The Weight of a Role: How Hollywood Pressure Sparked Diane Keaton’s Eating Disorder

The death of Diane Keaton at 79 serves as a somber reminder of the often-unseen consequences of Hollywood’s intense pressure for physical perfection. The actress herself traced the beginning of her years-long battle with bulimia to a single comment early in her career: a directive to lose 10 pounds for a role on Broadway.
This incident was the catalyst for a devastating spiral into what she would later call a full-blown addiction. For Keaton, the pressure to be thin morphed into a compulsive need to “feed her hunger,” a psychological battle that manifested in a dangerous physical cycle of binging and purging.
The scale of her illness was a direct reflection of the immense pressure she felt. She confessed to consuming up to 20,000 calories a day in binges that included vast quantities of fast food, sweets, and entire desserts. It was a secret, chaotic life that stood in stark contrast to her composed public persona.
While battling this internal demon, she was also managing the external threat of skin cancer, a fight that began at 21 and continued throughout her life. This dual burden of physical and psychological illness highlights the immense fortitude she possessed.
Keaton’s story is a powerful indictment of the weight of a role—both literally and figuratively. By speaking out, she gave a voice to the countless performers who have suffered in silence, revealing the very real human cost of the entertainment industry’s impossible standards.