These Old Hollywood Stars Had Bizarre Diets
From what they're wearing to who they associate with, celebrities' lives are fascinating, and that fascination dates back to old Hollywood. For whatever reason, regular people have always wanted to know personal details about celebrities. People have long been particularly interested in the parts of celebrities that make them more human, like what they eat.
As it turns out, there are lots of stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood who had very unique eating habits. From the frequency at which they ate to the combinations of foods these stars were putting in their bodies, it's a little unbelievable that people with access to the best food money could buy would choose to eat in these ways.
But the stories of these icons' diets are far deeper than they seem. Old Hollywood was not immune to toxic dieting culture, and pressure from various outside forces caused many stars to develop disordered eating patterns. Still, there were plenty of stars who just seemed to like unexpected food combinations. Whatever the reason, the following old Hollywood stars all had eating habits that can only be described as bizarre.
If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).
Marilyn Monroe loved liver
Marilyn Monroe's life and career have been analyzed extensively. The Hollywood icon was endlessly fascinating to droves of people when she was at the height of her career, and she remains a touchstone in pop culture to this day. As the star of "Some Like It Hot" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," Monroe's work life and love affairs were not the only interesting things about her. Take her diet, for instance. "I've been told that my eating habits are absolutely bizarre, but I don't think so," the starlet told Pageant magazine, as reported by British Vogue.
We're of the opinion that Monroe's diet was, in fact, bizarre. Monroe started her day by drinking a concoction of warm milk and two whipped raw eggs and swallowed a multivitamin pill for good measure. "I doubt if any doctor could recommend a more nourishing breakfast for a working girl in a hurry," Monroe said of her morning meal (if you can call it that). As the day went on, things didn't get any less bizarre for Monroe. In the evenings, Monroe cooked either a steak, lamb chops, or liver, and she ate her meat of choice with a side of raw carrots. For dessert, the icon treated herself to the most appetizing of food choices — a hot fudge sundae.
Elizabeth Taylor switched her diet often
An Oscar-winning actor known for films like "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," Elizabeth Taylor was one talented woman. Many of her career achievements have been overshadowed by her personal life — specifically her collections of jewelry and husbands — but she was forthcoming in most aspects of her life, including what she ate on a daily basis.
In 1986, Taylor detailed her diet secrets for The New York Times in an article called "Elizabeth Taylor: Diet Tips On How To Become A Size 6." In the piece, Taylor shared how she had gained and subsequently lost weight, noting that once she reached her goal weight, she was cognizant of her diet every day of the week but one. "Fried chicken. Mashed potatoes. With lots of gravy. Lima beans. Corn. Chocolate cake of some kind. But then the next two days you really have to watch it," Taylor said of the foods she ate once a week.
The following year, Taylor wrote a book called "Elizabeth Takes Off." In it, she shared more specific foods that she ate, like plain veal; a tuna salad made with tomato paste, grapefruit, scallions, and mayonnaise; and a snack of cottage cheese and sour cream over fruit (via The Cut).
Mae West had a daily enema
Mae West was another interesting lady. The Vaudeville actor became one of the most notable performers of her time in Hollywood with films like "She Done Him Wrong" and "I'm No Angel" in her repertoire. Still, she was far more famous for being unapologetic about herself and her sexuality and delivering quotes like, "It is better to be looked over than overlooked," as reported by Biography. West was apparently also known for giving herself a daily coffee enema. "The famous beauty queen whom I knew, Mae West, was a great believer in the benefits of the enema," West's friend, Bernard Jensen D.C., wrote in his book "Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management" (Peak Health Now). "She started every day with a morning enema." Jensen noted that he believed West's enemas were partially responsible for her good health.
While enemas — the cleansing of the bowels via a rectal injection of fluids — have long been used in the medical setting, experts warn that they need to be done with care, especially at home. "Though enemas can be safe and effective, they come with many risks, especially when administered at home. Improperly used enemas can cause potentially life-threatening physical and chemical damage to your rectum or colon," Lauren Panoff, MPH, RD said in Healthline.
