Angelina Jolie's magic number is 28

Glamour Magazine

We've always hated on Hollywood's tendency to tell women that they have to be X pounds in order to get parts, but now here's a different spin. It seems that Angelina Jolie is being considered for the love interest in The Thomas Crown Affair 2: Electric Boogaloo, but producers don't want a repeat performance of Wanted, where Ms. Jolie was apparently fainting on set and had to have all of her costumes taken in. Rumor has it that she's been explicitly told to gain weight. How much weight? 28 pounds, or approximately 33 percent more body weight than she is currently.

I'm not going to make the smug ladies who lunch (or Rian) observation that girlfriend could use some cheeseburgers anyway (as Jane Seymour and TMZ and every other blog under the sun already has). Instead, I have only to bemoan the fact that stars have become such a commodity that it doesn't even matter what they bring to the table anymore. If Angelina Jolie is currently not physically able to withstand the demands of an action movie, then why the heck is she getting the job? Aren't there actors in Hollywood who could kick ass and take names just as handily as Ms. Jolie? Who would believably be able to chew on the lips of one Mister Pierce Brosnan without making us roll our eyes because everyone knows that a 10 like Pierce Brosnan would never end up with a 7 like Angelina (or vice versa, depending on your point of view). And I'm going to completely disregard the fact that Pierce Brosnan is old enough to be Angelina Jolie's freaking father. Is Rene Russo now considered way over the hill by Hollywood? Wow, tuna salad has a longer shelf life than your average female actor in Hollywood.

And also, I'm stymied by the whole concept of 28 pounds. Why 28? Why not, say, 27? Or 29? It reminds me of those Match.com guys who say that they'd like a woman who is up to 5'11" tall and can be no more than 130 pounds. Wow, at a BMI of 18.1, that girl would be considered underweight. Is that really what they want? And what if the girl of your dreams had the audacity to weigh 150 pounds?

Granted, if the actor actually wants the part and tries to shape themselves into it, (a la Bridget Jones) that's one thing, but let's consider the idea of a studio approaching an actor and making these stipulations. What do you guys think? What do you guys think? Does Hollywood have the right to make demands on actors for their weight?

MORE FROM ELASTIC WAIST AND SELF:

[photo credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images Entertainment]