Melissa Gilbert didn’t find herself “as a woman” until she left Los Angeles.
The 60-year-old actress starred in the NBC western series Little Farm as a child and continued working in California in the 1980s and 1990s. She eventually left the Hollywood metropolis and moved to Michigan, where she immediately began a healthier lifestyle to relieve the “pressure” of show business.
“A few years ago I looked at myself in the mirror. I was living in Los Angeles and no longer recognized who I was. I had over-filled my face and lips. My forehead didn’t move. I still dyed my hair red. I drove a Mustang convertible. I was a size XS in an unhealthy way. “I looked like a frozen version of my younger self, and that wasn’t me,” she tells FoxNews Digital.
The actress added: “I was stuck. I could feel myself fighting it. And I said to myself, ‘It’s time to get older.’ In order to do that, I had to leave Los Angeles – not Hollywood, but specifically Los Angeles. I stopped coloring my hair. I let [meine] Remove breast implants. I decided to just be the best, healthiest version of myself without the pressure to look a certain way, and it paid off big time.”
Today Melissa lives in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. She hasn’t regretted her decision for a second. “I finally stood on my feet as a woman, fully, 100 percent strong in my own knowledge, in my own performance. Everything became easier. And a bonus? “I have a lot more free time where I’m not staring in the mirror, sitting in a dermatologist’s chair, or sitting in a hairdresser’s chair,” she says.
1. Could you tell us more about your experience living in Los Angeles and how it affected your sense of self as a woman?
2. How did moving to Michigan impact your journey towards self-discovery and acceptance?
3. What were some of the specific changes you made in your appearance and lifestyle after moving to Michigan?
4. How did your decision to remove breast implants and stop coloring your hair affect your overall sense of self-worth and confidence?
5. Can you elaborate on the mental and emotional shift that occurred once you embraced aging and stopped trying to maintain an unrealistic Hollywood image?
6. What advice would you give to others struggling with similar issues of identity and body image in the entertainment industry?
Section 1: Reflecting on the Pressures of Hollywood and Los Angeles
– Melissa, can you share some of the specific pressures you felt while living in Los Angeles and working in the entertainment industry?
– How did you cope with these pressures during your time there?
– Ashton, as a fellow actor, how have you seen these pressures manifest in your own experiences or those of others in the industry?
Section 2: Embracing Change and Self-Acceptance
- What prompted Melissa to make the decision to leave Los Angeles and pursue a healthier lifestyle?
– Ashton, how important do you think it is for individuals in the spotlight to prioritize their health and well-being over appearance standards?
- Melissa, how have your relationships and friendships changed since making these lifestyle changes?
– What has been the response from fans or the media regarding your decision to embrace your natural appearance?
Section 3: Life in the Catskills and Personal Growth
– How has life in the Catskills compared to life in Los Angeles?
– Melissa, what have been some challenges you’ve faced in this new environment?
– Ashton, what have been some of the benefits of living away from the hustle and bustle of a major city?
– How has personal growth impacted your work as an actor since making these changes?
