Charlize Theron reveals struggle with depression after gaining 22 kilos
Transforming herself for a role is something Charlize Theron doesn’t shy away from.
The actress underwent a major transformation for her role in 2003’s Monster, which earned her an Oscar for Best Actress.
Now, the 42-year-old star has undergone the process all over again to nail her role in new film, Tully, this time gaining a hefty amount of weight – a total of 22 kilos.
However, this time around, Theron admits it did take a toll on her mental health.
“You know, it was a huge surprise to me. I got hit in the face pretty hard with depression,” Theron revealed to Entertainment Tonight, while promoting Tully.
The mum-of-two blamed her high-calorie junk food diet whilst transforming into the lead character as the reason behind her terrible mood, admitting, “I was not that fun to be around on this film.”
The South African born star added, “For the first time in my life, I was eating so much processed food and I drank way too much sugar.”
Theron also admitted that the novelty of eating fast food wore off pretty quickly.
“The first three weeks are always fun because you’re just like a kid in a candy store. So it was fun to go and have breakfast at In-N-Out and have two milkshakes,” the actress revealed.
“And then after three weeks, it’s not fun anymore. Like, all of a sudden you’re just done eating that amount and then it becomes a job.”
The method actress says it was a challenge keeping the weight on.
“I would literally wake up at two in the morning and I’d have a cup of cold macaroni and cheese just next to me,” Theron said.
“I would wake up and I would just eat it… I would just, like, shove it in my throat. It’s hard to maintain that weight.”
In the lead role of Tully, Theron plays an exhausted mother-of-three.
“I wanted to feel what this woman felt, and I think that was a way for me to get closer to her and get into that mindset,” the actress said.