'The Good Place' Actress Jameela Jamil Credits This With Saving Her Life

A traumatic experience, such as the one “The Good Place” actress Jameela Jamil experienced, is unfortunate but sometimes enough to push us in a positive trajectory. At the age of 17, Jamil was involved in a traffic incident that left her confined to a wheelchair for some time — an event that Jamil said in an interview with Cosmo changed her life forever.

"I only modeled for a while and then I got hit by a car and ended up in a wheelchair, which probably actually saved my life," she stated in the interview. The reason being, Jamil said, is because she could still be a model if it weren’t for that car accident — a model with an eating disorder.

The event itself involved two different cars. When she was hit, she was thrown into another car, crippling her back. After that, she was bedridden for a full year, followed by a wheelchair for six months. Jamil was prescribed a form of steroids that are designed to help her recover, but one side-effect was immense weight gain.

“... so I was 'too big' for modeling,” Jamil explained. “I also developed a sense of purpose to protect my body after that and stop starving myself."

Before her accident, Jamil said she was encouraged to have a diet that consisted of red peppers and packets of sweetener, so it wasn’t easy for her to overcome. But with the help of her newfound perspective on life and her body, she was able to pull through, get healthy, strong, and become a talented and successful actor.

Jamil now stars on NBC's “The Good Place,” which is currently in its final season.