Kate Bosworth says she lost 'a lot of weight' while struggling with fame in the early 2000s

• Kate Bosworth said on Tuesday that she had a difficult time adjusting to fame in the early 2000s.
• Following her breakout role in "Blue Crush," she lost "a lot" of weight as a result of scrunity.
• Bosworth said she looks back on photos of herself and sees "someone under duress."

When Kate Bosworth was 18 years old, she scored the breakout role of her career as surfer Anne Marie Chadwick in the 2002 box-office success "Blue Crush."

Her acting dreams may have been realized, but Bosworth, now 38, said on Tuesday that she was ill-equipped to deal with the sudden attention and scrutiny that accompanied her newfound fame.

"It was a really, really hard time," she said on the most recent episode of InStyle's podcast "Ladies First With Laura Brown."

In order to secure her role, the actress, who deferred admission to Princeton University to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles, spent 10 hours each day learning to surf for three-to-four weeks.

Her efforts paid off. Not only did she get cast in a major blockbuster film, but "Blue Crush" ended up grossing $40 million domestically and receiving fairly positive critical reviews.

But Bosworth said she "did not know how to handle" the overnight fame, nor was she sure how to communicate her feelings to her friends or her family.

"I think a lot of times people in the spotlight get this thing like, 'Well, that's what you chose. That's what it is,'" she said.

At the time of the film's release, much of the conversation surrounding the up-and-coming star revolved around her physical frame, she recalled, particularly because she exercised seven hours per day and became "much more muscular" while preparing to play Anne Marie, she previously told About.com.

"I was losing a lot of weight. I was really under a lot of scrutiny and so stressed and spun out. If you see images of me from then, it's like seeing someone under duress," she told Brown on the podcast, pointing out that she's rarely smiling in old paparazzi photos.

"I felt like I wanted to disappear," she said. "I really did."

During her interview with Brown, Bosworth said she's since recognized that her experience as a young woman in Hollywood wasn't unique.

Citing Lindsay Lohan's recently resurfaced 2013 interview with David Letterman as an example, the actress looked back on the early 2000s as a time period riddled with "real cruelty."

And with the "unattainable, crazy amounts of perfection" presented on social media, Bosworth said she "cannot imagine" the pressure today's young people face.

After "Blue Crush," Bosworth went on to land roles in films including "Wonderland" (2003), "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton" (2004), and "Superman Returns" (2006).

Nearly two decades after the big wave surfing film was released, the actress said she hasn't closed the door on a potential "Blue Crush" sequel.

"I'll put my life on the line again," she said during a virtual reunion for the film in 2020. "I don't mind, for a sequel."