Flying High From ‘Peter Pan,’ Allison Williams Talks Weight Loss Worries And ‘Girls’ [Video]

When she was a little girl, Allison Williams was enchanted by the tale of Peter Pan. Daughter of newscaster Brian Williams, she even persuaded her family to play make-believe with her. So when she learned about the opportunity to take on the lead role in NBC’s live broadcast of Peter Pan, Allison flew into action to persuade producers she could take on the role.

After the Twitter-hating hailstorm Carrie Underwood received last year when she played the key character in Sound Of Music Live, however, Williams admits that she was apprehensive about how viewers and the media would react. But those who came to live-Tweet their distaste ended up praising Allison’s voice and acting chops.

As a result, the Girls actress told Access Hollywood that she’s now thrilled she dared to venture to take on the role of Peter Pan, the boy who didn’t want to grow up.

“I was so happy,” said Williams of her post-Peter pride.

The performance required Allison to prove she was a “triple threat” who also had more energy than the Energizer Bunny. Williams had to sing, dance, and act, as well as learn the art of flying. Add in performing with a cast from Broadcast of Lost Boys, child actors, and a big furry dog, and Allison admits it wasn’t easy.

But the actress feels that the response made it worth all the work.

“The best thing was getting videos of little kids watching it, and clapping for Tinkerbell. And [getting] pictures of little kids who’d been in Peter Pan costumes for weeks. That, to me, that’s the best. That’s why you do the thing.”

As the Inquisitr reported, while Carrie Underwood suffered in comparison to Julie Andrews in the iconic role of Maria, Peter Pan Live had a variety of unique moments. It was the first-ever Peter Pan production to use a live dog as Nana (Bowdie) rather than a human dressed in a furry dog costume.

In addition, Allison had the honor of dueling with the one-of-a-kind Christopher Walken as the tap-dancing Captain Hook. In a tweet, actress Mia Farrow summed up the reaction to Walken singing and dancing his way through the show.

“Christopher Walken = gold No matter what.”

Learning the art of flying for Peter Pan, however, wasn’t without its risks, reported InStyle. Because Williams had to practice the craft as well as rehearse, she sometimes spent hours in the harness.

“I lost feeling in one of my legs for six hours, but that was fine,” the actress now confesses.

As for taking on the role of Marnie in Girls, Allison has found herself scrutinized for her appearance as well as her acting. And comments about her weight loss make her particularly uncomfortable, according to People magazine.

Although she has lost weight since graduating from college, Williams says it’s her metabolism, not dieting.

“Being analyzed about my weight drives me crazy. It’s easier to say, ‘Oh, she must be anorexic and depriving herself,’ than it is to say, ‘She might have a fast metabolism.'”

However, prior to Peter Pan, Allison told Shape magazine that she eats like a child.

“I have the palate of a 7-year-old boy, although I’m working on it. I order of the kids’ menu! I’m working hard to eat more fruit and veggies and round it all out, but I’m a big pretzels and Diet Coke kind of girl.”

As for exercise, when she’s not flying and dancing for a role, Williams relies on a combination of fitness regimes.

“For cardio I do SoulCycle. I really don’t like to run, plus I have terrible knees and get bored on the elliptical. SoulCycle is basically a dance party on a bicycle, and you burn calories and it’s so fun.

“Then I also do Core Fusion at Exhale Spa locations. It mixes together Pilates and barre method. It’s really hard and kicks my butt, so those two together work perfectly.”

[Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]