{"id":26573,"date":"2025-05-01T22:22:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T22:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=26573"},"modified":"2025-05-01T22:22:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T22:22:10","slug":"this-79-year-old-actress-was-a-child-star-who-lost-her-disney-money-and-fought-bulimia-cancer-see-her-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=26573","title":{"rendered":"This 79-Year-Old Actress Was a Child Star Who Lost Her Disney Money and Fought Bulimia & Cancer \u2013 See Her Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The star was meant to receive money from a trust set up for her childhood earnings, but there was hardly anything left when she got to it. Despite a long and thriving career, she admitted she wouldn’t have succeeded in acting if she hadn’t started as a child.<\/p>\n

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The veteran actress endured intense pressure as a child star and began forcing herself to vomit to satisfy adults who didn’t want her to grow up \u2014 an ordeal that led to bulimia. Later in life, she was diagnosed with cancer on her birthday; now at 79, she remains active in her acting career.<\/p>\n

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The actress holds a press conference at the Leicester Square Theatre on March 25, 1959 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Her connection to acting began in the most natural way \u2014 at home. Surrounded by a family immersed in the arts, the young performer stepped into the film world at age 12, appearing\u00a0alongside her famous father<\/u><\/a>\u00a0in 1959’s “Tiger Bay.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The actress, her father, and Horst Buchholz on the set of “Tiger Bay,” 1959 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Though still a child, she recalled embracing the experience without fear, saying it simply felt like part of everyday life. With both her sister and father already working in film, and a mother who had given up acting to become a writer, creativity ran through the household.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The child star pictured on April 1, 1959 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It was her mother who wrote the novel that inspired “Whistle Down the Wind,” filmed when the actress was just 14. At the time, she limited herself to only two films a year to maintain a sense of normalcy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The actress on the set of “Whistle Down the Wind,” 1961 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Among her most beloved roles were parts in “Pollyanna” and “The Parent Trap.” The performance in “Pollyanna”\u00a0earned her a Juvenile Oscar<\/u><\/a>\u00a0\u2014 making her the final recipient of the award. That honor placed her among an elite group of just 12 child actors, including legends like Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, and Mickey Rooney.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Hollywood star on the set of in “Pollyanna,” 1960 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The English native’s success as a child\u00a0actress<\/u><\/a>\u00a0placed her among the most cherished young talents of her time. But with early recognition came new pressures and personal challenges \u2014 especially when stepping into adulthood on screen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The actress on the set of “The Parent Trap,” 1961 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Winning the Juvenile Oscar left her in awe. “I still can’t quite believe it!” she\u00a0said<\/u><\/a>\u00a0in an interview once, yet the honor did not bring ease or comfort. There was no room for complacency; each new role demanded proof of her abilities. She\u00a0explained<\/u><\/a>:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“You have to prove what you can do again and again. You never know with each new job if you’re going to succeed or not.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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The actress poses on August 15, 1962 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Though widely admired in her youth, moving into adult roles came with uncertainty. The actress sensed that what audiences loved was the child she no longer was,\u00a0admitting<\/u><\/a>:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I didn’t know what to do or what parts to play. It’s a transitional time, and I wasn’t able to do it in private.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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The star photographed on January 1, 1963 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Fame also left her\u00a0feeling<\/u><\/a>\u00a0apart from others her age, “I always felt a bit on the outside of other girls who had good friends and shared experiences. With such a different life, she\u00a0added<\/u><\/a>, “I didn’t have things to share.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The actress pictured on January 5, 1964 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Fame may have set her apart from her peers, but the pressure to stay perfect in the public eye carried painful consequences behind the scenes. As a young girl, the focus shifted to keeping adults pleased \u2014 especially those who didn’t want her to grow up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The actress on the set of “Summer Magic,” 1964 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Terrified of letting them down, she began vomiting after meals to appear smaller and more childlike, which led to bulimia. A columnist in 1964 remarked on her noticeably thinner frame,\u00a0describing<\/u><\/a>\u00a0an eighteen-year-old who looked “like the million stashed away for her.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The celebrity takes part in the “Night of 100 Stars” on July 23, 1964, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In the same feature, it was\u00a0noted<\/u><\/a>\u00a0that she was “seven pounds thinner” than before, weighing 112 pounds with the comment that her figure was “distributed in the correct places.” At the time, the star\u00a0admitted<\/u><\/a>:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I’m trying to shrink my stomach to peanut size.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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The actress on the set of “The Chalk Garden,” 1964 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The pressure to remain frozen in childhood took a toll, but stepping away from that image came with its own turning point. The actress in question is Hayley Mills, whose older famed sister is\u00a0actress<\/u><\/a>\u00a0Juliet Mills.