Simon Pegg has done a Christian Bale-style body transformation for Inheritance. Star of such notable cult hits as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, as well as the blockbuster Mission: Impossible series, 49-year-old Pegg has never been known for the physicality that he brings to his roles. Instead, Pegg has always been reliable comedic relief, amassing a loyal following as a result.
Over the years, audiences have been wowed or outright stunned by a handful of performers who have completely altered their appearances for roles. In some cases, actors who’ve undergone severe weight loss - such as Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club or Christian Bale for The Fighter - have had their sacrifice pay off with Oscar wins. Bale is one actor in particular who has made yo-yo dieting for roles such a part of his career that his name has become almost synonymous with the concept of drastically changing one’s appearance. In fact, Bale’s numerous physical transformations over the years for roles have recently led him to announce that he is through with the technique.
As one Hollywood star closes the chapter on transformative weight loss, another seems to have taken it on. Pegg’s trainer, Nick Lower, posted a photo on Twitter of Pegg’s “6 month body transformation.” Pegg’s weight loss and muscle gain are for his upcoming role in the thriller Inheritance. You can check out the photo below in which Pegg shows off his new appearance, which involved him losing 19 pounds and 4 percent of his body fat in order to obtain the “very lean” look required for his character.
Inheritance is currently without a release date, but we do know that the film’s plot follows a wealthy family dealing with the death of its powerful patriarch. When the wife and daughter of the deceased learn of their inheritance and the terrible secret it carries with it, their very lives are threatened with destruction. Aside from Pegg’s involvement in Inheritance, the rest of the revealed cast consists of Lily Collins, Connie Nielsen, and Chace Crawford. Vaughn Stein, who made his feature film debut with 2018’s neo-noir thriller Terminal - in which Pegg starred - is taking on directing duties.
It is intriguing to see Simon Pegg having undergone so much for a role, given that radical weight loss and muscle gain are not typically a part of his acting persona. Clearly Pegg believes in this upcoming project enough to make the necessary physical sacrifices, and as a result, it will be great to see a new side to the Shaun of the Dead star’s on screen abilities. That being said, Terminal was not met with a great deal of critical or commercial acclaim, so hopefully Pegg and company will have such weighty sacrifices pay off with Inheritance.
More: 15 Actors Who Completely Transformed For Roles (And Are Miserable About It)
Source: Nick Lower