Marlon Brando loved meat
Marlon Brando had a long career in Hollywood. The two-time Oscar winner was just as well-known for his role in one of his first feature films, "A Streetcar Named Desire," as he was for one in the latter half of his career, "The Godfather." Privately, though, the actor allegedly battled a binge eating disorder.
Reports say Brando was known to eat entire boxes of Mallomars and jars of peanut butter when he was in his 20s, and he would counteract the bingeing by starving himself in preparation for a role. While filming, Brando was said to have often had a supper of two steaks with potatoes and two apple pies. The actor also reportedly once had ham and champagne flown to Tahiti for him to eat while on a film site.
If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).
Jean Harlow followed a four-day diet
Jean Harlow lived a short but impactful life. On June 7, 1937, at age 26, Harlow died from kidney failure. The dynamic actor garnered over 40 acting credits during her career and left a legacy as one of the most prominent old Hollywood stars despite her premature death. Like many stars, Harlow had to abide by the beauty standards of the time in order to keep working, and it affected how she ate. Harlow reportedly followed a four-day diet whenever she felt she needed to lose weight. While she was filming, Harlow subsisted on just cottage cheese and vegetables.
When Harlow ate as she pleased, she chose some delicious meals like Chicken à la King and beef stew, but she also shared recipes that sound wholly unappetizing. One of her famous dishes was stuffed celery à la shrimp. Harlow would shred shrimp, mix it with minced celery and mayonnaise, and put it on top of celery stalks. In another recipe, Harlow would arrange tomato and orange slices on a plate of lettuce to look like a flower and put a dollop of mayonnaise and minced onion in the middle.
Greta Garbo kept to the same few foods
Swedish actor Greta Garbo was once told that American men only desired thin women, and her life thereafter was marked by restrictive diets, largely per the instructions of Hollywood nutritionist Gayelord Hauser. The two lived together, and Garbo ate concoctions of Hauser's that (thankfully) seem to have since been retired from the food space. One of Garbo's go-to meals was a veggie burger made from wild rice and chopped hazelnuts with boiled grapefruit and molasses. The actor also often had a drink of raw eggs and orange juice, and she was known to have Hauser's celery loaf. Said loaf was made of puréed celery, walnuts, parsley, onions, mushrooms, butter, eggs, and breadcrumbs, and it was baked in a bath of milk.
Garbo was also one to go through periods of time in which she only ate the same foods for every meal. After receiving the comment about men only liking thin women, Garbo allegedly went three weeks only eating spinach. At one time she had lunches of just red and yellow carrots, and during another time in her life, Garbo's only food choices were chicken, dried apricots, whole milk, brown beans, and biscuits.
Marlene Dietrich loved liverwurst and potatoes
German actor Marlene Dietrich was no stranger to making waves during her tenure in Hollywood. The Oscar nominee had definitive opinions on love, life, and food, most of which she documented in her book "Marlene Dietrich's ABC's: Wit, Wisdom, and Recipes." As reported by Bustle, Dietrich wrote about some of her favorite foods in her book. "Liverwurst: the consolation of the sad," Dietrich said. "Potatoes: I love them. I eat them," she added.
Dietrich also gave general kitchen advice like "Nourish your frying pan with lard" and "When you add yolks and don't know what to do with the whites: Add a few drops of lemon, a bit of toilet water and you have a very good hand lotion." (Note: toilet water here means perfume, not water from a toilet!) In addition to her affinity for potatoes and predilection for soothing sadness with liverwurst, Dietrich's most beloved meal was one we can absolutely get behind: hot dogs and champagne.
Pola Negri subsisted on eggs and spinach
Pola Negri, a Polish actor known for works like "Bella Donna" and "The Spanish Dancer," hasn't maintained the same legacy as some of her contemporaries, but she did have one thing in common with many old Hollywood stars: a bizarre diet. Sadly, like many of the icons of the time, Negri also allegedly had studio executives pressuring her to lose weight. As reported by the Daily Mail, a 1929 issue of Photoplay magazine asserted that, in an effort to lose weight, Negri had spinach and hardboiled eggs at every meal for an extended period of time.
