Andra Day's portrayal of Billie Holiday in "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" garnered widespread acclaim, but the journey to embodying the jazz icon involved a significant physical and emotional transformation. Day's commitment to the role led her to make drastic lifestyle changes, including a 39-pound weight loss and adopting some of Holiday's habits. This article delves into the details of Andra Day's weight loss story, exploring the methods she employed and the motivations behind her choices.
The Role of a Lifetime
In 2018, Andra Day landed the role of Billie Holiday in the Lee Daniels-directed biopic, "The United States vs. Billie Holiday." The film explores Holiday's life as she becomes the target of an undercover sting operation centered around her struggles with substance abuse. For Day, this was her first major movie part, and she felt a deep responsibility to accurately portray the troubled singer during a pivotal time in her life.
Committing to the Character
Day immersed herself in researching Holiday, listening to every interview and reading everything she could find. She explained that she "exhausted the internet of Billie Holiday photos." To fully embody the character, Day felt she needed to understand Holiday's pain and trauma. "I just asked God to give me all of the pain and trauma," she shared.
Drastic Measures
Day's commitment extended to physically transforming herself to resemble Holiday. She revealed that she lost 39 pounds, going from 163 pounds to 124 pounds. In an interview with Variety, she described her experience: "I put my family through it; I put myself through it. I went from 163 pounds to 124 pounds. I would talk like her and I don’t drink or smoke, but I started smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol."
She clarified that she doesn't recommend others follow her example, stating, "Not that I recommend people do this; I just was desperate because this is my first role."
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Achieving a "Period Body"
Day explained her reasoning behind the weight loss in an interview with W Magazine: "There was the drastic weight loss. So I was originally 163 when I started. I got down to 124. I don’t necessarily recommend." She added, "For me, it was like 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."
Day wanted her body to reflect the physical realities of the time period and the challenges Holiday faced. She aimed to move and feel differently, which she believed would help her connect with the character on a deeper level.
Smoking and Alcohol
In addition to weight loss, Day also experimented with smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol to further embody Holiday's persona. She told W Magazine, “I started smoking cigarettes, which I don’t do. I don’t smoke anything. First of all, I have no frame of reference for myself smoking, so it makes me feel like her. It slows me down. She’s like molasses - I’m very fast. And when I had to do scenes where I was high on heroin, it really helped my physical body to nod in a way that I was just focusing on the emotion.”
She acknowledged the risks involved, stating, "Even though you're really not supposed to do that-apparently that's a cardinal rule to not do that, but look-I was desperate, okay?"
Impact on Performance
Day believed that these physical changes helped her slow down and focus on the emotional aspects of the role. She explained that smoking cigarettes made her feel like Holiday, while the weight loss allowed her to move with a different physicality.
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Reflecting on the Experience
In an interview with Rebecca Carroll, Day reflected on the reactions to her weight loss: “I’ve had people ask me, ‘Do you feel prettier now that you’ve lost weight?’ I was like, ‘Hell, no! I liked being juicy!" However, she also acknowledged the physical benefits: "But I do like the way (the weight loss) feels on my body, I like the way it feels on my joints. You do notice a difference."
Other Actors' Transformations
Andra Day is not the only actor who has undergone a physical transformation for a role. Cillian Murphy, to play scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, the Irish actor "had to lose quite a bit of weight," he shared. "He was very slim, almost emaciated, existed on martinis and cigarettes." Joaquin Phoenix lost 52 pounds for his Joker role, while J.K. Simmons gained muscle for Justice League. Jake Gyllenhaal lost 30 pounds for Nightcrawler, and Michael B. Jordan gained nearly 30 pounds of muscle for Creed. Jared Leto lost 40 pounds for The Dallas Buyers Club, and Matthew McConaughey dropped 30 pounds for the same film. Anne Hathaway lost weight for Les Misérables, and Christian Bale has famously transformed his body for various roles, including The Machinist, The Fighter, and American Hustle.
A Controversial Approach
While Day's dedication to her role was widely praised, her methods also sparked debate. Some questioned the necessity and safety of such drastic measures, particularly the use of smoking and alcohol. Experts generally advise against extreme weight loss and unhealthy habits, emphasizing the importance of a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Accolades and Recognition
Despite the controversy, Andra Day's performance in "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" was a resounding success. She earned two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama) and Best Song in a Motion Picture for her performance of "Tigress & Tweed." She also received similar nods for the Critics Choice Awards, including Best Actress and Best Song.
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