Maxine Peake reveals she was fat-shamed at prestigious drama school and told to 'lay off the chips' if she wanted to play Juliet

Published: 00:00 GMT, 27 October 2026 | Updated: 00:00 GMT, 27 October 2026

Maxine Peake has revealed she was told to 'lay off the chips' if she wanted to play Juliet while training at a prestigious drama school. 

The actress, 52, grew up in Bolton and gained a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). 

In a new interview, Maxine has revealed how she was fat-shamed and told she wouldn't play lead roles due to her size.  

She told Anita Rani on the podcast Sisters of Defiance: 'I was told at RADA by a teacher, if I didn’t lay off the chips, I would never play Juliet. Those were her exact words. To which I went, "I don’t want to play Juliet. She kills herself at 16 because of a boy".' 

Maxine said before she gained her place at RADA, she was rejected 13 times from other drama schools she auditioned for. 

She said: 'I’ve got a folder full of letters from 13 education companies that I’d auditioned for. Just nos. I’ve got a stack. I’ve kept them for years of just rejection letters.'  

Maxine Peake has revealed she was told to 'lay off the chips' if she wanted to play Juliet while training at a prestigious drama school

In a new interview, Maxine has revealed how she was fat-shamed and told she wouldn't play lead roles due to her size (pictured in Dinnerladies) 

Maxine previously revealed how Victoria Wood inspired her to overhaul her image when she was on Dinnerladies. 

She said: 'I was a lot larger then and the wonderful Victoria gave me a little chat. She said, "You’re fat, you’re blonde and you’re northern, you’ll get typecast".

'She felt it was what she had experienced. I’d been told at drama school but when someone like Victoria said it I took notice and lost loads of weight.' 

However, her words of wisdom had such an impact, the actress was forced to wear a fat suit when she reprised her role as monosyllabic kitchen assistant Twinkle for a second series because she had lost so much weight.

She added: 'Unfortunately I did it losing weight) a bit too quick and I had to wear a fat suit for the second series!'

After her stint on the comedy, Maxine went on to land roles in hit drama Shameless, See No Evil: The Moors Murders and Silk. 

During the podcast, Maxine also reflected on the pressure women face around appearance and said the entertainment industry is creating an impossible standard.

She said: 'It’s our obsession with beauty and youth, isn’t it? It’s ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. And it just seems to be getting worse.

'I think we’re creating a self-image now that is just impossible and unobtainable and it’s not needed.'

Sisters of Defiance with Anita Rani is available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.