Andra Day Battles 'Porn and Sex Addiction' While Playing Billie Holiday
Singer, Golden Globe-winner, and Oscar-nominated actress Andra Day opens up about her past addictions.
In a recent interview with InStyle, the actress revealed her personal battle with porn and sex addictions as she plays the role of Billie Holiday in the hulu original film "The United States vs. Billie Holiday"
Day, who recently lost 40 pounds for her role in the film, clarified that she didn't want any objectification and hypersexualization of her character in the film which was set in the 1930s male-dominated jazz scene, "I didn't want any element of sexualization." she stated.
The actress has also acknowledged her personal struggles, "I had come out of something in my own life - dealing with porn addiction, sex addiction," she added.
She also aded that her character helped her embrace her femininity "I feel now, after playing Billie, that I'm honoring her, and the strength that is femininity." she said.
Day also confirmed that she's now past her addiction and is now in a healthier place "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." she added
Besides her struggles, the actress also talked about beauty and self-love by saying "To me, there is no such thing as a classic beauty. Beauty takes on so many different forms, in different times and depending on the nation." she then added "It's just about being confident, loving yourself, and understanding your value."
"The United States vs. Billie Holiday" was Day's first major film roll, she plays as Billie Holiday, a jazz singer who had struggles with drug addiction until she died at the age of 44. Day previously told PEOPLE that she thought of "retiring" from acting after playing the Jazz singer in the film as the role took a toll on her.
In the interview, the actress stated that she began to smoke cigarettes and picked up the habit of drinking a lot of gin. Day does not recommend her actions to others and has then decided to quit her vices.
The autobiographical film "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" is about the singer Billie Holiday and was based on the book "Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs" written by Johann Hari.
The film received mixed reviews from movie critics because of its direction and screenplay but Day was praised for her performance. Day won the award for best actress at the Golden Globes for her role in the film.
