Trolls may be an inevitable part of the acting territory, but Madeline Brewer isn't allowing them to dampen her spirit. In an exclusive chat with PEOPLE, the 33-year-old actress candidly opened up about the unforeseen backlash she faced concerning her physical appearance after portraying Bronte, alias Louise Flannery, in the final season of Netflix's hit show You.
Asked about her reaction to the reception from the fan base, Brewer admitted, "A bit taken aback, I must say. Frankly, I didn't foresee the audience warming up to Brontë, but I certainly didn't anticipate being labeled ugly, because I know I'm not."
"I understand that I might not appeal to everyone's taste, but I'm definitely not ugly," she emphasized. "I had presumed that the show's largest fan base comprised women, particularly young women, and I hadn't foreseen the surge of misogyny directed at me."
Brewer joined the final season of You, the cultural phenomenon, as Bronte, the "final girl" opposite serial killer Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley). Being a "die-hard fan" of the series, she expressed her excitement to be part of that world. However, she hadn't envisioned such a reaction from the fans.
"I believe when fans confront misogyny and the dismantling of their hero, it frustrates them," Brewer said, referring to Joe's fate. "It particularly irritates them that a woman was behind it. And it was a new woman, one they might not find attractive."
"So, amidst all this, they can't resist picking up their phones, commenting on my photos, and saying, 'Oh, you're so ugly. You look like a goblin,'" she continued. "And I just think, 'Come on, lighten up. I'm not ugly.'"
Brewer revealed that she had been bullied as a child, and the comments suggesting 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 because I hadn't started therapy yet," she said. "But being in my 30s, I don't care. I knew I could manage it."
The star of The Handmaid's Tale acknowledged that criticism is a "standard part" of being an actor and added, "Now, I don't give a damn. As long as they're directing it at me and not someone who can't handle it, bring it on."
When she needs extra reassurance, Brewer turns to her fiancé, cinematographer Jack Thompson-Roylance. "He sees the sun shining out of my butt and believes I'm the most beautiful woman in the entire world," she smiled. "His opinion is the only one that truly matters to me."
The couple is preparing for their July wedding in England. As a "perfectionist," Brewer wants everything to run smoothly, fulfilling her vision of "Bridgerton during the day and Saltburn at night." However, she feels no nerves about saying "I do." "He's my dude," she said. "It's going to be fun."
You is currently streaming on Netflix.
