Former child star admits going to 'weight loss camp' to be cast in Hunger Games
In 2001 Alyson Stoner rose to fame as the co-host of the Disney Channel's Mike's Super Short Show, going on to star in movies and TV shows including Cheaper by the Dozen, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, That's So Raven and Drake & Josh.
They were also a background dancer for Missy Elliott, Eminem, Outkast and Will Smith.
However, this month Alyson, 31, is publishing a memoir about their time in the spotlight from such a young age.
Part of an excerpt published by Vanity Fair has now detailed how the actor, who uses they/them pronouns, went to desperate lengths to be cast as Katniss Everdeen in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel series The Hunger Games.
'Katniss was the ultimate role and the ultimate strong female lead: purpose-driven, sharp, athletic, and, thankfully, a heroine whose capacities were more important than physical beauty. But the role was playing with fire for me,' Stoner wrote.
'Katniss was characteristically thin — not starving, but small enough to reflect growing up in an underfed district — and muscular from hunting and archery. If I was going to devote myself to checking every box of the character description, I had to commit to strenuous training without fully succumbing to my eating disorder.'
Although Stoner believed their Disney history made being cast a 'long shot', they also tried to remain optimistic as it wasn't unheard of for a director to 'pluck an unexpected person from the crowd and make them a star, either'.
But in the process of preparing to audition Stoner, who was 17 at the time, was approved to attend a 'world-renowned medical weight loss camp' to get into shape for the role despite already being severely underweight.
The program involved 'two weeks of seven hours of daily exercise on a calorie deficit'.
As Stoner writes, they 'didn't recognise the irrational expectations that doctors and society made for Hollywood', going on to share how at 10 years old, a heart murmur was covered up by a doctor to ensure the actor could continue working.
'Upon sharing that I had dizzy spells and blackouts, he didn't mark anything on my file because it 'might stop the production company from letting you work'. I followed the doctor's orders and ignored the murmur like he did, deducing that Hollywood must exist above medicine, above the law, and even above common sense.'
Stoner went on to slam the doctors and trainers who should have 'never permitted an underweight minor to do seven hours of fourteen-mile hikes, heavy lifting, and high-intensity cardio'.
Despite all the efforts to secure the role, it eventually went to Jennifer Lawrence.
But while Stoner was waiting to hear back about how their auditions went, they went into a 'full-body emergency alarm for food' and then 'completed the biggest binge of my life'.
When eventually told they'd missed out, Stoner 'sat on my bed with vacant eyes and a distant mind'. More Trending
The Hunger Games director Gary Ross said selecting Lawrence was the 'easiest casting decision I ever made in my life'.
'I absolutely cast the right person for the role and in my view, there wasn't even a question who the best Katniss was,' he told Entertainment Weekly in 2011.
The first Hunger Games movie hit screens the following year and grossed $695.2 million (£929million).
Stoner's memoir Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is out on August 12.
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A former child star has detailed the efforts they took to try and secure the starring role in The Hunger Games. In 2001 Alyson Stoner rose to fame as the co-host of the Disney Channel's Mike's Super Short Show, going on to star in movies and TV shows including Cheaper by the Dozen, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, That's So Raven and Drake & Josh. They were also a background dancer for Missy Elliott, Eminem, Outkast and Will Smith. However, this month Alyson, 31, is publishing a memoir about their time in the spotlight from such a young age. Part of an excerpt published by Vanity Fair has now detailed how the actor, who uses they/them pronouns, went to desperate lengths to be cast as Katniss Everdeen in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel series The Hunger Games. 'Katniss was the ultimate role and the ultimate strong female lead: purpose-driven, sharp, athletic, and, thankfully, a heroine whose capacities were more important than physical beauty. But the role was playing with fire for me,' Stoner wrote. 'Katniss was characteristically thin — not starving, but small enough to reflect growing up in an underfed district — and muscular from hunting and archery. If I was going to devote myself to checking every box of the character description, I had to commit to strenuous training without fully succumbing to my eating disorder.' Although Stoner believed their Disney history made being cast a 'long shot', they also tried to remain optimistic as it wasn't unheard of for a director to 'pluck an unexpected person from the crowd and make them a star, either'. But in the process of preparing to audition Stoner, who was 17 at the time, was approved to attend a 'world-renowned medical weight loss camp' to get into shape for the role despite already being severely underweight. The program involved 'two weeks of seven hours of daily exercise on a calorie deficit'. As Stoner writes, they 'didn't recognise the irrational expectations that doctors and society made for Hollywood', going on to share how at 10 years old, a heart murmur was covered up by a doctor to ensure the actor could continue working. 'Upon sharing that I had dizzy spells and blackouts, he didn't mark anything on my file because it 'might stop the production company from letting you work'. I followed the doctor's orders and ignored the murmur like he did, deducing that Hollywood must exist above medicine, above the law, and even above common sense.' Stoner went on to slam the doctors and trainers who should have 'never permitted an underweight minor to do seven hours of fourteen-mile hikes, heavy lifting, and high-intensity cardio'. Despite all the efforts to secure the role, it eventually went to Jennifer Lawrence. But while Stoner was waiting to hear back about how their auditions went, they went into a 'full-body emergency alarm for food' and then 'completed the biggest binge of my life'. When eventually told they'd missed out, Stoner 'sat on my bed with vacant eyes and a distant mind'. More Trending The Hunger Games director Gary Ross said selecting Lawrence was the 'easiest casting decision I ever made in my life'. 'I absolutely cast the right person for the role and in my view, there wasn't even a question who the best Katniss was,' he told Entertainment Weekly in 2011. The first Hunger Games movie hit screens the following year and grossed $695.2 million (£929million). Stoner's memoir Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything is out on August 12. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Superman actor Dean Cain reveals shock decision to join ICE 'to help save America' MORE: Kelly Clarkson cancels Las Vegas residency dates over ex-husband's illness MORE: Brutal reason Matthew McConaughey lost out on Titanic role
