Gabourey Sidibe is truly the Cinderella story of this past awards season. She was a newcomer nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars, had Oprah backing her up, and a whole lot to look forward to. Or so it seemed.

Sidibe’s weight has always seemed to be a topic since she hit the scene. Now, after the fairy-tale glamour and glitz, Sidibe’s future in acting is coming cruelly into focus.

Just a few weeks ago, radio host Howard Stern took to the airwaves on his Sirius satellite radio channel and blasted the 26-year-old actress. He openly and harshly criticized Sidibe’s weight.

“There’s the most enormous, fat black chick I’ve ever seen,” Stern said. “She is enormous. Everyone’s pretending she’s a part of show business and she’s never going to be in another movie.”

A weight loss company has even reached out to the actress saying they will give her a year’s supply of their product for her to endorse it ― if she loses the weight.

What does this say about the Hollywood industry and what is has come to? We live in a world where how you look on the silver screen trumps the way you act on it. Even the late starlet Marilyn Monroe would seem “pudgy” (she was reportedly a size six) compared to the likes of Hollywood glam girls today like Jessica Alba, Nicole Richie, Keira Knightley and others.

Maybe the tides are starting to turn, however. Sidibe is praised for her outstanding personality, charm and confidence. Those in the business also recognize how much she put into her role in Precious. Her resume before was nothing more than a few college plays. She also didn’t come from a background even remotely close to the one she had to portray.

In an interview, Robert Ulrich, a Hollywood casting director, said there is a trend for different roles and characters in Hollywood.

“We hear over and over to think outside the box. I’ve been in the industry a long time, and it’s never been as open to people being something different than now,” Ulrich said. “I work on ‘Glee,’ and those actors never would have been cast on network television a few years ago. It’s a show about diversity, and it’s a hit.”

What it comes down to is the work Sidibe has done. With an Oscar nomination already under her belt and obvious skill, she will undoubtedly have writers and directors seeking her out.

In fact, Sidibe has another movie coming out where she will star opposite Zoe Kravitz and a role in The Big C, a new Showtime series. (Heads up Howard Stern!)

Vivian Cannon, executive producer of Sidibe’s show, says, “Gabby can play whatever she wants to play ― she’s that good. I’m hard-pressed to see anyone else like her.”

There may be room for the size of Sidibe’s talent in Hollywood after all.

Ashley Thill, Gabourey Sidibe, hollywood, Howard Stern, jessica alba, keira knightley, Marilyn Monroe, nicole richie, oscars Hide

I’ll admit it, I’m a closet superhero freak and it was all too apparent when I bought the early bird tickets to the latest Wolverine movie and stood in line for almost two hours to get the best seats. I’d like to say it’s because I grew up with four older brothers; they’re the reason I’m obsessed with the Spiderman’s and Batman’s of the world…but regardless, in line with all the other X-Men groupies, stood a 5’10, long blond haired, smiling tomboy eager to be let into the theater.

But, honestly, what is it that we love about superheroes anyway? When you think about Michelle Pfeiffer as Cat Woman, old-school Wonder Woman played by Lynda Carter, Halle Berry as Storm, Jennifer Gardner as Elektra, Jessica Alba dressed up as Sue Storm in Fantastic Four and, the ultimate, Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, you can’t tell me you don’t think they’re rock stars. I’d give my left pinky to be any of them for a day, so what is it about them that makes them so incredible?

Honestly, I think we as humans know our limitations and love to fantasize about a world in which we can fly, read people’s minds, become invisible or beat up a guy who’s ten times our size in a perfectly choreographed fight scene. We want to be bad asses at heart, at least I do. For most people, our biggest fear is being ordinary, mediocre, or Simon Cowell’s biggest insult, “forgettable.”

However, my greatest epiphany recently was that we DO get to be superheroes and we DO get to have super powers, if we so choose. Now maybe they aren’t the cliché super human strength, the ability to move at the speed of light, or invisibility cloaks, but they are equally powerful. This lifetime is never about wishing for something you don’t have, but rather seeing what tools you can find to stick in your belt along the way.

For me, I realized that my life experiences have gifted me with incredible opportunities to pick up priceless tools: the work ethic I gained in grad school, the faith I gained when I lost a dear friend in car accident, the resilience I gained hiking Everest, the determination I gained on Survivor, the compassion I gained in working with underprivileged girls in Cambodia, and the appreciation I gained after witnessing poverty in Brazil. You see, in the real world, the intangibles we gain along our journey are where the real power hides.

I think with every experience we have, there is this opportunity to pick up another gift, another shade of color we can add to our pallet and another tool for our life’s tool belt. Regardless of the situation, whether happy or sad, terrifying of joyfully overflowing there is a kernel of truth that awaits you. In order to best navigate through the jungle of life, it’s in our best interest to gather as many things as possible to help  along the journey.

I may not be able to make things move with my mind, but I confidently know I have the work ethic to build a powerful company; I may never be able to fly, but I know I have the compassion to inspire a young girl to dream big; and Lord knows I’ll never read minds (though with the last guy I had a crush on it would have been uber helpful), but I know I have the resilience to pursue my passion in the face of adversity.

We all have the potential to be superheroes, to leave this world better than we found it, to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves and to be extraordinary, magnificent and truly unforgettable. Now, all we have to do is a get a costume, slap on a mask, and I have no doubt we’d give Cat Woman and the other hero babes a run for their money.

angelina jolie, batman, brazil, cambodia, halle berry, hero, jennifer gardner, jessica alba, lynda carter, michelle pfeiffer, simon cowell, spiderman, superhero, survivor, wolverine, wonder woman Hide