Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson surprised fans when he arrived at the Venice Film Festival this week to promote his new film, The Smashing Machine. In a TikTok video that gained over nine million views in just a few days, we all got to see a very different side of the former wrestler. Instead of the usual bulging muscles we know him for, he showed off a slimmed-down frame that highlighted major weight and muscle loss.
Fans were split but intrigued. The Rock explained he wanted freedom in the roles he takes, not to be limited by muscle size. He credited his “best friend” Emily for supporting him through the journey.
But he isn’t alone. Here are 10 other actors who’ve shed major pounds for roles, proving big transformations go beyond the gym.
1. Dave Bautista
Dave Bautista stayed in shape for most of his career, but playing Leonard in Knock at the Cabin pushed him past 300 lbs. On Live with Kelly and Mark, he said, “I put on all this weight for Knock at the Cabin. I was really big, like over 300 lbs.” Struggling to drop it, he brought his friend and trainer Jason Manly to Budapest while filming Dune. “We did nothing but grapple, like for hours. And so I started shedding the weight off and I figured ‘I’ll just stick with it so I’ll get my brown belt.’” Bautista lost 50 lbs. with jiu-jitsu, proving intense training pays off.
2. Rebel Wilson
Rebel Wilson started her weight loss journey in 2019 after a fertility checkup made things clear. “He looked me up and down and said, ‘You’d do much better if you were healthier,’” she told PEOPLE in 2022. At first, she thought, “Oh God, this guy’s so rude,” but the advice hit home. She realized she’d been ignoring her own health while thinking about a future child. That wake-up call pushed her to lose 80 lbs., and in 2022, she welcomed daughter Royce Lillian. Rebel’s story shows how focusing on your health can create real-life results, both for you and your family.
3. Jacob Batalon
Jacob Batalon lost 100 lbs. after noticing he couldn’t climb stairs without gasping for air. “This one day I kind of just saw myself without a shirt on and it was just ridiculous,” he said. “I could not believe I let myself get this far. That’s what sort of started it all.” The Spider-Man actor hired a trainer, worked out six days a week for 90 minutes, and switched to a plant-based diet in 2020. His story shows how consistent effort and changes to both exercise and diet can completely reshape your health and stamina.
4. Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson’s Type 2 diabetes diagnosis nudged him toward healthier habits, but it wasn’t until a new role on Law & Order that he took things seriously. “I started eating healthier and in moderation, but I was still sort of eating the same stuff that I’d been eating all my life,” he admitted to PEOPLE. Playing the part pushed him to focus on health and appearance. By 2014, he had lost 47 lbs. and shifted to a mostly plant-based diet. “I’m vegan-ish — I’m not going to send anything back to the kitchen if some butter or cream found its way onto the plate,” he said.
5. John Goodman
John Goodman started his weight loss journey in 2007 and has steadily lost 200 lbs. The Roseanne star credits a consistent diet and workout routine for keeping the pounds off. Speaking to AARP, he joked, “I don’t want to be an example to anybody when the weight comes thundering back on — when I start eating Crisco out of the can with a spoon and a side of confectioner’s sugar.” Goodman’s approach shows how steady, long-term habits beat quick fixes, and a sense of humor can keep you grounded while tackling serious health goals.
6. David Harbour
David Harbour stunned fans with his ripped look in Stranger Things season 4, dropping 80 lbs. for Jim Hopper’s captivity storyline. He explained to British GQ, “I lost about 80 lbs. from season three — I was about 270 [then], and when we shot [season four] I was around 190.” Harbour relied on intermittent fasting and Pilates to get there. He added, “I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. I have this Santa Claus movie [Violent Night] … and I gained [it all back]. But now, yeah, never again. The prosthetics are too good.” His experience shows extreme transformations are tough to maintain and not always worth repeating.
7. Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson entered American Idol in 2004 proud of her full-figured look, but between 2010 and 2014, she shed 80 lbs. as a Weight Watchers spokeswoman. On Yahoo, she explained her approach: “I throw the pancakes across the room! I don’t let the food intimidate me. If it’s too much, I just get rid of it, but I make sure to watch what I put in my body. And I make sure I know what it is. It’s all about portions for the most part. I just take care of myself in that way, being more conscious.” Hudson stays active without overdoing workouts, keeping health simple.
8. Drew Carey
Drew Carey made fans laugh on The Drew Carey Show and Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and later brought his own flair to The Price Is Right. Offscreen, he tackled a bigger challenge, shedding 80 lbs. after his doctor laid it out bluntly: “If you don’t do something, your life’s going to be shorter, and you’ll have these bad things to look forward to,” Carey told People. The comedian reversed his Type-2 diabetes, though the path wasn’t easy. “I would go out to Swingers diner…get a plate of pasta, a cupcake and iced tea…then go home, have Doritos and several Pepsis, and take an Ambien…It was miserable to live like that.”
9. Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill’s weight journey is as layered as his film roles. When he burst onto the scene in 2007 with Superbad at 23, he weighed around 280 pounds, and the media didn’t hold back. “I think everybody has a version of themselves―I call it a snapshot―you’re trying to hide from the world,” he told Ellen DeGeneres in 2019. After Moneyball in 2011, Hill started working with a nutritionist, tracking his meals, though he accidentally emailed his daily food log to Drake. By 2017, paparazzi captured a visibly slimmer Hill. He credits Japanese food and habit changes, proving small adjustments can make a big impact.
10. Melissa McCarthy
Melissa McCarthy has always owned her comedy and her career, from Gilmore Girls and Mike & Molly to Bridesmaids and The Little Mermaid. At 54, she still turns heads, like during her recent SNL sketch celebrating Martin Short’s five-timers club induction, spitting iced coffee at a car window and miming threats like a pro. Fans went wild: “Melissa McCarthy killed it,” one wrote. Off-screen, Melissa has spoken candidly about her weight and health, doing things her way. After Barbra Streisand jokingly asked if she’d used Ozempic, Melissa laughed it off: “The takeaway, Barbra Streisand knows I exist… I win the day.”
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