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Britney Spears Says Method Acting for Her 2002 Movie ‘Crossroads’ Made Her Question ‘What’s Real’
Britney Spears made the jump to the big screen in the 2002 comedy drama Crossroads, but the filming experience negatively impacted her mental health. In her memoir, The Woman in Me, which will be released on October 24, the pop princess opened up about the surprising difficulties that came with filming, writing that the experience “wasn’t easy.”
In an excerpt from the book, shared with People on October 17, Britney revealed that her approach to Method acting – a process that involved heavy dedication to the role – wasn’t good for her mind.
“I think I started Method acting — only I didn’t know how to break out of my character,” the “Circus” singer explained. “I really became this other person. Some people do Method acting, but they’re usually aware of the fact that they’re doing it. But I didn’t have any separation at all.”
She continued: “I ended up walking differently, carrying myself differently, talking differently. I was someone else for months while I filmed Crossroads. Still to this day, I bet the girls I shot that movie with think, She’s a little…quirky. If they thought that, they were right.”
When filming was over, Britney wrote that she was “relieved,” adding, “I hope I never get close to that occupational hazard again. Living that way, being half yourself and half a fictional character, is messed up. After a while you don’t know what’s real anymore.”
The singer’s memoir will be published nearly two years after she was released from her conservatorship, which was put in place 13 years prior when facing apparent mental health struggles amid paparazzi abuse.
When a judge terminated the conservatorship in November 2021, the pop sensation shared a video on Twitter of her fans celebrating outside the courthouse. “Good God I love my fans so much it’s crazy,” she wrote in the caption, adding, “I think I’m gonna cry the rest of the day !!!! Best day ever.”
Recently, Britney has sparked concern over bizarre Instagram videos, such as a September clip of her dancing with knives (which she later confirmed were fake) and a February clip in which she talked about dresses and instructed viewers to “never be a rollercoaster.”
According to TMZ, those closest to the “Toxic” singer were alarmed by her erratic behavior and planned an intervention to get her help for apparent mental health struggles and substance abuse. However, the intervention was later called off.
