Lily Collins: ‘I never dreamed I’d be in a bikini on the cover of Shape’
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Lily Collins is promoting her new Netflix movie To The Bone, in which she plays a young woman struggling with anorexia. The first trailer came out this week, it looks good and it’s got Keanu Reeves in it! As it’s a Netflix release I’ll probably catch it since the commitment level is low. Lily is on the cover of the July issue of Shape in a bikini, which doesn’t seem like the wisest promotional decision for this film. Maybe she’s trying to show that she’s healthy now, as she lost weight for the role. (She did it under the supervision of a nutritionist.) Lily has previously admitted that this role was a particular challenge for her as, like her character, she suffered from anorexia as a teen. She talks about that and about body image in this interview.
On her vision of what health is
I never dreamed I’d be posing in a bikini on the cover of Shape. It’s a complete 180 for me. It’s a magazine about what it means to be healthy.
I used to see healthy as this image of what I thought perfect looked like—the perfect muscle definition, etc. But healthy now is how strong I feel. It’s a beautiful change, because if you’re strong and confident, it doesn’t matter what muscles are showing. Today I love my shape. My body is the shape it is because it holds my heart.
On how preparing for the role helped her
Although I was in recovery for several years before the movie, preparing for the film allowed me to gather facts about eating disorders from professionals. It was a new form of recovery for me. I got to experience it as my character, Ellen, but also as Lily.
On how she eats now
I’m a clean eater. I love chicken, fish, and vegetables and grains like quinoa, but I don’t eat red meat. I steer clear of processed foods. I also treat myself to the occasional dessert when I’m out with friends. But on the daily, I want to give my body what it needs to be the best version of myself. When I splurge, it’s usually on things that I’ve baked, because it’s satisfying physically and emotionally.
On disclosing her anorexia in her autobiography and in interviews
I did consider that talking about my struggles with an eating disorder would overshadow my accomplishments as an actor, but I also knew this was something I needed to do to move forward as a human and an actress. I needed to let go. I’ve always strived to start conversations about taboo subjects with young women. Sharing my story in Unfiltered happened to coincide—not strategically!—with To the Bone, but I’ve always admired people who are relatable and honest. Having suffered from an eating disorder doesn’t define me; I’m not ashamed of my past.
[From Self]
Honestly the opening line to that last paragraph “I did consider that talking about my struggles with an eating disorder would overshadow my accomplishments as an actor” made me eye roll. It’s not the concern so much, which is valid, it’s the way she phrased it. This is Phil Collins’s daughter and I can’t name any film she’s been in other than that Snow White movie and I had to go to IMDB to get the title, Mirror Mirror. Which, if I think about it, makes this a possible issue for her since her work isn’t that well known. It takes nerve to open up about personal issues like this to the public and I doubt I could do it. So many people have misconceptions about anorexia and consider it borne out of vanity when it’s a devastating mental illness. She does deserve credit for being so open and honest about her struggles.
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photos credit: Shape, Getty and WENN
Source: Lily Collins: ‘I never dreamed I’d be in a bikini on the cover of Shape’
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