“Chicago P.D.” star Tracy Spiridakos has revealed that a modeling agency body-shamed her at the age of 17, marking her perceived flaws with a Sharpie and instructing her to lose weight.
Spiridakos shared the experience on the “I’ve Never Said This Before” podcast, recounting how, after winning a modeling contest, she attended a meeting with an agency. During the meeting, she was asked to put on a bikini for a photo session. Following this, the agency representatives presented her with Polaroid pictures, circled areas on her body with a Sharpie, and told her she needed to reduce her weight in those specific areas to succeed in the industry.
"She's pretty for guy-meets-girl kind of pretty, but if she wants to make it in this industry, she's got to lose weight," the agents reportedly told Spiridakos and her brother, who had accompanied her. The actress, who is now 38, described the comment as a "gut punch" and recalled feeling "deflated" at the time, especially given her initial excitement about pursuing modeling. She could not recall the name of the agency, but noted it was "pretty big."
Following the negative encounter, Spiridakos and her brother left the meeting. Her brother consoled her and decided she would no longer pursue modeling.
Spiridakos noted the lasting impact of the incident, stating that even years later, she still tends to see the "flaws" that were highlighted by the agency. She has to actively remind herself that those perceptions are not real and emphasize self-love. "Don’t let anyone tell you how to live in your own body," she advised.
Approximately one to two years after the modeling agency incident, Spiridakos secured her first acting role in a 2007 episode of “Supernatural.” Her career gained further traction with her first major role in the 2012 NBC series “Revolution,” for which she received a Saturn Award nomination. Spiridakos joined the cast of “Chicago P.D.” in 2017 as Detective Hailey Upton and departed the series in 2024, though she made a guest appearance earlier this year.