The White Lotus and Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood has hit out at Saturday Night Live as a sketch that aired over the weekend appeared to mock her teeth.
The 31-year-old was portrayed by Sarah Sherman who wore huge prosthetic teeth while acting intentionally stupid and poking fun out of her accent, in the skit titled 'The White Potus' - with President Donald Trump played by James Austin Johnson.
In the sketch, SNL's host Jon Hamm says to Sherman's character: "What if we took all the fluoride out of the drinking water? But what would that do to people's teeth?"
Sherman replies: "Fluoride? What's that?"
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The joke suggests that Wood doesn't brush her teeth. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is a common ingredient in toothpaste that helps strengthen teeth and reduce tooth decay, although the Brit's dazzling teeth clearly show that's not the case.
Sherman continues: "Oh, look, a monkey."
Hamm's character then says he is going to kill the creature, to which Sherman responds: "No, not the monkey", all while putting on a poor Mancunian accent, as Wood hails from Stockport, a town on the outskirts of Manchester, England.
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Taking to Instagram, the actor posted a host of messages on her story to her 2.8 million followers that HBO, which produces The White Lotus, has not poked fun out of her appearance, but NBC's SNL has.
"But whilst in honest mode - I did find the SNL thing mean and unfunny xo (Felt righteous might delete later x)," Wood shared.
"So, to conclude today's rant: @hbo - kind and supportive and never wronged me so leave them alone. @nbcsnl - mean.
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"On a positive note, everyone is agreeing with me about it so I'm glad I said something instead of going in on myself."
She continued: "Such a shame cuz I had such a great time watching it a couple weeks ago. Yes, take the p*ss for sure that's what the show is about but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way!
"Last thing I'll say on the matter. I am not thin skinned. I actually love being taken the p*ss 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.
"Actually one last thing. Not @sarahsquirm's [Sarah Sherman] fault x not hating on her, hating on the concept x."
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Wood received a host of messages that she shared on the social media platform, all qualifying her frustration - with many pointing out how she was the only person outside of politics to be made fun of in the show.
A friend messaged her: "There was !!! it was so mean... they all went for politicians except for u. like hello? is this highschool? u deserve better babe cus among that beautiful face and soul that's all they chose to make fun of ..?"
To which Wood responded: "At least get the accent right seriously. I respect accuracy even if it's mean & Omg the Mancunian accent she was attempting to do was TERRIBLE."
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Wood has shared how she received an apology from SNL.
UNILAD has contacted NBC for comment.
Topics: Celebrity, Saturday Night Live, Sex Education, The White Lotus, Aimee Lou Wood
Joe Yates