Actor Dave Bautista assured fans he was fine amid concerns he's lost weight and appears unhealthy.
The 55-year-old actor, known for his hulking presence combating malevolent crime lords and intergalactic henchmen in action films like Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, explained his significant weight loss was due to recent movie roles.
He appeared for a new interview with Chris Van Vliet and said:
“I started trimming down for a particular reason. One, I started trimming down because I just got fat."
When Vliet rolled his eyes, saying the actor's notion of the word "fat" didn't apply to common perception, the former four-time winner of the World Heavyweight Championship said he got "really big for a role" adding, however, that "It was uncomfortably big."
Bautista referred to his work on the 2023 M. Nigh Shyamalan apocalyptic psychological horror thriller Knock at the Cabin, in which he played the character of Leonard, a home intruder who was later believed to be one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation.
“I got really big," he continued and clarified:
"I was like around 315 pounds and I put the weight on really fast."
Because of the short time between films, Bautista said he had to pack on the pounds fast, and he achieved this by loading up on his carb intake with a lot of "French fries and pancakes."
Without mentioning the director by name, Bautista said he was told avoid looking like a huge "powerlifter" but more like "a great big guy."
Looking back, Bautista said he probably overdid it because he had gotten "a little too big."
At the time, the actor said he felt the need to reach his maximum "big" goal, which led to his uncontrollable momentum of trying to put on "an uncomfortable amount of weight."
"It took me forever to shut it off," he said, before noticing the apparent benefits.
"I noticed the more I trimmed down the better I felt. And I also noticed the more I trimmed down the better I looked on camera, the better I looked next to other actors."
What he wasn't prepared for, however, was the reaction to his change in appearance.
“People say, ‘God, you’re skinny.’ I’ve even seen online, some people worried about my health."
"And when I say it out loud, ‘I’m 6’4″ 240 pounds,’ which sounds like I’m a big person."
“People have seen me so much bigger over the years that they think I’m like anorexic, but I’m still just a large human being next to your typical actor, I look like a gorilla and it’s distracting.”
You can watch the entire interview clip here.
@chris.vanvliet He says he hasn’t been this light since he was 19 #wwe #davebautista #wrestling
Bautista said he aims to lose a "few more pounds" but not much more than that, considering he was "basically killing myself to be this thin."
He noted that he was training hard and being disciplined with his calorie intake of about "2,500" calories a day, which for him, is not to the level of starving.
Fans commented on his physical transformation and acting journey.
Bautista rose to fame for his multiple stints in WWE since 2002 before retiring from professional wrestling after WrestleMania 35 in 2019.
Some of his films as an actor include Riddick, the James Bond film Spectre, Blade Runner 2049, Dune: Parts 1 & 2, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
He became synonymous with his work in action films, including playing Brass Body in the 2012 Universal martial arts film The Man with the Iron Fists and Drax the Destroyer in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014.
He would go on to reprise Drax in four more Marvel films, which include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame.
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