Actors and actresses go through great lengths to prep their body for a role. Whether that may mean going on an extreme diet and losing the pounds, or sometimes even packing on the pounds, these artists stay true to their craft.
Movie star Mark Wahlberg is no exception.
Recently, the 50-year-old actor revealed that he consumed 11,000 calories a day to gain weight for his upcoming film, Stu. The movie portrays Wahlberg as Father Stuart Long, a real-life, professional boxer-turned-priest.
On The Tonight Show last Thursday, Wahlberg told host Jimmy Fallon all about his crazy diet.
“Unfortunately, I had to consume, for two weeks, 7,000 calories. And then for another two weeks, 11,000 calories,” he explained. “And it was fun for about an hour.”
“It’s such a hard, physical thing to do. Losing weight, you just kind of tough it out — you don’t eat, and exercise,” Wahlberg added. “And this, even when you’re full, I would wake up after a meal and have another meal. I was eating every three hours. It was not fun.”
Wahlberg has been committed to the project since 2016, with production only beginning earlier this year. Filming had a strict 30-day deadline to finish, meaning the actor-producer had to gain the weight fast.
“I knew I was on a ticking clock on my own dime, and you get things done pretty quickly when that’s the case,” Wahlberg told Fallon. He gained 40 pounds in three weeks.
The late-night host also commented on Wahlberg’s age, asking if gaining or losing weight for a movie gets more difficult as time passes. “Yeah, absolutely,” Wahlberg said. “Once the metabolism starts to slow down, it gets really difficult. I was trying to get this movie made for six years, we only had 30 days to shoot it, and so I wanted to really make it happen.”
While filming has wrapped, the father of four seems to have hit the gyms to return to his original physique. Fans can check out his fitness videos on Instagram, where the actor looks like he’s already lost a couple pounds.
