‘Clueless’ Star Reveals Startling Health Issues She Denied During Filming

Elisa Donovan, largely known for her role as Amber in the iconic 90's film Clueless, reveals she [...]

By BreAnna Bell

Elisa Donovan, largely known for her role as Amber in the iconic 90's film Clueless, reveals she suffered from some shocking health issues working on the movie. The now-50-year-old star shared that she once "almost suffered a heart attack" while she was filming, and was diagnosed with anorexia after visiting a doctor. "I was suffering greatly from anorexia and I had been in denial about it," she said, per Yahoo News. "I had maybe three or four days off in one week and I almost had a heart attack."

Donovan made an appearance on the podcast Celebrity Catch Up: Life After That Thing I Did to share some of her Clueless memories, but the filming wasn't all good fun and games. Though, she does say the movie helped her get healthy. "The doctor started talking to me about eating disorders and I said: 'well you're crazy because I thought I was too fat to be anorexic,'" she continued.

She admits at the time of her diagnosis, she was worried that she could lose her jobs because of her condition. The actress also reprised her character in the Clueless TV series, which ran for three seasons between 1996 and 1999. She later went on to take on guest roles in other popular sitcoms like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Beverly Hills 90210. "My life had started taking off in the way I wanted it to with my career and I was concerned that this was now suddenly going to prevent me from that," she said. "So initially the only reason I started to really get help was because I was worried I'd not be able to continue, but ultimately that's not what helps you to recover. It has to come from a more pure place of wanting to be better."

She went on to add that the film really helped her see that she needed to seek professional attention. She says it "changed her life in a lot of ways," and the most important way, potentially pointed her towards a healthier life. Donovan now uses her platform to speak openly about her experience with an eating disorder, in the hopes of encouraging others to seek assistance.

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