Hollywood's Weight Problem

I haven’t played the God of War games. Ignoring their excessive violence and sexuality, I don’t own Sony consoles. My thoughts, therefore, are ancillary, with little to say about the franchise. However, I know about body image, having been underweight my whole life, so everything I discuss will be viewed through that. Which leads me to the live-action TV series based on the franchise.

During FanExpo in Toronto, Christopher Judge, who had a role in the recent God of War entries, was asked if he was interested in joining the show as Kratos. He had the following to say:

“We had talked, and I thought, ‘God, what a great legacy to leave for my grandson.’ So I started working out. I got bigger. Then, just the reality of it... because I did read! I did read for it. It was so hard for me to memorize my lines, which I never had a problem with. And that was my mind and body starting to tell me, ‘You don't want to do this.’ I was one of the leads of Stargate at 33 to 44 and then stopped. Now, at 62, to be the lead, I just have no desire to live that way again.”

It’s easy to be disappointed; after all, Judge isn’t a stranger to the material! But when you stop and think about the amount of work that goes into the role, as well as the toll it takes on the body, it makes sense. Bulking up for roles isn’t new, yet doing so rapidly and in short order is exhausting. It also isn’t healthy. And Judge didn’t want that again.

I’m sure some of you don’t know this, but the human body isn’t designed to quickly bulk up or slim down. It’s easier with men, for reasons I don’t understand, but changing body mass too quickly can destroy you physically. It’s especially true with weight loss, as your body feeds on your reserve energy, though rapid weight gain also isn’t healthy. It’s why I’m concerned for method actors who do it to get into a role, as who knows what harm they’re doing long-term?

This isn’t only me speaking. There have been plenty of stories from celebrities recounting the exhaustion they’ve experienced from dieting. Christian Bale lost so much weight for The Machinist that he was at risk for osteoporosis. Even now, I’m not sure what damage he’s done to himself long-term. Basically, it’s not a good idea.

Hollywood has many roles that require certain weights, but rapid transformations are why I have no interest in entering the industry. It’s not the only reason, but my time’s better spent enjoying the end-result. You can call me selfish for saying that, but it’s true. Besides, I dare you to do better. Honestly.

Anyway, I don’t blame Judge for saying no. It’s not like he’s doing another video game either, as that can be counterbalanced with animators and VFX artists. No, Judge would have to work out frequently, change his diet and have the time and energy to memorize lines. As he’s indicated, it didn’t work for him. You can claim that he tried, but if it’s not working…

However, that’s the problem. Outside of Hollywood’s ridiculous beauty standards, such that being too old can cost you roles, audiences are too detached to understand or appreciate what goes into making what we consume. It’s the sausage effect: we’re so busy eating them that we don’t think about how they’re made. And if we did, would we want to eat them? I’m not sure we would.

This issue is why I respect Anthony Hopkins for opting for a fat suit with Hitchcock. You can argue the ethics of fat suits forever, I’m not a fan of them either, but the principle remains intact. Because Hopkins refused to change his body for a role. Given his attitude toward acting generally, it’s also not surprising. So yes, props to him.

Overall, we should recognize this isn’t something Judge wanted, and we have to respect that. It’s not like there aren’t other actors who’d love to work on one of these roles, especially ones younger than Judge, and many are struggling C-Listers waiting for their big breaks. If anything, we should celebrate new talent coming onto the scene! Isn’t that what happened with Ellie in The Last of Us? It worked to Bella Ramsey’s advantage, no?

I know rapid weight loss or gain will remain an issue in Hollywood. I’m not even saying that working out is bad, as I do it twice a week! But while valid, doing it recklessly is dangerous. The human body isn’t designed for drastic change, and we can’t anticipate the long-term damage. Kumail Nanjiani’s a perfect example, having bulked up for The Eternals and regretting it. It’s unhealthy.

True, there’s plenty about Hollywood that’s awful. I’ve made no secret of my thoughts on that. But while I can’t change this on my own, as I lack that kind of influence, that doesn’t mean I want people to harm themselves fulfilling a casting itch. Actors are still human beings, and they’re subject to the limitations associated with that. If Christopher Judge doesn’t want a rigorous regimen to play a beloved character, especially being in his early-60s, that’s his choice. And it needs to be respected.

Ultimately, I’m happy Judge recognized his limitations here. I think that you should be too.