“Seeing yourself on TV is bizarre!”: Kristen Wiig and her refusal to rewatch ‘Bridesmaids’
Some films are infinitely rewatchable. Especially in the light comedy genre, sometimes settling down to watch a familiar favourite film is a necessity. Bridesmaids might be considered one of those movies, but its star, Kristen Wiig, can’t bring herself to rewatch the film.
Released in 2011, Bridesmaids stars Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, and Chris O’Dowd in a comedy tour de force. Following a down-and-out baker as her best friend gets married, old friends meet posh new friends in a slapstick project made for modern audiences.
Easily one of the most popular comedy movies of the century, the film grossed $26million on its opening weekend to become Judd Apatow’s best-performing production to date. Taking home a whole host of awards, Bridesmaids was later voted the American Film Institute’s movie of the year following the international acclaim that followed.
But despite all of this, Wiig won’t rewatch it. As the film’s star, as well as the script co-writer, Wiig is obviously deeply connected to the movie but, in general, doesn’t like to look back at her work.
After getting her start on SNL in 2005, Wiig climbed to the top of the comedy actor ladder, becoming one of the best-known and beloved names in the genre. Also starring in Anchorman, Zoolander, Her and Wonder Woman, Wiig is no stranger to the screen but would prefer to avoid catching herself on there.
Her refusal to rewatch the film has nothing to do with Bridesmaids specifically but with a general discomfort with seeing herself on screen. “I’ll watch a bit [of Bridesmaids] if I’m channel surfing,” she told InStyle. “But seeing yourself on TV is bizarre,” she added, discussing the impact self-analysis like that can have on self-esteem.
Despite having achieved so much and played many beloved roles, rewatching her projects can often lead to unhealthy or unhelpful thoughts. “I think, ‘God, I was young.’ Look at my skin.’” she continues, suggesting that watching her own projects only leads to self-critique.
There is one scene, however, that Wiig actively avoids. The infamous food poisoning scene in Bridesmaids is too much for the actor and writer. A later addition to the script that was pushed by the studio for extra Jackass-style gross-out humour, the scene wasn’t part of Wiig’s initial vision for the film.
