Navigating the treacherous waters of online trolling might be an occupational hazard for actors, yet Madeline Brewer remains undeterred. In an intimate chat with PEOPLE, the 33-year-old actress unveils the unforeseen onslaught of scrutiny over her appearance after portraying Bronte, alias Louise Flannery, in the final season of the gripping series, You.
When quizzed about her reaction to the fan reception, Brewer concedes, "I was taken aback, somewhat. Frankly, I didn't foresee people warming up to Brontë, but I certainly didn't anticipate being labeled ugly, because I know I'm not."
"I understand that I may not appeal to everyone's taste, but ugliness is not my label," she continues. "I had presumed the show's largest demographic would be women, particularly young women, and I never foresaw the magnitude of misogyny that would be hurled my way."
Brewer joined the cult-favorite Netflix show You in its final season as Bronte, the "final girl" facing serial killer Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley). A self-proclaimed "huge fan" of the series, she admits to being "thrilled to become part of that universe." However, she never expected the fans' reaction.
"I think when fans confront Joe's fall from grace and their hero's deconstruction, it upsets them," Brewer reflects on Joe's fate. "It particularly irritates them that it was a woman who did it, and a new woman at that, whom they might not find conventionally attractive."
"With all that to grapple with, they can't resist picking up their phones to leave comments on my photos, saying things like, 'You're so ugly. You look like a goblin,'" she recounts. "And I'm just like, 'Hey, lighten up. I'm far from ugly.'"
Brewer reveals that she was bullied as a child, and suggestions that she should undergo plastic surgery "triggered" her. "I'm thankful this didn't happen earlier in my life. If it had occurred when I was 25, I might have crumbled since I hadn't started therapy yet," she shares. "Now, in my 30s, I don't give it much thought. I know I can handle it."
The Handmaid's Tale star acknowledges that criticism is part and parcel of being an actor, adding, "Now, I couldn't care less. As long as they're directing it at me and not someone who can't cope, bring it on."
When she seeks extra reassurance, Brewer turns to her fiancé, cinematographer Jack Thompson-Roylance. "He thinks I'm perfect, believing that I'm the most beautiful woman in the world," she smiles. "His opinion is the only one that truly matters to me."
The couple is preparing for their July wedding in England. A perfectionist, Brewer dreams of a perfect blend of "Bridgerton by day and Saltburn at night." However, when it comes to saying "I do," she's serene. "He's my guy," she beams. "It's going to be a blast."
You is currently streaming on Netflix.
