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Beefing Up, Again: 10 More Actors Who Underwent Remarkable Physical Transformations For Their Roles

A few months ago I wrote Beefing Up: Ten Actors Who Underwent Remarkable Physical Transformations For Their Roles, an article about some of the most amazing physical transformations on film. In that post I only had room to acknowledge 10 actors for the phenomenal work they put in, but there are so many more talented individuals who have drastically gained or lost weight to properly portray their characters.

Rob McElhenney For It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

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I know that this was for TV and not for a film, but there was no way I could make this list without including Rob McElhenney’s awesomely hilarious weight gain for Sunny. McElhenney gained a whopping 50 pounds in 5 months for the benefit of the show.

The actor didn’t decide to put on the weight as a plot device, but simply because he thought it would be funny. Naturally, quite a few episodes were centered around his weight, most notably How Mac Got Fat, but it was all for gaining a few laughs.

His diet consisted of 5 1,000-calorie meals a day. Originally he began by eating chicken and rice, but eventually he realized a Big Mac and donuts were much easier. Plus, what better way to make a bigger Mac than with Big Macs? (Sorry, I had to.)

Fans who have tuned in for Season 8 may have noticed something remarkable; McElhenney is back to his normal weight, and even a bit buffer than before. He lost 23 of the 50 pounds in the first month, and the rest came off shortly after.