Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘Shallow Hal’ Body Double Developed an Eating Disorder

Ivy Snitzer, who acted as Gwyneth Paltrow’s body double in the 2001 comedy Shallow Hal, is opening up about the impact that role had on her, revealing that she went on to develop disordered eating following the film’s release that left her “technically starving to death.”

The former actress was 20 years old when she was used for close-up shots of Paltrow’s character Rosemary in the romantic comedy, which stars Jack Black as a man who falls in love with a plus-size woman after being hypnotized to see only inner beauty. In a new interview with The Guardian, Snitzer revealed that while she felt “really comfortable” on set, the success of the film took a huge toll on her.

“It didn’t occur to me that the film would be seen by millions of people,” she told the outlet. “It was like the worst parts about being fat were magnified.” She continued of the aftermath of the film, which often uses Rosemary’s weight as a punchline, “I hated my body the way I was supposed to. I ate a lot of salads. I had eating disorders that I was very proud of.”

In 2003, Snitzer underwent gastric band surgery to reduce the size of her stomach but suffered serious complications that made it difficult for her to keep food down. “I was so thin you could see my teeth through my face and my skin was all grey,” she said of the aftermath of her surgery. Furthermore, the young actress had been targeted by people who harassed her for her body and mailed her things like diet pills.

“I got really scared,” she said. “I was like: maybe I’m done with the concept of fame, maybe I don’t want to be an actor. Maybe I’ll do something else.” Snitzer also was discouraged from pursuing acting when she continued on to receive “mean” offers from casting directors. “I didn’t want to play a woman who was so ugly and lonely that she molested young boys because that was the only way she could get affection,” she explained. 

Despite an instance on the Shallow Hal set in which a senior production member unhappily commented on her weight loss, Snitzer did describe her experience filming the movie as largely positive. Both the cast and crew “treated me like I really mattered, like they couldn’t make the movie without me,” she recalled fondly, calling Black “a delightful person” and Paltrow “really nice” and complimentary.