The actress, however, notes one thing that she hates from portraying the late jazz legend in Hulu's 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday' that premiered in February.
- May 12, 2021
AceShowbiz - Playing Billie Holiday in "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" apparently had a big impact on Andra Day. In a new interview, the "Marshall" actress revealed that the role had helped her deal with porn and sex addiction.
Talking about Holiday, who entered a jazz scene that was male-dominated, Day shared that she wanted the singer's talents and struggles with addiction to be highlighted instead of her sexuality. "I didn't want any element of sexualization. I had come out of something in my own life - dealing with porn addiction, sex addiction," Day shared to InStyle. "I'm being very, very candid with you because I'm not the only one. But I knew I wanted all of that very much gone."
Adding that she had a better understanding about feminity after playing the late music icon in the movie, Day went on to say, "I feel now, after playing Billie, that I'm honoring her, and the strength that is femininity. I'm definitely in a healthier place to enjoy that because I'm outside of the addiction, if you will. So, yeah, it's been really fun, because it's been very new for me."
However, one thing that Day hated about participating in her feature film debut was the fact that she lost 40 lbs for the role. "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! I was cool,' " Day opened up.
Losing weight wasn't entirely bad though, as Day noted, "But I do like the way [the weight loss] feels on my body, I like the way it feels on my joints." She continued, "You do notice a difference. Besides, to me, there is no such thing as a classic beauty. Beauty takes on so many different forms, in different times and depending on the nation. It's just about being confident, loving yourself, and understanding your value."
Prior to this, Day opened up about her weight loss journey for the Hulu biopic. "I basically abused my body for a long time. I'm joking and not really joking," she said during Variety's Actors on Actors. "I went from 163 pounds to 124 pounds."
The star added, "I would talk like her and I don't drink or smoke, but I started smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Not that I recommend people do this; I just was desperate because this is my first role. I just asked God to give me all of the pain and trauma. I asked him to give me her pain and give me her trauma."
