She hated her body and felt ‘ugly’ – at 32, she’s a super star, but still gets mocked for her teeth

The journey of Aimee Lou Wood—from a childhood marked by turbulent environments and the painful sting of schoolyard bullying to becoming a celebrated international talent—is a profound testament to the power of self-acceptance. For years, she navigated a world that felt hostile to her presence, internalizing the critique of her peers and struggling with body dysmorphia and eating disorders. Her teeth, in particular, became a focal point for her own deep-seated insecurities; she viewed them as a glaring symbol of everything she believed was “wrong” with her, a mental barrier she assumed would prevent her from ever achieving success in the polished, often homogenized world of professional acting.

As her career ascended with her breakout role in Netflix’s Sex Education and continued to soar with her appearance in HBO’s The White Lotus, she found herself in the paradoxical position of being a “superstar” while still being subjected to the same kind of scrutiny that had haunted her youth. The obsession with her appearance—specifically her natural teeth—continued to persist, culminating in a highly publicized and controversial 2025 Saturday Night Live sketch that mocked her smile with exaggerated prosthetics. While she acknowledged the show’s subsequent apology, Wood made it clear that the narrative—one that feels “mean” and reductive—was something she would no longer accept.