“Every twist and turn in life is an opportunity to learn something new about yourself, your interests, your talents, and how to set and then achieve goals.”
Jameela Jamil is an English actress, activist, and TV presenter. She got her start in the media industry through her role as a main host of T4, the UK’s leading youth entertainment show. There, she made a name for herself by interviewing celebrities. Jamil moved to the United States in 2016 where she was cast as “Tahani Al-Jamil” in the hit NBC comedy series The Good Place. As a result of her work on the show, Jamil’s following grew significantly and she now uses her social media and TV influence as a platform for her activism. She focuses primarily on promoting body positivity and created an Instagram account called “I Weigh” in order to make women feel valuable and to encourage people to look past one’s appearance. Within the “I Weigh” movement, women post untouched photos of themselves using the hashtag #iweigh and list the things about themselves that they feel grateful for and/or proud of. In addition to her advocacy for body positivity, Jamil has also expressed her support of the climate change movement, the Cultural Learning Alliance, and the Comic Relief charity telethon.
Nationality: English
Q. There is an obvious irony in that it took coming to LA, in many ways the global epicentre of body neuroses and abuse enablement, to turn you into a warrior on behalf of women’s self-image and safety at work. What pushed you over the edge?
A. I just cannot stay silent any more, I can’t. I don’t care if I’m going down – I’m going down in flames. I’m fine to not work in this industry. But I’m not fine to not say something.
