Emerald Fennell says she regrets cutting Margot Robbie's "extremely hairy armpits" scene from 'Wuthering Heights'
Washington DC, May 26
Actor and filmmaker Emerald Fennell has revealed that she regrets removing a scene featuring Margot Robbie's unshaven armpits from her adaptation of Wuthering Heights, saying it would have added historical authenticity to the period drama, according to People.
Speaking at the Hay Festival in Wales, Fennell reflected on the creative decisions behind the film, which was released in theatres in February 2026 and is an adaptation of Emily Bronte's novel.
The director said she had intentionally wanted Robbie's character, Cathy, to appear with visible body hair, noting that women in the era depicted in the story would not have had access to modern grooming practices.
Fennell recalled often being distracted by the unrealistic appearance of women in period dramas.
"Where are the razors that these women are using?" she said while discussing adaptations of Jane Austen novels. "They're all kind of hairless like eels. I'm like: 'What's going on? It's completely mad.'"
English women only began commonly using safety razors for body hair removal in the early 1900s, long after Bronte's novel was first published in 1847, as per the outlet.
For that reason, Fennell said it was "so important" for her to depict Cathy's body hair accurately. "Unfortunately, the scene that we see them didn't make it in there," she added.
Fennell's adaptation of Wuthering Heights sparked debate over several creative liberties, including Cathy's elaborate costumes, the casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, and significant changes to the original storyline.
However, the filmmaker previously defended her interpretation, saying it was inspired more by her teenage memories of reading the novel than by strict literary accuracy.
"So it is Wuthering Heights, but it isn't," Fennell said in an earlier interview with Fandango published in January. "The thing for me is you can't adapt a book as dense and complicated and difficult as this book. What I can say is I'm making a version of it," according to People.
Wuthering Heights is currently streaming on HBO Max.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who loves period dramas, I actually appreciate Fennell's honesty here. In India too, we often see historical films with perfectly groomed actors that look nothing like the era. Remember how Ranveer Singh's Bajirao Mastani got praise for his authentic look? Small details matter. Maybe she should have kept the scene—it would have sparked important conversations about unrealistic beauty standards in cinema. Hollywood needs more of this self-reflection!
Typical Hollywood obsession with body hair 🙄. Meanwhile, in India, we have actresses like Vidya Balan proudly talking about not shaving for certain roles, and nobody makes a big deal. The real issue is why Fennell changed so much of the original story. If she wanted authenticity, stick to the plot! This feels like a PR distraction from the real criticism her film is getting.
I think Fennell is brave to admit this publicly. In our Indian film industry too, there's so much pressure on actresses to look "perfect" even in period roles. Remember Deepika Padukone in Padmaavat? Even her hair was perfectly styled during war scenes. Historical accuracy always takes a backseat to aesthetics. At least Fennell is raising the question—even if the scene didn't make the cut. Progress starts with awareness! 🌸
Interesting how a small detail like armpit hair is making headlines while the bigger issues—like casting a white actor as Heathcliff (who is described as dark-skinned in the book) and changing the storyline—are brushed aside. Classic Hollywood whitewashing. In India, we'd never get away with casting a fair-skinned actor for a dark-skinned character without massive backlash. Fennell should focus on that rather than regretting a hairy armpit scene.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.