herself – felt the portrayal crossed a line.
Posting a selfie that exaggerated her features for comic effect, Wood wrote: “I've had apologies from SNL.”
On Sunday, Wood criticised SNL after a sketch on Saturday’s show appeared to mock her appearance, calling the joke “cheap” and “mean”.
The skit aired over the weekend and imagined various political figures, including the Trump family, on holiday at the fictional White Lotus resort. Walton Goggins’ character Rick was recast as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who launched into a bizarre monologue about removing “all the fluoride out of the water.”
The camera then cut to Chelsea, Wood’s character in the HBO show, SNL star Sarah Sherman wearing large prosthetic teeth and putting on a British accent. “Fluoride? What’s that?” she exclaimed, playing into a gag many viewers – and Wood herself – felt was outdated and unnecessary.
Taking to Instagram, the 31-year-old wrote: “Such a shame cuz I had such a great time watching it a couple weeks ago. Yes, take the p**s for sure – that’s what the show is about – but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way?”
She went on to clarify that she’s no stranger to parody and is happy to be mocked when the humour is smart: “I am not thin-skinned. I actually love being taken the p**s out of when it’s clever and in good spirits. But the joke was about fluoride. I have big gap teeth, not bad teeth.
“I don’t mind caricature – I understand that’s what SNL is. But the rest of the skit was punching up and I/Chelsea was the only one punched down on… Okay, end of.”
Wood also shared a wave of support she’s received from fans and loved ones, including her sister Emily.
“Thousands” of messages had poured in, she said, backing her stance.
One message she reposted read: “It was a sharp and funny skit until it suddenly took a screeching turn into 1970s misogyny.” Aimee added, “This sums up my view.”
In a recent GQ Hype interview, Wood said the conversation around her appearance made her “a bit sad” as she was “not getting to talk about my work”.
On Instagram, she also addressed confusion over the interview, clarifying that her comments about feeling “ugly” stemmed from her own insecurities, not from anything said by HBO.
In the interview, Wood explained how White was said to have fought to cast her which had made her feel insecure.
“That was my own paranoid thought,” she said. “Nobody at HBO would say that. My point in the article was about how our minds play tricks on us. Please read carefully before getting angry for me.
“HBO has been nothing but super supportive.”
In light of the furore, Wood’s sister Emily, 28, shared her support for her sister as she praised her 'powerhouse' sibling.
Taking to her Instagram Story, the make-up artist and influencer penned: “My [world] @aimeelouwood. She is out here personifying the word POWERHOUSE. The admiration I have for this woman is nuts. Beyond comprehension.
“JUST like my feelings of deep animalistic protectiveness over her. The greatest big sister. My best human on the planet. Her authenticity and originality is incomparable .
“My god we are really madly blessed to experience life on earth at the same time as her.”
