That ‘70s Show was very popular when it aired nearly 20 years ago. It made household names out of actors like Laura Prepon, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Wilmer Valderrama and more, but it wasn’t always easy for everyone on the show to be famous. In fact, Prepon recently revealed that during her time on the long-running series, she often struggled with her weight and an eating disorder several times during the show's run.
It was bulimia that was Laura Prepon’s biggest challenge when she was still a young actress on That ‘70s Show. The actress recently opened up about her struggles with the eating disorder, also noting that it was so noticeable during the show’s run that she can still watch episodes and know what was happening with her weight at that time. She said:
My weight fluctuated a lot on that show. I had to have two wardrobes. I used my period as an excuse. I get really bloated. When I see an episode of the show, I can tell by the way I looked whether I was doing it or not. Craft services was new then, too. It was freshly baked everything. It wasn’t just M&Ms in a bowl, so there were triggers all the time.
Laura Prepon is speaking out about her bulimia in a new book called You & I, As Mothers which is set to hit hardcover on April 7. Ahead of the release of the new book, Prepon also told People that it was her mother who taught her how to be bulimic when she was young, before she got the role as Donna on That ‘70s Show.
She says she kept her bulimia private on set, but it continued to haunt her. Particularly when later in life her mother continued to be bulimic after developing Alzheimer’s Disease. It was something that was “scary,” according to the actress.
Around the same time, Prepon tried out for the gig on Orange is the New Black and was concerned about whether or not her weight would keep her from getting the Netflix gig. Orange is the New Black was a show that prided itself on hiring women from diverse ethnicities as well as with different body types, backgrounds and more, but it seems as if Laura Prepon was uncertain about her value at the time.
These days she recognizes how Orange is the New Black broke barriers on TV and became a space for her to get comfortable with her body. She also said:
I’m so happy in my career that I see the change happening and being a part of a show like Orange is so wonderful for many reasons. One is that there are so many women of different ethnicities and shapes that are celebrated. I’m so thankful to have been a part of that.
Orange is the New Black wrapped up its final run on Netflix in July of 2019, several months after Netflix confirmed Season 7 would be the show’s final season. It’s still available for binge-watching while you are at home in quarantine along with That ‘70s Show, which has also been a Netflix staple for a while.
Meanwhile, You & I, As Mothers is out this coming month. Currently, Laura Prepon doesn’t have any listed upcoming TV credits; she is, however, a mother herself these days and recently had her second child with her husband Ben Foster in February of 2020.
Amazing Race & Top Chef superfan with a pinch of Disney fairy dust thrown in. Theme park junkie. If you’ve created a rom-com I’ve probably watched it.
