Katy O’Brian is a warrior, a fighter, and definitely a survivor. It was not an easy road for her to get her “dream” role in Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding (released on March 8, 2024). It was, in actuality, rife with suffering, doubt, and innumerable difficulties. Pushing through the darkness, she came out of it stronger than ever.
It is not easy to work with Crohn’s disease, and O’Brian almost gave up her dream of becoming a successful Hollywood actress. We all know she is already considered to be physically fit, but competing in the 1980s as a bodybuilder (in the 2024 flick) and needing a body like that was a whole different story.
In a recent interview, O’Brian talked about her battle with Crohn’s disease while preparing for her dream role.
The Unbreakable Spirit of Katy O’Brian: Battling Crohn’s Disease
Beyond being a typical Hollywood actor, Katy O’Brian is also a bodybuilding enthusiast and a martial artist. Love Lies Bleeding features her in the role of an aspiring bodybuilder, Jackie. She had severe Crohn’s disease, but that did not stop her from changing her body and playing ‘Jackie’ on screen.
O’Brian recently spoke with Self about her experiences dealing with Crohn’s disease, which is typified by symptoms like extreme fatigue, frequent diarrhea, and stomach pain. She explained that until her symptoms started to interfere with her everyday activities and her work, no one had paid any attention to them.
There have been highs and lows for her since 2020. She informed the outlet:
“It honestly came as somewhat of a relief, because it explained why I’d been feeling so terrible. At that point, I started taking medication and modifying my diet, both of which have made a huge difference in keeping me healthy.”
Even though she can usually work a full schedule and lift weights on a regular basis, things started to go wrong when she began filming Love Lies Bleeding. Up until March 2020, “when I got really sick”, she carried on as usual with acting, teaching martial arts, and “doing my bodybuilding workouts”. She added:
“I was throwing up for over a week, and then one morning I woke up and was just vomiting nonstop, even though my stomach was empty.”
While waiting for the procedure and the post-op recovery was not exactly an option, her doctor advised urgent surgery to remove scar tissue that had developed as a result of Crohn’s disease. However, she had to work 12- to 16-hour days on set and put in an additional two to three hours of cardio and lifting every night.
Fitness, Focus, and Love Lies Bleeding: Inside Katy O’Brian’s Workout Plan
Although Katy O’Brian is no stranger to physical fitness, living in the 1980s and possessing the physique of a bodybuilder competitor raised the bar significantly. “People now expect me to be generally in shape for parts, so I tend to stay at least two weeks in advance”, the actress shared with TheWrap.
In the latest film by director Rose Glass, O’Brian’s character is developed greatly, and sometimes she is given more life than she can manage. Her preparation for the intense role began by viewing “Pumping Iron II: The Women”, a 1985 motion picture. The actress further stated:
“I managed to find ‘Pumping Iron II, [but] it was hard to find. Which is funny because ‘Pumping Iron’ is easy to find.”
Despite her knowledge of the politics surrounding bodybuilding at the time, O’Brian found it challenging to modify her body to suit the aesthetic.
“I have Crohn’s disease and it’s very, very unhealthy to be that lean, ever, and then to think about performing on top of it is a struggle.”
In order to tone her body, O’Brian followed a somewhat typical exercise regimen that she follows in her free time, albeit for fewer hours. Her need to perform cardio posed the largest obstacle:
“I would do two days a week of chest, shoulders, triceps. Two days of back, biceps and traps. And then two days of legs and one day off. And then 30 to 45 minutes of abs every day, which was really annoying for me because I felt like I was just going through the motions. And then an hour of walking uphill on a treadmill every day.”
The next time you encounter hardship—whether it be a medical condition, a professional setback, or a personal crisis—keep O’Brian’s story in mind. Because, like her, you can transform your pain into victory and your struggles into success.
Love Lies Bleeding is playing in theaters.
