The Undoing star Matilda de Angelis says she battled anorexia as an adolescent.
The 25-year-old Italian-born actress captivated millions with her performance as Elena in the smash HBO drama where she bared her body in a couple noteworthy scenes.
Despite her seeming body-confident on camera, Matilda said in a 2018 interview, ‘For me anorexia was a way of seeing myself,’ as she spoke about her struggle to find self-acceptance amid a ‘desire for attention.’
Lifelong battle: The Undoing’s Matilda de Angelis, 25, reveals she struggled with anorexia as a teenger as she called it ‘a way of seeing myself,’ while struggling with a ‘desire for attention’; pictured 2018
Opening up about her battle with her body de Angelis said, ‘My adolescence was marked by a problem – anorexia.’
She cited a few catalysts for her eating issues as she said it was a ‘desire for attention [and] affection.’
‘It was a drastic way of saying ‘I’m here, look at me’,’ she shared while growing up in a small village near Bologna.
Opening up about the details surrounding her issues she chalked it down to some typical teenage growing pains and a need for control.
The Undoing: Despite her body-confidence as Elena on the hit HBO show, Matilda said she battled her body for years as a cry for affection; pictured in The Undoing
‘When you are 16 years old it’s all very dramatic, the relationship with your parents, or with the boy you like. You risk very easily not accepting yourself,’ she said.
‘For me anorexia was a way of seeing myself, of changing what I looked like and it was terrifying and you carry it with you your whole life. You are never at peace with it,’ she shared.
De Angelis continued to say that she now strives for self-acceptance at all costs and tries to humanize her body by photographing its imperfections.
‘What I try to do today is show my human side as much as I can, especially on social media, so I am talking about even photos of me with spots and stretch marks.’
Body image: Matilda chalked a lot of the roots of her anorexia down to typical teenage growing pains while seeking affection by changing herself; pictured in 2018
She addressed the overwhelming pursuit of perfection in Hollywood as she said, ‘the perfect pictures we see on social people are a muddied image,’ while urging, ‘you have to learn to accept yourself.’
On Friday the actress continued to prove this point as she shared a photo of herself with acne on Instagram.
She wrote, ‘Pimples are sexy, cellulite is sexy, belly is sexy, everything is sexy.’
Imperfections: The Italian-born actress has made it a point to inform people about the ‘muddied image’ on social media as she said she tries to show off her imperfections; pictured Friday
Discussing the the ways in which she has learned to move forward after some rough teenage years despite a constant battle she said:
‘I try to overcome it by giving importance to other things rather than focusing on my physical aspect but as I said before you never really get over it. The biggest triumph is to learn not to judge yourself.’
She added, ‘You have to learn to accept your defects and problems but it can be like a drug addict who is clean. You just need one moment of weakness to relapse once again.’
Rising star: Matilda has now catapulted to fame for her role opposite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in the HBO limited series, as audiences gripped their seats waiting to find out who killed her character
Now a name on everyone’s lips after starring opposite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in The Undoing, the show found audiences gripping their seats while waiting to find out who killed her character Elena in last Sunday’s finale.
The sixth episode of the series drew three million viewers on all platforms, making it the most watched episode of any HBO series since the Season 2 finale of Big Little Lies, also from creator David E. Kelley.
Currently Matilda is filming Across the River and into the Trees in Venice where she will star opposite Liev Schreiber in the World War II period piece based off the book by Ernest Hemingway.
Stacked projects: Fresh off the heels of The Undoing’s buzz, Matilda is now filming Across the River and into the Trees in Venice, Italy; pictured in 2017