Narnia Actress Georgie Henley Battled Flesh-Eating Disease

“For the last nine years I have been open about my scars in my personal life, but have hidden them entirely in any professional context: wearing bandages or coverings, makeup on set and stage, long sleeves whenever I might be photographed, trousers so I could put my hand in a pocket,” she wrote on Instagram. “The industry I am part of often focuses on a very narrow idea of what is deemed aesthetic ‘perfection’, and I worried that my scars would prevent me from getting work.”

Now, Henley looks at her scars a different way. “My scars are not something to be ashamed of,” she wrote. “They are a map of the pain my body has endured, and most importantly a reminder of my survival. They do not affect my capacity as an actor, and I’m proud to be a person who has visible scars in this industry.”

Noting she’ll continue to open up about her health journey, she concluded her message, “I’m sure I will talk more about my experiences in the future but today I am simply happy to feel, for the first time in a very long time, finally free.”