In her upcoming memoir Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything, Alyson Stoner peels back the curtain on a dark chapter of her Hollywood journey—one that nearly broke her body and spirit.
Best known for her roles in Cheaper by the Dozen, Camp Rock, and Missy Elliott’s iconic music videos, Stoner shares for the first time her harrowing attempt to land the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. Desperate to physically transform into the gritty heroine, the then-17-year-old actress committed to an extreme training regimen: seven hours of daily exercise on a calorie deficit at a weight-loss camp—despite being underweight.
“I thought I was chasing strength,” she writes, “but I was really chasing approval.”
Stoner describes losing herself in the process, culminating in a devastating binge and emotional collapse after learning she didn’t get the part. Her vivid recollection exposes a deeply flawed system where industry standards override health, even for minors.
Though she never became Katniss, Stoner’s brutal honesty shines as the kind of hero we need—one willing to share the truth, no matter how painful. Her memoir releases August 12.
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