The actress was auditioning for the lead role in the movie when she noticed that she needed professional help and she decided to apply.
Alyson Stoner has revealed the personal impact of auditioning for the Hunger Games. Speaking with Access Hollywood, the actress shared that she auditioned for the role of Katniss Everdeen. Although the starring role in Hunger Games ultimately went to Jennifer Lawerence, Alyson detailed her own approach to the audition. “I was so invested in the audition process that I underwent very intense physical training and was on a very restrictive diet,” she said.
The youngster herself continued, revealing, "My hair is starting to fall out, my skin is sallow, and I'm medically underweight. I feel obsessed with these behaviors and I really need help. So I checked myself into rehab." After arriving at rehab, she came across some of her previous work.
Some of my projects, the DVDs were on the shelf, and I had that moment of, 'Is it okay if I ask you not to play it while I'm here?' and wondering, 'Am I allowed to defend myself like that?' here for everyone's entertainment, but right now I really need privacy and to be authentic." Fortunately, she was able to recover, adding: “I am very lucky to have had access to support. That's not the case for many people."
The star previously spoke about the impact of her career as a child actress. Starring in multiple music videos and movies, Alyson had admitted that she had coming-of-age issues in the movie industry. “It is a longstanding abusive system that dominates entertainment, media, and culture. It allows child artists to endure violence, abuse, and neglect without accountability to those who perpetuate it,” she once wrote on Instagram.
Alyson has credited her therapy with helping her through that period, previously writing in her essay: "Although I am not without scars and ongoing struggles, I remain one of the luckier cases. I had access to a therapist who saw beyond the allure of fame and taught me how to safely re-inhabit my body."
