Lily Collins opened up on her anorexia battle

Lily Collins might now be known for frolicking around Paris in hit series Emily in Paris, but the actress comes with both an on-screen eating disorder past and a real one – the latter also includes with the brunette beauty solidly in recovery mode. In 2017, Lily starred in Netflix movie To The Bone, the story of a young woman suffering from an eating disorder and eventually recovering following an in-patient stay.

Emily took risks to star in the movie – as a recovered anorexic herself, she lost weight for the role and opened up on the whole thing while speaking to Harper’s Bazaar.

Lily Collins Braved Playing An Anorexic After Own Recovery

Collins, who received the script for To The Bone “randomly,” revealed that she’d actually just written a chapter about her recovery in her own book as the role landed in her lap. She did state never having been sick to where she “needed medical attention,” but the 2022 medical community is more than aware – it doesn’t take a dangerously low BMI to be sick.

“I saw it as an opportunity to understand my disorder better. I was nervous, but also really excited to finally tell my story through a character, but also unburden myself. It was very freeing,” she stated.

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The movie sees Lily with pale makeup, but also very slender, with her character’s family members commenting on her shrinking frame prior to her making the decision to seek professional help.

Speaking of losing weight for the role, the 32-year-old continued: “We did it with a nutritionist who expressed from the beginning that her main concern was getting me back to good health at the end – not to leave me hanging,” adding that  a lot of caution going into it. I was held accountable every step of the way and supplied with a lot of supplements so that everything in my body would continue working and that I wouldn’t get fatigued.”

Collins also heavily researched the role, even going to an anorexics anonymous group and consulting with the head of an anorexia clinic in Los Angeles.

Also known for battling eating disorders – and not just anorexia – are singers Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato, plus reality judge Paula Abdul.