She earned a legion of fans – and an Emmy nomination – with her performance in The White Lotus.
But Aimee Lou Wood says the intensity of her rise to international stardom has meant a past eating disorder has threatened to surface again.
The British actress, 31, suffered from bulimia, social anxiety and body dysmorphia as a teenager, and says the stress of being in the spotlight can take a toll on her mental health.
‘I still have moments when I’m really overwhelmed and stressed and I feel it coming back up, like, “I could just take back control by not eating”,’ she told the Radio Times. ‘Then I go, “No, I have to [eat]” and I catch that and try not to get burnt out.’
Ms Wood, who played Chelsea in the most recent series of the HBO drama, said the support of fans has helped her through some of her darker days.
‘It gives me confidence on the days where sometimes that little demon comes back up,’ she said.
Aimee Lou Wood says the intensity of her rise to international stardom has meant a past eating disorder has threatened to surface again
The British actress, 31, suffered from bulimia, social anxiety and body dysmorphia as a teenager, and says the stress of being in the spotlight can take a toll on her mental health
Ms Wood was diagnosed with ADHD last year and is undergoing tests to ascertain whether she is autistic. But, she says, she now realises her neurodiversity is a ‘superpower’ that has made her better at her job.
‘I don’t need everyone to understand me. The people that get me, get me,’ she added.
Eating disorders, including bulimia, anorexia and binge eating disorder, affect some 1.25million people in the UK.
Bulimia, characterised by periods of purging calories via vomiting, exercising or other means, can have deadly effects on the heart if untreated.
The condition is thought to be caused by a combination of factors, including genetic predisposition, personality type and trigger — such as being bullied or starting a diet.
The Mancunian previously said her body image struggles may have been rooted in cruel jibes from classmates in her school years.
In her private secondary school, where she first developed a love of drama, she said she felt out of place with her thick Stockport accent, and was teased about her ‘Bugs Bunny’ teeth.
This led her to believe she wouldn’t be able to land acting roles due to being ‘too weird-looking’.
She says, she realises her neurodiversity is a ‘superpower’ that has made her better at her job
‘Anyone who’s been bullied knows what it’s like to hear these things, to internalise it and turn it in on yourself and go “If I was just less ugly, just less this, just more this…”,’ she told The Observer.
It appears as though the Sex Education star’s demons have not fully disappeared, given recent comments she made about her role in HBO hit White Lotus.
In an interview with British GQ published this month, Ms Wood explained how comments from White Lotus creator Mike White about ‘fighting’ the studio to cast her had left her feeling insecure.
‘When someone (not a producer) told me Mike fought for me it was said in a nice way,’ she said.
‘I just spiralled about it because of my own imposter syndrome.
‘My little head goes “HBO didn’t want me. And I know why HBO didn’t want me, it’s because I’m ugly”.
She continued: ‘Mike had to say, “please let me have the ugly girl!” That was the thing that was in my head.’
Aimee has since clarified however, that HBO had been incredibly supportive of her.
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