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hayley Mills poses on January 1, 1965 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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As she reached adulthood, the need for change became clear. The solution was to escape Disney. When Hayley, the daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Bell, turned 20, her contract expired, and she\u00a0chose not to renew it.<\/a>\u00a0Leaving Disney was only one part of reclaiming her independence \u2014 another disappointment surfaced when she turned 21.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hayley Mills pictured in her flat on November 1, 1966, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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At that point, Hayley was finally granted access to a trust fund that had been created to hold her childhood earnings. But the account held very little. A staggering\u00a091 percent tax<\/u><\/a>, imposed by the British government to help rebuild after the war, had nearly wiped it out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hayley Mills photographed on May 13, 1967 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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For years, she tried to challenge the outcome, but her appeal was permanently denied in 1975. Had the ruling gone in her favor, the film star estimated she would have kept around \u00a32 million \u2014 worth well over $2.5 million today. “I never saw it,” Hayley\u00a0said<\/u><\/a>\u00a0in an interview, accepting what had long passed, she\u00a0added<\/u><\/a>:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I knew it was there and one day I would have it, but it was just sort of a dream, and then one day the dream was gone. Occasionally, I think: It would have been nice if I had the freedom to say no.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Hayley Mills attends Cosmopolitan magazine’s Fun, Fearless, Female Luncheon on February 7, 2000 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The loss of her childhood earnings was a heavy blow, but it wouldn’t be the last time Hayley faced a life-altering moment. Years later, another trial arrived \u2014 one that tested her in an entirely different way.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hayley Mills attends the opening of “Belfast Blues” on January 20, 2005, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In 2008, on her 62nd birthday, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The news felt surreal, almost like stepping into a distorted painting. She\u00a0recalled<\/u><\/a>\u00a0in another interview:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“My reaction was: This is the biggest challenge I’ve ever had. I’m going to find out what I’m made of, and I probably need this because I’m going to learn a lot.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Hayley Mills attends a plaque unveiling for Sir john Mills on May 9, 2010, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That moment changed everything. “It was an enormous shock. Suddenly, I looked out at the world as if I’d never seen it before,”\u00a0said<\/u><\/a>\u00a0Haley in one interview. After learning that cancer had affected both breasts, she underwent surgery without delay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hayley Mills attends the TV Choice Awards on September 7, 2015, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The toll of treatment came swiftly. Within two weeks of her first session, her hair began to fall out. Wanting to take control of the moment, she turned to her son, Jason Lawson. “I got to a point when I thought, ‘To hell with this,’ so he shaved my head!” she\u00a0remembered<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hayley Mills attends the Off-Broadway Meet & Greet Photocall for the cast of “Party Face” on November 18, 2017, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Even then, she\u00a0kept<\/a>\u00a0her sense of humor and warmth, “I had a marvelous wig and at night I wore a pink woolly bobble hat because my head got cold.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Hayley<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Hayley Mills at the Opening Night of “Party Face” on January 22, 2018, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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While maintaining her optimism and kindness, the road ahead was far from easy. Determined to recover,\u00a0Hayley began chemotherapy<\/u><\/a>\u00a0\u2014 but the reality of it hit harder than she expected. After only three sessions, she made the decision to stop. The star\u00a0shared<\/u><\/a>:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“It made me feel awful. I was more frightened of the chemo than the cancer. I could feel it draining me and killing me. I felt I was dying.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Hayley<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Hayley Mills at the TV Choice Awards on September 9, 2019, London, England. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Instead of centering her own struggles, Hayley found strength in thinking about those she cared for. She believed it was important to make things easier for loved ones, which, in turn, helped her cope. The experience changed her perspective on time, deepening her appreciation for life and the people around her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hayley Mills during the 60th Anniversary: Whistle Down the Wind photocall on October 3, 2021, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When asked whether she was in remission in one other interview, she\u00a0said<\/u><\/a>, “Absolutely. Remission sounds like, ‘Oh well, it can come back.’ No. It’s over.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Hayley<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Hayley Mills attends the UK Premiere of “The Little Mermaid,” 2023 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Now healthy and cancer-free, Hayley credits her recovery to alternative treatments she explored instead. While she stands by her choice, she emphasizes that her approach was deeply personal and may not be right for everyone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Hayley<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Hayley Mills attends the world premiere of “Trap,” 2024 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Choosing her own path to healing brought not only restored health, but also a deep sense of peace \u2014 one grounded in love, family, and the lessons that only time can teach.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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