Within the pages of InStyle’s June cover, Andra Day opened up about her past struggles with porn and sex addiction, facing them head-on during the filming of her acting debut, The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
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Taking away more than she expected after playing Billie Holiday, Day revealed how the role in the Hulu original film helped her embrace her femininity and explained how her personal life affected how she played Holiday.
The Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee, admitted she "didn't want any element of sexualization" when portraying Holiday, who Day says constantly dealt with objectification and hyper-sexualization in the male-dominated jazz scene during her career. Day's hesitation stemmed from her own bouts with addiction.
"I had come out of something in my own life, dealing with porn addiction, sex addiction," Day said. "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.”
Once Day finished filming, she realized playing Holiday transformed her own ideas of beauty and sexuality. Sharing her sentiments with the outlet, Day noted ”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.”
In addition to her mental and internal transformation, Day also went through a physical one before filming even started, losing 40 pounds for the role, for which she admitted there are both pros and cons.
"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 revealed. "But I do like the way (the weight loss) feels on my body, I like the way it feels on my joints. You do notice a difference.”
”Besides, to me, there is no such thing as a classic beauty," Day continued. "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.”
These days, Andra says she feels beautiful and proudly owns it. Noting, “and it has to do with Billie.” Adding, “It was almost like she said, 'Sis, we're going to have to close this, because I have to survive.' She opened me up to valuing myself in a way that I hadn't fully before.”
Check out Andra’s entire interview with InStyle here.
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