John Candy, John Goodman, Kathy Bates, Queen Latifah, Roseanne Barr, Rosie O'Donnell, hm, there are more than a few bigger people out there in Hollywood. It is a rarity of course (no surprise that Hollywood is sizest). And they usually have to push through a lot of obstacles more so than the thin celebrities.
And of course the few curvy women (not fat by any means, but more average build and hips) in Hollywood end up losing a ton of weight (ie: Toni Collette, Kate Winslet, Eva Mendes, etc) after being noticed for their acting abilities. It's no secret that men have it easier. When Brad Pitt or George Clooney gain a few pounds it's very unlikely you'll hear about it as fast as you'd hear about an actress looking "frumpy" while caught grocery shopping.
I am sickened by the idea of the fat suit though. I remember the episodes on Friends where Monica would be in the fat suit (for flash backs and "what if" episodes) and the laugh track would come on when she'd walk or dance- basically the funny thing was supposed to be that she was fat. Horrible! I can understand it being used for a character losing or gaining weight in a movie, but most of the time it's used in a comedic way (remember Just Friends and Ryan Reynolds singing in the mirror?)
