Marisa Abela on body image struggles after thyroid cancer

People reports Marisa Abela, the 29-year-old actress known for starring in HBO's Industry, said on the How To Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast on Jan. 14 that a thyroid cancer diagnosis at 23 changed her relationship with her body.

Abela said she had hoped the experience would make her more grateful but admitted she is "still slightly vain," and that her priorities have shifted toward health: "when I think about food it's about healthy choices, not just skinny choices for once." She added that "the thyroid is one of the hormones you need for your metabolism to be working, so it's been a lot more difficult for me since the illness, and the aftermath of it, to stay fit," and that she has to "work harder to maintain a healthy physique." She also said worries about whether she could work as an actor with a "big scar on my neck" and other "vanity things" were difficult.

In a Jan. 3 interview with The Times, Abela said she was diagnosed in 2020 after a doctor found a lump while she was experiencing unusual fatigue, underwent an eight-hour surgery to remove the tumor followed by radioactive iodine treatment, and is "all in the clear now, thank God." She said she still attends regular medical checkups, will remain on medication for the rest of her life, and that "I don't have a working thyroid so these pills sort of create one" and "I'm never going to miss those appointments."

Key Topics

Health, Marisa Abela, Thyroid Cancer, Industry, Radioactive Iodine, Thyroid Medication