Anne Hathaway & Other Celebrities’ Movie Diets

Anne Hathaway lost 25 lbs. for Les Miserables
Image: Vogue

 Before you watch the next movie with a stick-thin actress, consider the following: actresses often go on extreme, unhealthy, diets to prep for roles. Do you remember people complaining that Jennifer Lawrence was “not hungry enough” for her role in The Hunger Games? Or how about Kate Winslet, who was often criticized for being “too fat” for Hollywood? Personally, I’m ecstatic when I see a star that actually looks the size of a normal person. Because, let’s face it—the alternative is much scarier. Let’s look back at some already thin actresses who’ve lost major pounds to better fit into their roles:

1. Anne Hathaway—The actress went on a deprivation diet for her latest role as Fantine in Les Misérables, losing 25 pounds and eating only oatmeal paste. She’s previously also lost weight for roles in The Devil Wears Prada and The Dark Knight Rises.

Natalie Portman got so thin for Black Swan that
her director worried about her eating habits.
Image: Black Swan

2. Rooney Mara—The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo actress looked just as pale and anorexic as the character in the book was described. That’s because she ate little and worked out constantly before and during filming.

3. Natalie Portman—She’s about as tiny as they come already, but somehow managed to lose another 20 pounds for her role in Black Swan. She worked out between five and eight hours a day and became so thin that her director made sure her trailer was constantly stocked with food so she would eat.

4. Beyonce—For her role in Dreamgirls, the singer had to drop about 20 pounds. She lost the weight in only two weeks by doing a Master Cleanse—which means living off of hot water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper for 10 days.

5. Mila Kunis—As Natalie’s co-star in Black Swan, Kunis said she constantly felt hungry during filming. She also lost 20 pounds and participated in the same workouts as Natalie—5-6 hours per day, six days a week.

Emily Blunt was encouraged to lose weight
to look nearly anorexic.
Featureflash / Shutterstock.com 

6. Emily Blunt—In The Devil Wears Prada, her character was nearly anorexic and hardly ate. She was encouraged to lose weight for the role so she would look as stick thin as her character. In The Adjustment Bureau, Emily also had to lose weight, working out for four hours every day leading up to filming.

7. Renée Zellweger—After packing on 30 pounds for her role in Bridget Jones’s Diary, the actress subsequently had to lose it all and more to play her part in Chicago. This back and forth weight loss and gain had critics and specialists seriously concerned.

When I look at regimens like these, it puts things into perspective. It’s easy to watch a movie or an actress and think “I wish I were skinnier,” but the truth is that just because celebrities are subjecting themselves to these intense regimens, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy or good. They look rail-thin because they are rail-thin. There are healthier ways to lose weight, and limits to what we should expect from our bodies.