Daily Mail
4 days ago
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Former child star reveals they went to 'weight loss camp' for Hunger Games role that Jennifer Lawrence won
Former child star Alyson Stoner revealed that they went to a 'medical weight loss camp' in preparation to audition for the lead role in The Hunger Games - which went to Jennifer Lawrence. The 31-year-old Camp Rock alum — who previously ended their feud with Demi Lovato — got candid about the 'strenuous' lengths they took in their upcoming memoir Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything which hits shelves on August 12. Alyson — who came out as queer in 2018 and uses they/them pronouns — described the workout regime and diet they underwent while simultaneously battling an eating disorder. In an excerpt of the book, per Vanity Fair, the star penned that playing Katniss would be the 'ultimate role' and 'ultimate strong female lead.' They continued, 'But the role was playing with fire for me. Katniss was characteristically thin — not starving, but small enough to reflect growing up in an underfed district — and muscular from hunting and archery. 'If I was going to devote myself to checking every box of the character description, I had to commit to strenuous training without fully succumbing to my eating disorder.' Alyson began undergoing more intense workouts months before the audition. The star explained that they were ready for such a pivotal role in their career and explained, 'I'd spent my whole career erring on the side of practicality and it hadn't amounted to a breakthrough. So this time, I jumped for the moon.' At the age of 17, Alyson was approved to attend a 'world-renowned medical weight loss camp' — which offered a two-week program that included 'seven hours of daily exercise on a calorie deficit.' At the time, the former Disney channel star admitted to already being underweight and wrote that they 'didn't recognize the irrational exceptions that doctors (and society) made for Hollywood, because it was all I knew.' Alyson recalled getting a physical done when they were 10 before filming Cheaper By The Dozen. They explained a doctor found a heart murmur but didn't add the discovery to their file 'because it "might stop the production company from letting you work." 'I followed the doctor's orders and ignored the murmur like he did, deducing that Hollywood must exist above medicine, above the law, and even above common sense.' Alyson's initial goal when preparing for the Katniss audition was not to lose weight but instead build muscle. At the age of 17, Alyson was approved to attend a 'world-renowned medical weight loss camp' — which offered a two-week program that included 'seven hours of daily exercise on a calorie deficit'; seen in 2010 at age 17 in NYC 'Doctors and trainers should've never permitted an underweight minor to do seven hours of fourteen-mile hikes, heavy lifting, and high-intensity cardio,' the star penned. 'But all I had to say was that I was training for an acting role. They assessed me as mentally stable and opened the door.' By the end of two weeks, Alyson revealed the results from the intense training and diet and said their 'body fat percentage dropped into the range of elite gymnasts.' The star shared how they became 'hooked' on the regime which negatively affected their immune system and caused massive fatigue as well as lightheadedness. Alyson prepared three scenes for the day of the audition and one of the scenes ended up being cut. They waited to hear back following the audition for days, and their body ended up going into 'starvation mode.' Alyson recalled 'completing the biggest binge of my life' and wrote, 'Twelve hours later, I awoke to a revolting migraine and lethargy. 'Somehow, I was still craving sugar. But before I could think about spoiling another day, I had to face the self-inflicted damage of the night before.' The star added, 'When I stepped onto the scale, I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. What the hell? I gained back every single pound I lost over two months? In a few hours?! It was my worst nightmare. 'My body had held on to every morsel of food and liquid ounce, unsure when it would be fed again. All my progress was erased.' While Alyson did not end up winning the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games franchise, they are known for other projects. The star appeared in movies such as Cheaper By The Dozen (2003), Step Up (2008) as well as the Disney channel movies Camp Rock (2008) and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010). Alyson showcased their dance skills in the past by appearing in Missy Elliot's 2002 music for Work It at the age of nine. They have also previously talked about the effect that the audition preparation for The Hunger Games had on them. During an interview with Access Hollywood in 2022, they explained, 'I am not sure I have ever shared this explicitly, but I was auditioning for The Hunger Games for the lead role, Katniss. 'I was so committed to the audition process that I underwent very intense physical training, and I was on a very restrictive diet.' The star appeared in movies such as Cheaper By The Dozen (2003), Step Up (2008) as well as the Disney channel movies Camp Rock (2008) and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010); seen with Demi Lovato in Camp Rock sequel Alyson admitted to checking themselves into rehab and remembered, 'My hair is starting to fall out, my skin is sallow, and I'm medically underweight. I feel obsessive about these behaviors, and I really need help.' The star has been candid with fans over their struggles with anorexia, bulimia and anxiety. In 2018, Alyson came out as queer and later revealed that they were fired from a children's television show soon after, although they didn't disclose the name of the series. They have continued to voice the character of Isabella in the animated series Phineas And Ferb and attended 2025 Comic Con in San Diego last month to take part in a panel for the show.
