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Melanie Lynskey is ‘tired’ of hearing about her body: ‘I need a break from thinking about it’

Melanie Lynskey has heard enough about her body — good and bad.

In a recent interview with InStyle, the Yellowjackets star spoke with fellow actress Danielle Brooks about the nuances of body image, her "cute" husband Jason Ritter and her journey toward optimism.

Melanie Lynskey shared how her body has impacted her career in a recent interview with InStyle Magazine.  (Photo by Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic)
Melanie Lynskey shared how her body has impacted her career in a recent interview with InStyle. (Photo: Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic)

"I think my default setting is kind of pessimism, and I'm trying to work against it," said Lynskey, 45, has played a slew of supporting characters including a recurring role as Rose in Two and a Half Men and Gloria in Coyote Ugly. Now her star turns include not only Yellowjackets but as Betty Gore in Hulu's Candy.

The Emmy-nominated actress attributes her rise in status to a societal shift toward body acceptance — which comes with its own set of qualms for the actress.

"Sometimes, I get tired of hearing about my body, even when it is positive, I just, you know, feel like I need a break from thinking about it and hearing about it and I think all women feel that way," she said.

Lynskey has been vocal about the role her weight has played in her career, and admits that even the most well-intentioned comments can be draining when all she truly wants is to just be.

Meanwhile, she's working on avoiding pessimism and on maintaining hope that she is not alone in her wishes for the world, which include more visibility for body neutrality.

"You can't live in despair, you have to have the energy to keep fighting, and despair kind of makes you want to sink into bed and never get out. So, I'm trying to just have hope and realize there are people who feel the way [I] feel. There are people who want things to get better for everybody," said Lynskey.

Even Ritter has been on the receiving end of interesting fan reactions after sharing his affections for his wife on social media.

"Sometimes, my husband will tweet things about thinking I look hot or whatever and a lot of people like it, and I said to him, 'Isn't it funny that if I was a Victoria's Secret model and you tweeted the exact same thing, people would not respond the way that they do?' People get excited because I look like I look, and my husband, he's like a cute, young actor, but I am aware that some of the responses to him are like, 'Good for you,'" she said.

Still, Lynskey knows she was a catch.

"It's like, well, he got together with me because he found me attractive. It's not like he's throwing himself on the sword for the rest of mankind. And also — he had competition," she said.

Lynskey shares a 3-year-old daughter with Ritter and appreciates having a partner willing to do whatever it takes for her to chase her dream.

"I know balance is not usually like this, and I'm lucky," she said, adding, "But this should just be how it is."

Taking care of a toddler — something Brooks called Lynskey's "biggest trick" — is something the actress admits she couldn't do without her nannies.

"When I think about the people who make [my success] possible, my husband has made a lot of sacrifices and not worked so the family can stay together, and then my nanny: She works so hard every single day. It's a lot of taking care of a toddler," said Lynskey.

With more leading roles comes less time for quality family time, but Lynskey's daughter is always at the forefront of her mind.

"It is hard to work those long days and then come home and be as present and show your child how much you've missed them. She's all I think about when I'm away," she said.

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