Posted on 04/17/2002 11:21:28 AM PDT by snowfox
An irate Calista Flockhart has threatened to go on an eating strike until Fox agrees to renew the hour comedy-drama "Ally McBeal," on which Flockhart stars as an emaciated attorney whose physical debilitation due to food deprivation leads to elaborate daydreams.
Flockhart, whose starvation diet typically limits her to some 250 calories daily and never more than 1,500 calories in a given week, has begun stockpiling nutrients and high-calorie, low-protein starches in anticipation of a protracted consuming binge as a way of showing her disgust with Fox for dragging out the renewal of "Ally" for next fall. It would be the Emmy-winning show's sixth season.
Any abnormal eating patterns for Flockhart could doom the show, given that the actress plays a character whom viewers have grown accustomed to seeing on a mere 72-pound frame (Flockhart is 5-foot-3).
"Viewers would never accept Ally with anything more nutritious in her mouth than a pencil," said a Fox programming source who requested anonymity. "And they would never accept her at a weight that leads to the coverage in any way of her jutting ribs. Calista realizes that in this role, she needs to be skeletal to be believable. So I think what we're talking about here is nothing less than the very survival of this series."
Flockhart remains unfazed by such talk. Holed up in her home and claiming caloric solidarity with the late Mahatma Gandhi, Flockhart -- in an exclusive interview with HollywoodPulse.com -- declared, "I will eat three normal meals a day, and I will continue doing so until I either reach a healthy body weight or an 'Ally' renewal for next season is assured."
The actress continued, "I'm not kidding about this. And I'm not bluffing. I'll eat regular cottage cheese. I'll eat chicken with the skin on it. I'll drink 2% milk instead of skim. I'll even eat a chef's salad. What's more, I'll eat this way all day, every day, until I've packed on 5, 6, even 7 pounds. I'll eat until my stomach swells to a standard human size. Because I need Fox to know just how serious I am about this!"
Indeed, "Ally" producer David E. Kelley was taking the Flockhart threat seriously.
"Any reasonable food intake stands to greatly impact Calista's physical appearance and health," Kelley noted. "She's liable to increase the color in her cheeks. She could well be able to eliminate her frequent trips to the hospital for nutrient injections. She could lose her gaunt, bony physique and ashen appearance. I don't need to tell you that this would be entirely disastrous for the show. So we consider this a shameful form of foodstuff blackmail. I can assure you it won't be tolerated."
Flockhart remains unfazed by such talk. Holed up in her home and claiming caloric solidarity with the late Mahatma Gandhi, Flockhart -- in an exclusive interview with HollywoodPulse.com -- declared, "I will eat three normal meals a day, and I will continue doing so until I either reach a healthy body weight or an 'Ally' renewal for next season is assured."
What a whacko!
Hope ya'll are doing well up there in Yankee Country !
Gandhi also drank his own urine. I'd prefer the Atkins diet to that.
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