Transforming the usually ripped Mark Wahlberg into his character from “The Gambler” took serious work and a lot of jump roping.
“[The director] wanted me to be as thin as possible and so that was just part of the preparation. But the real preparation was the mental preparation, being believable as a literary professor,” he told Access Hollywood at the film’s premiere, about playing a down on his luck professor in the upcoming film.
So how did the 43-year-old drop 60 pounds for the role of Jim Bennett?
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“No food for about six weeks. Just a liquid diet and then jumping rope like two or three hours a day, in the morning and the night,” he said.
The actor explained he went on this crash diet under the supervision of a medical professional.
“[I was] just basically starving myself, under the watchful eye of a doctor,” he told Access.
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“The Gambler” hits theaters on December 19.
— Jesse Spero
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