Orlando Bloom has opened up about the 'horrible' side effects he experienced as a result of losing weight for his latest role as a boxer in the thriller The Cut.
If you're not totally wrapped up in boxing, you might assume the sport requires a lot of building muscle, beefing up and getting as big and strong as possible.
But in reality, boxers have to 'make weight' for the class that they're fighting in, ranging from 'strawweight' at under 105 pounds to 'heavyweight' at 200+ pounds, according to Fight Camp.
The ability to fit into a weight class is a focus of Bloom's new movie, which he discussed this week during an appearance on the British chat show This Morning.
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In the interview, Bloom explained: "Cutting weight is what we focus on, and that's really the fight. It's really a kind of commentary on the internal mind, the stress that the body goes through, the mind goes through, and it was very, very real."
The Pirates of the Caribbean star agreed that his transformation went beyond just method acting, admitting he 'wouldn't recommend' the methods he went through to get into character.
"It was definitely not something to take lightly," he said.
Bloom credited his 'great nutritionist' for helping him to lose weight, including by reducing meals from three, to two, to one, and giving up protein powder.
In the last three weeks of his transformation, Bloom said he was basically just eating 'tuna and cucumber'.
While the transformation might have looked good for the role, the actor described the drastic impacts of the weight loss as he admitted he had 'no energy or brain power'.
"I was just exhausted just mentally, physically and I was just hangry," he said. "I was a horrible person to be around."
Bloom also described having 'paranoia' and 'intrusive thoughts', adding: "We're supposed to eat and sleep and take care of ourselves.
"[The film is] really like a commentary on [...] the lengths this person will go to to have that second shot."
Thankfully, Bloom's intense transformation was only for the 'purposes of the movie', though he pointed out that professional athletes have to do this kind of training 'on the regular'.
The actor's comments on This Morning came after he previously told People that he was 'excited by the challenge' of his transformation, though he admitted his lack of sleep was having an impact on his mental health.
“Turns out you can’t sleep when you’re hungry!" he said.
Topics: Orlando Bloom, Boxing, Mental Health, Health, Food and Drink
Emily Brown