If one of your earliest memories involves sneaking Lucky Charms out of the trash, it probably could be a sign of compulsive eating problems down the road.
For Courtney Thorne-Smith, the guilty garbage-grazer, eating problems didn't surface until she found herself faced with international stardom (courtesy of Melrose Place) at age 24. Junk food provided stress-relief from the new pressures of fame, and the resulting weight-gain (15 pounds) further compounded Courtney's problems: Melrose Place suits ordered her to drop the weight or risk being dropped from the cast. For one year, Courtney dieted obsessively (without exercising), until she read the bestseller Fit or Fat, and made the choice to be fit.
Five years later, Courtney joins me for our meeting at Barney Greengrass deli, a swank Beverly Hills restaurant in her fave clothing store, Barney's. At 5'6" and a slight 115 pounds, the sexy and radiantly healthy blonde now reg-ularly works out, and is at peace with food, stardom and her body.
After ordering a fruit salad and soothing chamomile tea, Courtney settles down to discuss her road to physical, mental and spiritual health, and, of course, her new movie, Chairman of the Board, which is expected to hit theaters October 24.
Fit: What influenced Your attitude about health and fitness when you were growing up?
Courtney Thorne-Smith: Well, I grew up in the 70s in Northern California [Menlo Park] surrounded by rolfing, massage, therapy, women's groups and women's lib. My mother exercised just about every day-she's done yoga since I was little [Courtney's mom is now 56]. Basically, she's done something physical every day since she started jogging during the 70s. Today, she has a whole series of hikes that she does regularly.
Fit: What foods did she want you to eat?
CTS: For breakfast, it would be Cheenos with plain yogurt and some orange juice concentrate - I don't know where she got that idea, but that's what we had. She said she'd spend hours making these really great sandwiches on whole-grain bread that would end up on the free tray at school - we had a tray in the middle of the table where you'd put food that you didn't want. Anyway, I'd throw my lunch on it and run out and play.
Fit: You obviously didn't appreciate the health food concept then. Tell us how you ended up eating Lucky Charms out of the garbage.
CTS: My mom broke down at one point and got me Lucky Charms - I had never had any kind of sugared cereal before. We got home, and she got so overwhelmed that she'd bought me Lucky Charms that she threw it away. Every day, until the garbage man came, I would go sneak out to the garbage can in the back, take little handfuls, and scurry away and eat it.
Fit: But ultimately, your mother's progressive ideas have also been a positive influence in your life.
CTS: Absolutely. It bothered me when I was younger, and I wanted Leave It to Beaver. But now that I'm older I appreciate it. It's probably why I work as an actress, and it's probably why I'm happy today. I couldn't have a closed mind with my childhood because my experience was so open.
Fit: So are you also open to trying a variety of different exercises?
CTS: Yes, my workout routine varies. I cross-train. Today I ran and did yoga. I usually run about six-and-a-half miles. Or I'll do the stairclimber. I do something cardio for an hour six times a week, and I lift weights a couple of times a week.
Fit: In terms of gaining a proper perspective about life, you are a big believer in therapy. CTS: Definitely. I remember when, on Melrose Place, [my character] Allison was going to go into therapy, and I was so excited. And then she found out her therapist had a crush on her so she quit!
Fit: What would you say to someone who's afraid to try therapy?
CTS: I would say it's not scary. Why not try it? You know, my mom said to me that people walk around like we have hooks off of our bodies and those are our fears, or our past hurts or damages. And we just hook people with matching fears and with matching pain. After you release those hooks from yourself, you get to choose your life-instead of being driven by your past. That's freedom.
Fit: How has your spirituality improved your life?
CTS: I find that my spirituality, which is pretty much of my own making, helps to keep me stable, helps to remind me what's really important, and keeps me on a constant path. It helped me make the decision that it was time to leave Melrose Place. That's a really faithful decision - it's "Okay, I'm choosing what the universe has to offer, instead of money," which is really a huge statement of faith-especially when you like clothes as much as I do! [Laughs.]
Fit: Let's talk about your new movie, Chairman of the Board. Hox% you get involved in the project? CTS: My agent called me about it, I read the script, and thought it was adorable. Scott Thompson, a comedian who goes by the name of Carrot Top stars in the movie. And Larry Miller, Little Richard and Raquel Welch are also in it. It's about a guy [Carrot Top who's kind of a wacky inventor, and he runs into this old man, helps him through some problems, and the old man ends up leaving him his company. And wackiness ensues. I basically play the love interest.
Fit: Who are your heroines? CTS: Katherine Hepburn. I admire her because she was an incredibly strong woman at a time when that wasn't necessarily a popular choice make. She is someone who appears to have made all of her own decisions based on what she needed and wanted. I have a great book of my mother's that I found at my grandmother's house called Betty Cornwell's Teenage Popularity Guide. It's so specific about the choices women were supposed to make and how women were supposed to behave. And I just realized that that time, Katherine Hepburn was making incredibly courageous decisions - even just choosing to wear pants! She chose to play strong women; she didn't bow down and become coy. People didn't like it, and she didn't care. I love that.
Chris Evert is another woman I admire. I did my first book report on her. Since then, I've met her and she'S a neat woman. She's really strong and kind, very down-to-earth. More often than not when you meet people that you admire you find that they're great people.
Fit: Last question: You must reveal your addiction to The Price Club Where does this hoarding mentality come from? Why do you want to buy 1,000 rolls of toilet paper?
CTS: [Bursts out laughing.] I don't know! It's hereditary. I blame my mother! It's something she did. My sister loves it too! We have Price Club rules: You're not allowed to figure out how much it would cost to buy separately. You're not allowed to ask if it's a good deal. It's just a big, horrible family problem! I can't explain it. [More laughter.]
Los Angeles-based writer Jill Daniel tells us that her specialty is "interviewing famous and fit women."
