Dave Bautista, former WWE superstar and Hollywood actor, sat down for an interview with Chris Van Vliet on the Insight podcast. He spoke about his weight loss journey, driven by a desire to appear less "distracting" on camera, stating, "Next to your typical actor, I look like a gorilla, and it's distracting."
The 55-year-old Bautista revealed that he had bulked up for his role in M. Night Shyamalan's 2023 thriller Knock at the Cabin, which left him "uncomfortably big" at about 315 pounds, weight he gained rapidly. At the 6:45 mark, he explained:
"I was probably a little too big, but at the time, I was just thinking, 'I got to get big, got to get big, I got to get big,' and I put on an uncomfortable amount of weight, and it took me forever to shed it out."
His reflections highlight his dedication towards his roles.
Dave Bautista explains why people think he's 'anorexic.'
When asked by Van Vliet about "slimming down," Bautista confirmed, "Yeah, absolutely." He explained that he started losing weight because he "just got fat," to which Van Vliet disagreed. Bautista noted that he had limited time to bulk up, so he resorted to the quickest method—overeating french fries and pancakes.
He recalled that the director wanted him "to look like a great big guy” rather than “a powerlifter,” but in hindsight, he feels he "overdid it."
"That's how I did it, and the director [M. Night Shyamalan] asked me, he said, 'You know, I don't want you to look like a powerlifter. I just want you to look like a great big guy. And so now, looking back at it, man, I probably overdid it."
The Guardians of the Galaxy star added that the more weight he lost, the more comfortable he felt on camera, especially when standing next to other actors. However, as he shed pounds, people began commenting that he looked "skinny" and "anorexic." Bautista addressed this, saying:
“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."
Bautista also mentioned that his weight loss journey isn't over yet; he's still focused on cutting down more and is "basically killing" himself to achieve it.
The Killer's Game is an upcoming action-comedy film starring Dave Bautista, Sofia Boutella, Terry Crews, Scott Adkins, and Marko Zaror, among others. It premiered in the US on September 13, 2024.
