Teenage actress packs on pounds for role

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Renee Zellweger isn't the only actress packing on the pounds for plum roles these days. <br/><br/>Sarah Steele, the 16-year-old actress who plays the overweight daughter of Adam

Monday, December 27th 2004, 10:38 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Renee Zellweger isn't the only actress packing on the pounds for plum roles these days.

Sarah Steele, the 16-year-old actress who plays the overweight daughter of Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni in the comedy-drama ``Spanglish,'' had to gain between 15 and 17 pounds for the role.

``And then I had my fat suit. It was cotton and spandex. It was pretty uncomfortable,'' the 5-foot-tall Steele told the Los Angeles Times for Sunday's editions.

Steele normally fluctuates between a size 1 and 2. She said she did not use a special diet to gain the weight because the food on the set was so good.

``I was the only actress who could eat it,'' she said.

Steele, a junior at a private Philadelphia high school, said playing the role of Bernice gave her an opportunity to explore teenage obesity for audiences who usually don't see it in movies.

Zellweger gained weight to play the British heroine in ``Bridget Jones' Diary'' and again for ``Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.''