Amber Tamblyn, best known for her role in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, has opened up about her childhood experience with plastic surgery, revealing she underwent ear-pinning surgery at just 12 years old. The actress, who began her Hollywood career in the mid-90s on General Hospital, shared her story in an essay for The New York Times published on October 20.
In the essay, Tamblyn, now 41, reflects on her early struggles with self-image, recalling, “As a little girl, I had ears that stuck out like butterfly wings.” She described the teasing she faced from peers at her school in Los Angeles, which led her to often stare in the mirror, wishing her ears would lay flat against her head.
Tamblyn explains that the decision to have the surgery was a deeply personal one, stating, “I opted to undergo ear-pinning surgery, a decision I’ve never made public until now.” She discusses how her parents witnessed her struggle with feelings of shame, though they believed she was resilient enough to cope with it.
At the age of 11, Tamblyn was cast as Emily Quartermaine on the popular ABC soap opera, a role that amplified her concerns about public perception. “Once I knew millions of people all over the world would be judging me on their television screens, not just on a playground, that knowledge changed everything for me,” she wrote.
The Emmy Award-winning actress likened her surgery to “choosing a weapon [she] could wield in self-defense against [her] own disposability,” expressing how it symbolized her desire to fit in. “It showed the world that I understood the assignment of assimilation—that I could do whatever it took to fit in, never stand out, the way my ears once did,” she elaborated. Tamblyn also mentioned the constant reinforcement of youthful appearances in the entertainment industry.
In a moment of introspection, she questioned whether she would have been happier had she resisted the urge to change her appearance. “Would I be less happy if I had fought against the desire to get my ears pinned back, if they still stuck out today?” she pondered, acknowledging the ongoing conflict between personal desires and industry expectations.
Tamblyn clarified that she does not oppose plastic surgery, admitting, “I’m also not immune to wanting to feel beautiful and desired, and indulging in that need.” She concluded, “I don’t apologize for what I’ve done, or for what I haven’t,” embracing her journey and the choices she made along the way.
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