Tracey Gold is opening up concerning the tough occasions she had rising up within the highlight on the household sitcom Rising Pains.
Whereas visitor internet hosting the late Shannen Doherty‘s Let’s Be Clear podcast, Gold defined that she started feeling more and more powerless on the present as her character, Carol Seavers, was typically the topic of a number of jokes, particularly from her on-screen brothers Mike (Kirk Cameron) and Ben (Jeremy Miller).
“At that time, like, I didn’t really feel too delicate about my weight, so I…kinda might brush it off,” Gold mentioned. “However I went away one summer time on a hiatus, and I got here [back with] the ‘freshman 15,’ mainly. After which the jokes accelerated after I got here again and have become meaner. As a substitute of 1 joke, there have been two jokes, there have been three jokes.”
She mentioned she raised the problem with the writers, who in the end advised her that she was being too delicate about it.
“I lastly tried to seek out my voice and go to them,” she recalled. “These males who I’ve identified a very long time, however they’re twice my age and, you understand, fairly intimidating. It was out of my character to talk up, nevertheless it was hurting me, and I used to be delicate to it, and I knew I had gained somewhat little bit of weight. I had by no means had that drawback earlier than.”
Gold admitted the jokes have been nonetheless “hurting my emotions,” so she started to barter to have sure jokes eliminated. “You’re not speaking nearly Carol anymore. You’re speaking about me, Tracey Gold. And now I’ve to be in entrance of an viewers that’s laughing at me and my physique and my weight, and it grew to become robust,” she mentioned.
Her expertise on Rising Pains in the end fueled her battle with anorexia. Gold revealed a health care provider later put her on a eating regimen of 500 energy a day when the studio wished her to reduce weight. However the constructive consideration she obtained on set after impressed her to maintain going.
“One thing hit me and I used to be like, ‘I can’t be the butt of anyone’s joke once more,’” she mentioned, admitting she was “mainly ravenous” on a regular basis.
The actress later went for inpatient therapy in 1992 after the present was canceled.
“I used to be advised to maintain your mouth shut and be a superb lady on a set,” Gold mentioned. “However discovering my voice with the anorexia was the actually huge factor.”
