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.

Celebrities at the ITV studios

Celebrities at BBC Radio 2

photos credit: Shape, Getty and WENN

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29 Responses to “Lily Collins: ‘I never dreamed I’d be in a bikini on the cover of Shape’”

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  1. Neelyo says:

    She wrote an autobiography???

  2. sunsetsnow81 says:

    Any id on that gorgeous bikini? I need it, want it, got to have it.

  3. Esmom says:

    She looks so fit and healthy, good for her. It sounds like a very dangerous thing to lose weight for a role, even with professional oversight, given her history. Glad she made it through ok. I’m interested in seeing the film.

  4. Lilly says:

    That’s a lot of make-up for a swimsuit cover….

  5. Chaine says:

    That’s ok girl, we never dreamed you would, either. 🙄

  6. Katy says:

    Umm she was nominated for a Golden Globe this year. She’s pretty accomplished

  7. Arlene says:

    She was great in Rules Don’t Apply’. She seems to be making interesting film choices.

  8. Redgrl says:

    And you wouldn’t be, if your dad wasn’t Phil Collins.

  9. fiorucci says:

    She’s so gorgeous! If it’s on Netflix and has Keanu I will check it out

    • SusanneToo says:

      And it’s directed by Marti Noxon of Buffy fame. And produced by Keanu’s sister.

  10. Kiki says:

    She looks great. I love that bikini and she looks healthy. I hope she stays on the right path to feeling better for herself both physically and mentally.

  11. Fran says:

    How many times does a child of a famous person have to prove themselves until that’s not mentioned anymore? Yes, her dad is famous, and yes, it probably got her her first roles…but I think she’s done enough good work at this point that it doesn’t need to be pointed out every single article.

    • BendyWindy says:

      Until people know them more for THEIR work, than for their parents’. See also: Drew Barrymore, Mariska Hargitay, Michael Douglas, etc.

  12. Pandy says:

    She’s thin. Guess that’s enough to nab a bikini cover? I do love her eyebrows though.

  13. Pumpkin Pie says:

    Weird pose. No judgement here !!!

    She looks gorgeous !! in the red top/skirt combo. I love her make-up there. And I want the top AND the skirt !!

  14. Dirtydishes says:

    She looks so much like Eliza dushku the early years to me with the dark lipstick.

  15. PennyLane says:

    FYI, unless you’re running your meals through an irradiator prior to eating, all food is ‘dirty’. Don’t worry about it – all food is dirty, life is dirty, being organic is dirty.

    You’re clean after you take a shower…food isn’t clean. All food has bacteria (why do you think it goes bad?). ‘Clean eating’ is an oxymoron.

    • tweetime says:

      Yep. Also true recovery from an ED is very against concepts like “clean” eating. Food is not moral, and it does not convey anything about your cleanliness or purity. Language like that is indicative of the fact that she isn’t fully out of it.

  16. Bee says:

    If you want to be taken seriously as a actor, isn’t being on the cover of Shape like one step forward and two steps back? You expect this crap from Kate Hudson and other thirsty types whose careers are tanking, or they are trying to prove that they’ve still got “it”. It makes no sense for this girl to choose this path for cheap PR.

  17. Lex says:

    It seems fairly tone deaf that they put her on a magazine cover celebrating a healthy shape when she just filmed a show where she has anorexia?!?!