Dave Bautista, an iconic wrestler-turned-actor, is known for his extensive career in the WWE as well as Hollywood. From WWE Wrestlemania to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, Bautista has had quite a transformation over the years.
These wrestlers often had ripped bodies and muscular physiques since their teenage years. Well, Bautista was no exception as the actor shared a throwback photo from back when he was 16 years old!
Dave Bautista Was Jacked When He Was 16 Years Old!
Bautista found worldwide fame when he started appearing in the WWE against iconic wrestlers like Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, and, more. Over the years, Bautista became an iconic wrestler himself.
After Dwayne Johnson’s exit from the world of wrestling, Bautista was soon offered a role in a Marvel film. Portraying the role of Drax in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Bautista found even further fame and money.
Taking to his Instagram account, the actor posted a throwback photo of himself from when he was 16 years old. Wearing red underpants and flexing his muscles, Bautista was already shaping his body in his teenage years.
Well, Bautista certainly went on to grow bigger and better with age as the actor stepped into the world of professional wrestling. Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Bautista talked a lot about his body.
When Jimmy Fallon showcased the photo of a teenage Bautista, the Knock at the Cabin actor shared an emotional tale related to that photo. However, the actor went on to continue talking about his body transformation.
Dave Bautista Talked About His 16-Year-Old Self
Being very conscious about his physique, Bautista has gained and lost a lot of weight over the years. From bulking up for some roles while jacking up for others, Bautista has played quite a diverse set of characters.
Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Army of the Dead actor talked about his physical health. When Fallon took out the 16-year-old photo of Bautista, the actor had quite the story to share.
I was just starting to lift weights, and I was 16. I was very awkward and uncomfortable. I think my dad actually took that picture. He was proud of me. I was starting to get jacked.
He further continued,
I did too [weightlifting bench]. The plastic weights. I had all that. That’s kind of how it started. I wanted to just lift weights and I thought I wanted to bodybuild and 13 years later I had nothing to show for it. I was just big and jacked and I was broke.
However, the actor managed to land his dream of professional wrestling. After several years in the WWE, Bautista found a chance at Hollywood and fortunately, his character of Drax became a likable character in an instant.
As the journey of Dave Bautista continued, the actor worked alongside iconic director M. Night Shyamalan in the 2023 film Knock at the Cabin. Bautista revealed that he had to undergo some immense transformation after that!
Dave Bautista Weighed Over 300 Lbs For Knock at the Cabin!
Working alongside M. Night Shyamalan, Bautista portrayed the role of Leonard in the 2023 film Knock at the Cabin. When two parents and their adopted kid visit a remote cabin, four armed strangers enter their home uninvited.
The premise of the movie is that the family members will have to sacrifice themselves to save the world or a catastrophe will strike the world at any moment. Being a thriller, the 2023 film is one of Bautista’s best works and the actor had to bulk up quite a lot because of it.
In an episode of LIVE with Kelly and Mark, the actor shared that he weighed over 300 lbs for his role in Knock at the Cabin. However, he lost it all thanks to Jiu-jitsu!
It’s the way I lose weight. I put on all this weight for Knock at the Cabin. I was really big, like over 300 lbs. I was struggling to lose the weight, so I brought a trainer — my buddy Jason Manly — over to Budapest with me while I was filming Dune.
He further continued,
[We] did nothing but grapple, like for hours. And so I started shedding the weight off and I figured ‘I’ll just stick with it so I’ll get my brown belt.’
The actor is looking fit and fine now and is excited to share the screen with veteran actor Samuel L. Jackson in Afterburn. Not many details about the plot have been shared, but it seems that the film is going to be one heck of a project.
On the other hand, Dave Bautista’s Knock at the Cabin received a rating of 6.1/10 on IMDB and an average of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. With an iconic story to its name, the 2023 film is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.
