Actress Olivia Cooke is opening up about a frightening on-set experience that nearly led to disaster.
In a candid interview with the Sunday Times published December 6, the House of the Dragon star revealed she almost fainted while filming nude scenes for her Prime Video thriller series The Girlfriend.
The culprit? Skipping breakfast in an attempt to feel more confident about her body on camera.
Her story shines a light on the intense pressure actresses face around body image—and the dangerous lengths some go to in pursuit of perceived perfection.
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The Day Everything Went Wrong
Cooke, 31, plays social climber Cherry in The Girlfriend, a role that required multiple vulnerable nude scenes. Feeling anxious about exposing her body to cast and crew, she made what seemed like a simple decision: she’d skip breakfast before filming.
But when the shooting schedule shifted unexpectedly and the scene was pushed later into the day, her choice nearly had serious consequences.
I felt like I was gonna faint … I was like, ‘I’m not doing this anymore, no way. Give me a croissant!’
The British actress’s candor about this moment reveals just how normalized dangerous behaviors around food and body image have become in entertainment—even when they put performers at physical risk.
Body Image Battles in Hollywood
Cooke didn’t hold back when discussing the psychological toll of filming intimate scenes. For someone used to privacy around nudity, being exposed in front of dozens of crew members triggered deep insecurity.
It’s so hard not to feel insecure when only yourself and your partner and your doctor see you like that.
Her vulnerability around this subject speaks to a universal struggle many people face—particularly women in industries where appearance is constantly scrutinized.
The actress admitted she’s been grappling with fears about weight gain and physical changes, confessing to the Times that she worries about her “weight” and “cellulite traveling further down” her legs.
Taking Control: Deleting Social Media
To combat the constant anxiety about her appearance, Cooke took a radical step: she deleted Instagram and other social platforms from her phone entirely.
To not be inundated with endlessly shrinking bodies has been a relief. I don’t think I’ve ever navel-gazed that hard about my own body until now.
The decision paid off. Without the constant barrage of filtered, edited images flooding her feed, Cooke found breathing room from comparison culture.
She didn’t mince words about what she believes is driving these impossible standards.
Not to blame this on the patriarchy, but it does just feel like another way to suppress women [and] make them even more anxious and scared about just being in a bigger body.
Mental Health Struggles Behind the Scenes
Body image wasn’t Cooke’s only challenge. She revealed experiencing a severe mental health crisis at age 22, suffering panic attacks every single day for three weeks.
The ordeal led to an OCD diagnosis and lingering intrusive thoughts that haunted her for years.
Your twenties are such a chaotic, topsy-turvy time, where you’re desperately trying to act like an adult, but your frontal lobe is just flapping in the wind.
She described the experience as torture from within, adding she “wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
At her lowest point, Cooke admitted keeping certain issues to herself until reaching a breaking point.
I don’t want to be too dramatic, but it got to the point where I was, like, ‘I don’t want to be here any more.’
Finding Refuge in Acting
Ironically, while the entertainment industry contributed to Cooke’s body image struggles, acting itself became her lifeline during dark mental health periods.
Between action and cut, that was like heaven.
Those moments of transformation into character provided escape and relief from intrusive thoughts that plagued her daily life.
The balance eventually came in 2020 when Cooke made another significant life change: returning to the U.K. after years working in the United States.
Going Home to Heal
Back in her hometown of Oldham, surrounded by childhood friends from her early acting days, something shifted.
I felt more centred and grounded. I just needed to be a kid again, in a way.
The geographical move represented more than changing locations—it was about reconnecting with herself before fame, pressure, and industry standards complicated everything.
Practical Lessons from Cooke’s Experience
While most people won’t face the specific pressures of filming nude scenes, Cooke’s story offers valuable takeaways about body image and mental health:
- Never skip meals for appearance: Proper nutrition isn’t optional—it’s essential for physical and mental function
- Limit social media exposure: Curated feeds don’t reflect reality and fuel harmful comparisons
- Speak up about struggles: Keeping mental health issues secret often makes them worse
- Find your “between action and cut”: Identify activities that provide relief from anxious thoughts
- Return to your roots: Sometimes healing requires reconnecting with who you were before external pressures mounted
The Bigger Picture
Cooke’s honesty about nearly fainting from hunger highlights how normalized disordered eating behaviors have become—especially for women in visual industries.
Her decision to demand a croissant and refuse to continue represents an important boundary. No job, scene, or appearance standard is worth compromising your health.
By sharing her experiences with body image anxiety, mental health crises, and the healing power of stepping back from toxic influences, Cooke contributes to crucial conversations about wellbeing in entertainment and beyond.
Season 1 of The Girlfriend is now streaming on Prime Video, featuring Cooke alongside Robin Wright, who also directed episodes of the thriller series.
If you or someone you know needs mental health support, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to connect with a certified crisis counselor.
