“My stomach expanded”: Losing 40 lbs to Look Like a Drug Addict Forced Matt Damon to Go Under 2 Years of Medication After Extreme Health Complications

"My stomach expanded": Losing 40 lbs to Look Like a Drug Addict Forced Matt Damon to Go Under 2 Years of Medication After Extreme Health Complications
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Matt Damon understands how to bring his on-screen persona to the pinnacle of excellence. Damon, a former Harvard University student, was so interested in acting that he dropped out to work on the film Geronimo.

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Matt Damon at an event
Matt Damon at an event

His fixation grew as he began additional projects, but he was determined to master all of the characters. The actor once shed 40 pounds for the role. He had numerous health issues after losing so much weight. 

Read More: “It was fully immersive”: Matt Damon Compares Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer to $482M Steven Spielberg Movie That Was Snubbed at the Oscars

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Matt Damon recalled the diet he followed for his movie Courage Under Fire 

Matt Damon in Courage Under Fire
Matt Damon in Courage Under Fire

In the film Courage Under Fire, Matt Damon portrays specialist Ilario, a drug addict. This film provided Damon with an opportunity to demonstrate his talent and skills to the world. According to reports, when the movie was presented to him, the 52-year-old actor didn’t have many projects on his plate. Even though his role in the film was brief, he wanted to give it his all, so he began losing weight to seem like a drug addict. 

The Air actor was walking on a tightrope so he decided to give his best shot when he was filming for the movie. Damon recalled during an interview how he lost 40lbs for the movie, he said,

“Literally, the day after I shot the scene with Denzel Washington walking on the lake, I started eating four or five chocolate cakes, twelve beers, four steaks, tons of pasta. And my stomach expanded.”

He further added,

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“ I had to go on medication, for dizziness, lightheadedness, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder…I’ve been off the medication for a couple of weeks now – after two years. That taught me a lot about what I can and can’t do, what I should and shouldn’t do.” 

The Good Will Hunting actor’s brief performance in the movie was applauded by the people when the movie was released on the big screens on 12 July 1996. The movie was directed by Edward Zwick.

Read More: “This is exactly how disasters happen”: Matt Damon Royally Regretted Playing a ‘White Savior’ in 335M Movie

Matt Damon ran 12 Miles a day to lose weight for his film Courage Under Fire 

Matt Damon at an event
Matt Damon at an event

Damon was on a rigorous diet in order to meet his weight loss target in a short period of time. To attain his desired result, he adhered to a strict diet and workout regimen. During that time, the Interstellar actor reportedly only ate chicken, egg whites, steamed broccoli, and basic baked potatoes to lose weight. He also ran 12 miles a day to make sure he is losing weight in time. 

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Read More: Despite Mere $89M Box Office Run, Matt Damon Pocketed Staggering $30 Million for Ben Affleck’s ‘Air’

Damon’s doctor was reportedly concerned about the actor’s health after he lost a significant quantity of weight. According to reports, his nutrition was unsupervised, which might have resulted in a variety of health difficulties. Damon stated his doctor told him that losing weight for the film could have shrunk his heart.

Source: Cheatsheet; ABC

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Written by Umeza Peera

Articles Published: 289

Umeza Peera is a pop culture junkie and works as Content writer for Fandom Wire. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Philosophy. Umeza has been writing for three years. She enjoys writing relatable stories that would connect with people