How much weight did Lily lose for To the Bone?

Subscribe to push notifications

Lily Collins is the star of a new movie about anorexia called "To the Bone," slated for release on Netflix on July 14. Collins lost weight under medical supervision to play the role of Ellen in the film, and in a recent interview with Net-a-Porter's The Edit she talked about how the role affected her as a survivor of an eating disorder. She says there's a group therapy scene in the movie where the characters are talking about eating disorders in a way she'd never heard it worded before, and you can see her understanding it in the film rather than the character she's playing. It's really powerful that going through the process of working on the movie helped her understand what she went through better. However, it hasn't all been good, and she also mentioned that she was actually complimented about her extreme weight loss for the film.

Collins said, "I was leaving my apartment one day and someone I've known for a long time, my mom's age, said to me, 'Oh, wow, look at you!' I tried to explain [I had lost weight for a role] and she goes, 'No! I want to know what you're doing, you look great!'" This refusal to hear what's actually going on, be it that a person is sick, or experiencing disordered eating, or has lost weight for a film, can be incredibly damaging. By placing something as arbitrary as weight as the thing of utmost importance, above even health, it reinforces beauty standards and says that by any means necessary, becoming smaller is the goal.

Collins finished the story by saying, "I got into the car with my mom and said, 'That is why the problem exists.'" It's so true. At the same time that Collins was being praised by some for her weight loss, she said many magazines were refusing to allow her not just on the covers but also on the inside pages so as not to send harmful messages about weight. She says of this experience, "I told my publicist that if I could snap my fingers and gain 10 pounds right that second, I would."

To hear multiple (and conflicting) messages about our own bodies can be incredibly difficult, and Collins is right — it's the reason why this problem exists.

'It's really important to tell the story': Lily Collins discusses losing weight to play an anorexia sufferer in To The Bone... after battling with her own eating disorder

Published: 04:53 EST, 25 May 2017 | Updated: 11:10 EST, 25 May 2017

She's been vocal about her own experience with an eating disorder during her teenage years.

And Lily Collins appeared on ITV's Lorraine on Thursday to discuss her decision to portray an anorexia sufferer in To The Bone, revealing that she wanted to break the taboo surrounding the devastating illness.

The 28-year-old actress plays 20-year-old Ellen, an artist who goes through treatment from an unconventional doctor (Keanu Reeves), in what marks the first feature film about the condition.

Scroll down for video

Breaking the taboo: Lily Collins appeared on ITV's Lorraine on Thursday to discuss her decision to portray an anorexia sufferer in To The Bone

The part hit close to home for the actress, who explained: 'It's quite taboo even today to talk about it even though it’s becoming more prevalent. To do it in a film to make it entertaining but make it very informational is important.

'I’ve been very vocal about my experiences so it was important to me.'

Lily lost a significant amount of weight for the part - and worked with professionals to make sure it didn't trigger a relapse.

She said: 'I was kept under strict supervision by the producers, director my own mother and a nutritionist.

'I'm older now and I have a different perspective about it. I was excited to tell the story and open up further conversation.

Recovering anorexic: The part hit close to home for the actress, who explained: 'It's quite taboo even today to talk about it even though it’s becoming more prevalent'

Looking lovely: Lily stunned in a bright patterned top and two-tone skirt

Super chic: The daughter of music legend Phil Collins set off her look with glossy black heels and a quilted bag

'My director Marti Noxon is the writer as well, we went to eating disorder groups, met with doctors, we did a lot of research in that way.

'There is a weird dark sense of humour that I think people will understand, you need a little lightness in a time of darkness.'

The movie, which premieres on July 14, was written and directed by Marti Noxon and based on her own experiences with an eating disorder.

Lily had only just written a chapter on her struggle with eating disorders for her memoir Unfiltered a week before being asked to star in To The Bone back in 2015.

Earlier this year, Lily detailed how she drew on her own experience for the film role, revealing that she was terrified that she 'had ruined her chances of having kids' after her eating disorder had took hold.

She said of her role: 'I’ve been very vocal about my experiences so it was important to me'

Closely monitored: Lily lost a significant amount of weight for the part - and worked with professionals to make sure it didn't trigger a relapse

She said: 'I was kept under strict supervision by the producers, director my own mother and a nutritionist'

Bulimia battle: Lily previously revealed how she gorged on 'every type of junk food possible', later forcing herself to throw up, causing her hair to fall out and her nails to become brittle.

She recalled how she gorged on 'every type of junk food possible', later forcing herself to throw up, causing her hair to fall out and her nails to become brittle.

Even after the extreme effects of the eating disorder began to show, the daughter of Phil Collins continued to starve herself and exercise obsessively.

In her candid book, she traces the beginnings of her eating disorder back to her father’s divorce from her stepmother, the singer's third wife Orianne Cevey, and the 'terrible disconnect' that grew between them as she got older.

During her Lorraine interview, Lily also spoke about the controversy surrounding her new film Okja during the Cannes Film Festival.

Trauma: In her candid book, she traces the beginnings of her eating disorder back to her father’s divorce from her stepmother

Slender: The movie, which premieres on July 14, was written and directed by Marti Noxon and based on her own experiences with an eating disorder

The Netflix film, which boasts an all-star cast includign Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaall, was booed during its screening due to being one of 19 films competing which the streaming giant had announced wouldn't be brought to French cinemas.

Film journalists tweeting about the 'chaos' in the screening room said riots were about to break out - with IndieWire's David Ehrlich stating: 'Okja starts, huge boos at Netflix logo. Then film plays in wrong aspect ratio and Grand Lumiere almost rioted. Movie stopped.

Lily defended the film, saying: 'In Cannes there was lots of controversy surrounding it, but I applaud Netflix for having the guts to put out material that's different. Film is always evolving this is just the next conversation.'

Netflix controversy: During her Lorraine interview, Lily also spoke about the controversy surrounding her new film Okja during the Cannes Film Festival

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.