Hollywood Makeovers

Tom Hardy in Warrior

I recently saw Warrior and was shocked afterwards because I did not even recognize one of the stars of the movie. Tom Hardy plays a mean MMA fighter and he looked nothing like he did in Inception last year. He added what looked like 35 pounds of muscle to his frame. Movie stars frequently make some dramatic changes to their physique in an effort to get into character for a role. Some examples that come to mind include:

-Tom Hanks losing 50 pounds for Cast Away.

-Christian Bale losing 63 pounds for his role in The Machinist and then gaining muscle again to portray Batman the next year.



Same guy before

 -Brad Pitt getting shredded for Fight Club or bulking up to play Achilles in Troy.

-Will Smith putting on muscle and size in order to look like Mohamed Ali.

-Jake Gyllenhaal getting in shape for Prince of Persia.

-Hillary Swank bulking up to play a boxer in Million Dollar Baby.

-Gerard Butler and his 6 pack flaunting entourage in 300.

So how are these celebrities able to make such amazing and often drastic transformations in such a short amount of time? They get results because they have trainers, dietitians, and others helping them around the clock for months. There is also a ton of pressure on them. If you had 6 months to prepare to look like a super hero, warrior, athlete, etc. I'm sure you wouldn't want to show up out of shape and disappoint everyone. (It also doesn't hurt that they also have wardrobe, makeup, lighting, special effects and CGI at their disposal for that additional boost.)

You may not have the unlimited funds and resources to help you get the look you want, unlike some of these actors and movie studios, but you can still make some drastic changes in your own life. I hate to put too much emphasis on appearance since looks are not synonymous with health, but I am always impressed when I see people make amazing changes to their physique.

If you need motivation to get in shape, just get cast for a role in a Hollywood movie as a bodybuilder or model, then give yourself 6 months to physically prepare for the part. If however, you are like 99% of the population then you will have to just keep plugging along with the rest of us.