'Captain America' star Hayley Atwell gets bruised up to call attention to domestic abuse

RSA worked on disturbing pro bono campaign for Women's Aid

Published On
Dec 06, 2018

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"Captain America" actor Hayley Atwell appears in a disturbing new spot for U.K. domestic abuse charity Women's Aid, having her features distorted by makeup to reflect horrific injuries.

In the film, which was directed pro bono by RSA Films' Paul Andrew Williams, Atwell gets cuts and bruises painstakingly applied to her face by makeup artists. Once finished, she looks to camera and gives an emotive performance additionally reflecting the  psychological trauma of a woman attacked by her partner. However, the real kicker is when the screen then tells us that while it required two hours to make Atwell's wounds appear, the real-life injuries of domestic abuse survivor Becky O'Brien took just 20 minutes for her partner to inflict. 

“Domestic abuse cannot be tolerated. We’re proud to support Women’s Aid and the work they do," says RSA's Ridley Scott in a statement.