Debi Mazar says 'Entourage' set turned 'toxic' after she gained weight following second daughter's birth
Debi Mazar, who played publicist Shauna Roberts throughout the eight-season run of HBO's "Entourage," said the set became "toxic" for her after she returned to work following the birth of her second daughter, according to an interview with The Sunday Times.
Mazar, 62, told the outlet that while the first season was a "joy-fest," the atmosphere shifted by the third.
"In the third season, the set was a testosterone-fueled environment," she said. "I'm tough, but it got toxic towards the end for me."
The actress, known for her roles in "Goodfellas" and the "Entourage" film sequel, said she felt judged over her appearance after returning from maternity leave.
"They didn't like that I got fat, even though I got skinny again," she said.
Mazar acknowledged that her outspoken nature complicated the situation but stressed that she remained professional.
"It was complicated because I'm outspoken and never held back my discontent. But I always was professional and I'm grateful I was on it," she said, adding, "It was a lot of fun, until it wasn't."
Page Six reported that Mazar previously told Entertainment Weekly in 2024 that the set was oftentimes "misogynistic."
"With TV, you don't know what they're going to write. I took a job to make money. I mean, [creator Doug Ellin] wrote a really strong character, but that set was very testosterone-driven and misogynistic," she said at the time.
"Entourage" premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004, and its series finale aired on September 11, 2011. The show, created and largely written by Doug Ellin, chronicled the acting career of Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), a young movie star navigating Hollywood with his childhood friends from Queens, New York. Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson served as executive producers, with the premise loosely based on Wahlberg's experiences as an up-and-coming film star.
Mazar reprised her role as Shauna in the 2015 movie based on the series.
Both Fox News Digital and Page Six reached out to HBO for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Other actresses speak out
Mazar is among several stars who have recently opened up about "toxic" experiences on Hollywood sets.
Earlier this year, Rose McGowan said on the "We Need to Talk" podcast that Hollywood executives openly obsessed over her fluctuating weight during her time on "Charmed" in the early 2000s. McGowan, who joined the cast in 2001, recalled how show executives would often mull over her weight gain or loss.
"They would circle around me to check my weight when I came back from season to season," she said, referencing show producers. "I think it was just really inspecting their product."
McGowan added: "There was no chill with it. It was completely fine to be that way... Now they have to kind of pay lip service to being different."
Danielle Fishel, who portrayed Topanga Lawrence in the beloved '90s series "Boy Meets World," has also been open about facing significant body-image struggles during the show's success. Fishel told Us Weekly in April that she was aware, even if nobody said it directly, that "as far as the people in power were concerned, my body was a problem."
"I remember around the time of [1998's] prom episode being aware that they didn't want me wearing something sleeveless," she said.
Toward the end of the series, Fishel felt she was "no longer attractive" because she had put on weight.
"I just so did not want to be there; I was uncomfortable on set every day... There was this feeling that I was no longer attractive, because I had gained weight... I probably was a curmudgeon," she said.
During the show's last season, Fishel's weight gain was addressed in an episode titled "She's Having My Baby Back Ribs," in which Topanga pretends to be pregnant as she struggles with body insecurities.
Fishel added that she feels "some cognitive dissonance" rewatching those episodes: "The season 7 episodes are tainted with the feeling of incredible insecurity and fear of being on camera, which was hard for me to shake and probably why I didn't really want to go forward with a career on camera."
Despite the difficult memories, Fishel said she wouldn't change her approach: "I wouldn't say or do [anything] differently other than be more accepting and loving of myself."