Weight loss, weight gain, elaborate makeup, realistic-looking prosthetics…Celebrities often go to great lengths to transform themselves into a complex film role all in the name of Oscars glory.
Andra Day lost almost 40 pounds to play the iconic jazz singer in the 2021 film The United States vs Billie Holiday, which earned her her first Oscar nomination, for Best Actress in a Leading Role, at this year’s upcoming ceremony.
“I was originally 163 pounds when I started, and I got down to 124,” the star, known for her 2015 hit single “Rise Up,” told W magazine in a February interview. “I don’t necessarily recommend but to me, I didn’t want my body to look like a gym body of 2020 or 2019 at the time. For me, it was important having a period body.”
She continued, “At first, I started by just shrinking my caloric intake, of course, and then exercising as well. But honestly, I did kind of starve myself a bit when I was on set.”
