dear GO fanfic writers
heck ok I know this is going to be a little controversial but
Crowley really isn't that skinny and Azi really isn't that fat
I love LOVE that Good Omens actors look like people. wrinkles and fat and crooked teeth and all. I love them for it, they are all stunning.
but please, God, Azi is not really fat. If you headcannon an AU where he is, that's fair, good on you, crack on, I love it! I love fics that explore self esteem issues around Azi's weight, they're super sweet!
BUT. but. if you're basing off his Good Omens TV appearance, Azi is a little soft and gorgeously broad chested. He wears a lot of thick layers so this can be hard to see, but just- I have been watching a lot of Masters of Sex lately and Lord, I have seen a LOT of Michael Sheen, and this man is not fat
[Masters of Sex]
And hey, whichever way you write Azi, he is gorgeous and I love him. the way Crowley adores Azi's body in chubby Azi fics fanfics? love it, it's so cute.
And well, Crowley (TV appearance) is not 'stick insect' skinny. at all. Like, David could crush a man between those thighs.
My partner has David's body type - I can tell u for a fact there is some soft there to grab! let Azi bite those fuckin thighs
Again - if you want to write an AU where he struggles with being underweight/skinny/EDs/etc then I'm all for it! It can be so healing for people with those struggles, and educating for people who haven't gone through those things, and i'm legit here for any and all fics. Love fanfics. Love all versions of Azi & Crowley. Love this fandom.
Anyway. also just wanted to post Michael & David with a little skin on show because who doesn't like that on their dash?
An open love letter of response:
I see you. But also. I interpret the source material as a fairy tale. Yes, the characters are played by real actors, but ultimately we are talking about an angel and a demon. Their physical characteristics are malleable and making modifications need not serve a specific story-telling purpose. In my case, I like to exaggerate their features just to remind the reader that they're not human. But I don't need that justification. I can just do it, and try to understand why I made that decision later.
Personally, I once saw somebody's interpretation that Aziraphale is a soldier and while he's let himself soften, there's still unfathomable power in those muscles and I really enjoy writing that even if it serves no narrative purpose and is barely supported by the source material.
Anyways. Fanfic is an open field and there's a subtle but important difference between encouraging writers to challenge themselves by writing from a new perspective, and blanketly criticizing a particular writing choice because you encounter it more frequently than others.
So yes, David Tennant isn't that skinny and Michael Sheen is:
... but Crowley and Aziraphale are whatever we want them to be.
Also!!! From a creative design perspective, I think it's worth noting that while the actors themselves have somewhat average body types, we're really not here to talk about Michael and David for the most part. Yeah, photos from them outside the show make great references for art sometimes, but as someone who hyperfixates on costumes: you will see what they want you to see.
Everything about Crowley's selected wardrobe accentuates his angularity and thinness. Those jeans are so tight they're probably reinforced at the seams.
Aziraphale's clothing is likewise selected to add width and roundness. The layers, for one, and the fact that he's often wearing cuts that emphasize the slope and breadth of his shoulders. The shawl collar on his little vest, the lighter colors, it's all intentional. See the way the line of his shoulders slopes to create that roundness from the nape of the neck all the way to the arm? (it's also shown really well in the gif op used)
The secret to creating convincing characters through costume IS that illusion.
There's a reason why Crowley seems scrawnier than David out of costume and vice versa. The costume and wardrobe crews worked very hard on that, and so if it feels odd to see them as regular people and go "wow that's not what the character's body looks like in my head" it's a good thing! Aziraphale is supposed to be fatter and softer and wider set than Michael, and the crew did an excellent job making that happen. For somebody's sake, Gabriel makes a jab at Aziraphale's softness in the show.
Anywho, all that to say, it's totally a valid take on the characters to emphasize their body shapes, and also totally valid to not see them that way or put any emphasis on it. (and thank you so much, op, for putting sexy David and Michael on my dash. doing god's work.)
yes to all of this, i have loved how the wardrobe emphasizes crowley as tall and slim, while making aziraphale appear wider than michael sheen. that's costume-is-character magic. i love how artists and fic writers are free to interpret the characters any way they want. this is the everybody in, nobody left behind show/fandom.
