Andra Day took the method of acting to a whole new level.
The actress revealed that she lost 39 pounds and started drinking and smoking to prepare for the title role in the next biopic directed by Lee Daniels, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday. “
“I made my family go through this; I worked hard for that, ”said Day, 36, who had never starred in a film before, to Variety. “I went from £ 163 to £ 124. She spoke like her and I don’t drink or smoke, but I started smoking and drinking alcohol. Not that I recommend that people do this; I was just desperate because this is my first role. “
She added: “I just asked God to give me all the pain and trauma. I asked him to give me his pain and his trauma. “
During his turbulent life, Holiday was a victim of rape and domestic violence. She also struggled with alcohol and drug addiction. She died of cirrhosis in 1959 at the age of 44.
Day explained that he obsessively researched the jazz singer.
“I basically abused my body for a long time. I’m kidding and I’m not kidding. I got the job at the height of 2018. Reading everything I could find. Hear all the interviews, ”she said. “Apparently, I ran out of photos of Billie Holiday on the internet. Apparently, the internet will say that you have reached the end. “
Day, who also sings in the film as Holiday, opened up about how to change her voice to better exemplify the pain of the music legend.
“That was an initial decision that we immediately made to sing,” said Day. “Every time I sang a song, I said, ‘OK, Lee is going to hear this and he says goodbye.’ But I wouldn’t have done it if they said ‘Do it with your voice’. That for me probably would have been a no. There is victory and there is pain in your voice. So, for me, it was like we had to make it, we have to understand, you know what I mean? It will have to be my interpretation, but it has to be there. “
The biopic will be released by Hulu in February.