While the publication noted Negri's diet, it also asserted that her food choices, as well as those of many actors of the time, were not healthy. It claimed that Barbara LaMarr's death was due to an unhealthy diet influenced by the diet culture of the time, and it suggested alternative meal plans to what celebrities of the time were following. Grapefruit, fish, and tomatoes were among the suggestions for breakfast, with roast beef and potato and roast lamb and squash among the suggestions for lunch and dinner. The publication also noted that those following the suggested meal plan should not only eat the same foods each day.
Joan Crawford was into spoonfuls of soup
Oscar-winner Joan Crawford was known for her on-screen talent and alleged off-screen torture of her adopted children. What Crawford should've gotten more attention for, though, was her food habits. Per the Daily Mail, Photoplay magazine claimed in 1929 that Crawford was known to have a lunch of a few spoonfuls of soup, rhubarb, and crackers with mustard, with the publication going on to warn against the dangers of a diet similar to this.
Crawford didn't survive on rhubarb, soup, and crackers alone, though. She wrote a cookbook full of other meals that, albeit more filling than her alleged lunch, are equally as unappealing. One of Crawford's cookbook recipes was veal mousse. The recipe is an aspic, a popular food of the time that's essentially a savory gelatin mold. The blogger of Silver Screen Suppers tried the recipe and said it tasted fine, but the texture was (unsurprisingly) unappetizing. Crawford also had recipes for Bisquick cheese straws, almond soup, creamed white onions in a red pepper cup, and poached salmon with a mayonnaise-mustard dressing, all of which sound ... interesting.
Judy Garland was forced to live off soup and cigarettes
There might not have been a star in Hollywood who was as grossly mistreated as Judy Garland. The talented actor and singer known for her iconic role in "The Wizard of Oz" (and for birthing an equally significant icon, Liza Minnelli) battled addiction for much of her life after her grueling film schedule and demands from studio executives, namely Louis B. Mayer of MGM, resulted in dependency. "They had us [Micky Rooney and Garland] working days and nights on end. They'd give us pills to keep us on our feet long after we were exhausted. Then they'd take us to the studio hospital and knock us out with sleeping pills," Garland told biographer Paul Donnelly (via Showbiz CheatSheet).
In addition to forcing Garland to take pills, MGM executives put her on a strict diet as they feared how the actor, who stood just under five feet tall, would appear on screen. Garland was only allowed to eat chicken soup, drink black coffee, and smoke cigarettes.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Elvis Presley ate meatloaf daily
Elvis Presley was known for living in excess. Presley had frivolous spending habits, lived in an enormous home, and he truly ate like a king. Known for eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches, Presley was also fond of classic Southern fare. "Elvis grew up on good ol' Southern food. He loved meatloaf, mashed potato, fried chicken ... mac & cheese. Anything that he grew up on was some of his favourites," Presley archivist Angie Marchese told Express while on a virtual tour. Presley loved meatloaf so much, that for six months, he had it every day for dinner with a side of mashed potatoes. "He definitely was a creature of habit, so if it was made in the South ... he liked it," Marchese said. The "king" was also a burger fanatic and loved to order from the fast food joint Krystal.
Presley wasn't fond of every food, though. The superstar hated fish, particularly the smell of it being cooked. In fact, Presley hated fish so much that he banned it from Graceland.
Jayne Mansfield ate one meal per day
The star of films like "The Girl Can't Help It" and "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw," Jayne Mansfield was a stunning actor known for her beauty, talent, and glamour. Mansfield tragically died in a car crash at the age of 34, leaving behind her five children — including Mariska Hargitay of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." While there's a lot to admire about Mansfield, her eating habits were probably not on the list.
Mansfield only ate one meal per day — a steak for dinner. We have to assume she didn't enjoy her one meal, because as she once said to a reporter, "I really don't like meat" (via The Wall Street Journal). Instead, Mansfield was a girl after the hearts of many, indulging in a pre-dinner drink. "I do like a cocktail ... a pink lady, before dinner," Mansfield said. A classic pink lady cocktail is made with gin, applejack, lemon juice, grenadine, and egg white.