Following the footsteps of other celebrities such as Mark Wahlberg, Jake Gyllenhaal changes his physique by packing significant muscle for a new movie role.
Gyllenhaal, who became even more popular after starring opposite Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, added at least 15 pounds of muscle as he tackles the role of Billy Hope for the movie Southpaw.
How did he achieve such body? He worked out-a lot. He trained himself like a boxer, according to the movie's director Antoine Fuqua. Although he could train a few hours a day, he did it twice a day for 7 days each week. In fact, he spent so many hours at the gym that rumor has it he and his recent girlfriend Alyssa Miller eventually broke up.
Not only that, he studied the movements of modern-day fighters like Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather, who incidentally are considered to be two of the biggest and prized boxers today.
But what makes his transformation even more amazing is the fact that he recently starred in another movie called Nightcrawler, where he lost about 25 pounds.
Many Hollywood celebrities are indeed showing dedication to their craft not only through amazing acting but also physical changes. Glamorous Charize Theron wore teeth prosthetics and put on several pounds for Monster, which won her an Oscar. Tom Hanks also bagged the coveted award after he played an HIV sufferer for Philadelphia. He lost over 20 pounds.
Who can forget about Christian Bale and his almost 60-pound weight loss for The Machinist, where he played an insomniac? He achieved such weight after consuming only apples and coffee. Robert de Niro, on the other hand, went on an opposite direction, this time gaining 60 by eating lots of pasta and cheese so he can play the titular role of Jake La Motta for The Raging Bull.