Actor has started working on “The Gambler” remake in Los Angeles

Feb 4, 2014 11:05 GMT  ·  By
Mark Wahlberg plays a drug addicted teacher in new film, has lost a lot of weight
   Mark Wahlberg plays a drug addicted teacher in new film, has lost a lot of weight

Mark Wahlberg, fresh off the success of “Lone Survivor,” will be seen in theaters next with Michael Bay’s fourth take on the Transformers with “Age of Extinction.” After that, with his following film, fans might have somewhat of a hard time recognizing him because he’s lost a lot of weight.

Whether you like his movies and / or the way he transitioned from music to Oscar-nominated actor, you can’t deny that Mark has always been in amazing shape. In fact, for movies like “The Fighter” or “Pain & Gain,” he packed a lot of muscle mass because that’s what the role demanded.

In “The Gambler,” which is actually a remake that he is shooting now in Los Angeles, the actor is looking particularly frail, having lost over 40 pounds (18.1 kg) for the role. It’s the first time he loses this much weight for one particular project.

Attached to this article is just one of the photos snapped by the paparazzi on the set. The Daily Mail has more – and they all confirm that Mark is, these days, almost a shadow of his former self.

“The 42-year-old appeared rather disheveled despite his crisp, smart attire, thanks to his lackluster mane which was cut into a very dated 'do and his obvious weight-loss. The famously ripped former Calvin Klein underwear model displayed hollowed cheeks and sallow skin after losing a reported 40lbs for his role as a teacher struggling with addiction issues,” the tab writes.

Speaking with Extra during the promo tour for “Lone Survivor,” an already slimmer Mark revealed that he was about 195 pounds (88.4 kg) when he started working on “Transformers,” embarking on a weight loss diet shortly after wrapping up the physically demanding action flick.

At the time of the interview, he was down to about 158 pounds (71.6 kg) but still wanted to lose some more. He said his weight goal for “The Gambler” was of 150 pounds (68 kg), but he admitted that restricting his diet to achieve it was no walk in the park.

“I’m trying to get as thin as I possibly can. I’m playing a literary professor who also has some serious addiction problems, trying to get ready for that. Anytime I smell food, I get crazy… my daughter was eating a blueberry scone, and I was going to jack her for it… literally going to rob my almost 4-year-old daughter for the blueberry muffin. It’s getting bad,” Mark explained at the time.

Video of the interview is available on Extra.