Diana Penty Recalls Getting Industry Pressure To Be More Likeable: ‘Was Exhausting To Be Somebody That…’

Diana Penty, who made her acting debut with the 2012 movie Cocktail, recently opened up about the advice she received early in her career. The actress shared how people advised her to change her personality in order to survive in the industry. She calls herself a bit shy, an introvert and not much people person, which wasn’t easy for her when she actually tried to implement it. Years later, she found that it was quite exhausting to be a certain way, which she actually is not. Diana then continued to be herself and became fearless about not getting a film because of her personality.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Diana Penty said, “When I started out in the industry, there were all these different people from different places telling me how I needed to be in order to survive. I’ve always been a bit shy, a bit of an introvert, not much of a people’s person, per se. So I tried to take their advice be easier to talk to, walk into a room a certain way, say the right things. I attempted it, and after many years I realised it was such an effort. It was exhausting to be somebody that you’re not.”

She continued, “Eventually I was just like, screw that. I’m going to be me. Take it or leave it. If that means stupid jokes every now and then, or being sarcastic — that’s who I am. People don’t always get it, and I kept feeling this pressure to be more polite, more affable, more friendly. But after a point I realised it’s not sustainable in the long run. It took a toll on me.”

Also read: Diana Penty Opens Up About Being Catcalled In Mumbai, Reveals She Went Through Body Shaming: ‘Became A Part Of Daily Life…’