John Goodman's weight loss journey in photos: How the actor lost 200 pounds aged 73

After ruling our TV screens in the 90s, John went on to star in animated hits like The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) and Monsters, Inc. (2001). 

The actor told ABC in 2017 that he’d tried to embark on a health journey previously, but explained that “in the old days, I would take three months out, lose 60 or 70 pounds, and then reward myself with a six-pack or whatever and just go back to my old habits.”

The 6-foot-2 funnyman revealed that during the beginning of his healthy lifestyle journey, he weighed close to 400 pounds. Revealing the driving force behind his lifestyle change, John told People that he “wanted to live better”.

John has also spoken candidly about his struggles with alcoholism at the time, telling The Guardian he checked himself into a rehabilitation centre in 2007.

"It was getting to be too much," he said. "It was 30 years of a disease that was taking its toll on everyone around me and it had got to the point where, every time I did it, it was becoming more and more debilitating. It was life or death. It was time to stop."

By the end of 2010, John had lost over 100 pounds, revealing the method behind his drastic lifestyle change to People, including no alcohol and training with Mackie Shilstone, who also coached tennis pro Serena Williams.

“I’m breaking a sweat but I’m not going nuts,” he said, while his coach added that he was “very agile…he can be a different type of actor now. He can take on athletic parts.”

Fueled by his new lifestyle, John remained a familiar face on-screen, starring in Hollywood hits like Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) and lending his voice to Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014).

“This didn’t happen overnight — it’s been an ongoing process,” Mackie told the New York Post. The trainer also revealed John was taking 10,000 steps a day, working out six days a week, and following a “Mediterranean-style eating plan”, which prioritised fresh fish and nuts alongside fruit and vegetables.

John joined the cast of Kong: Skull Island in 2017, revealing to ABC News that his agile co-stars, like Brie Larson, helped fuel his lifestyle goals. “She’s so charismatic,” John said of Brie. “It kind of kicked up again why I’m doing this and it reminded me of what I was like when I was her age.”

The actor also revealed he’d wished he’d “appreciated” his time on Roseanne more, admitting that his alcohol struggles affected his enjoyment of the hit show. Fans were ecstatic when John joined the cast of the spin-off series The Conners in 2018, with viewers noticing how different the beloved character looked.

The funnyman got candid about his busy schedule’s effect, coupled with the COVID pandemic, on his routine during the press tour for The Righteous Gemstones (2019–2025).

“I was boxing up until then and I haven’t been able to do that since Covid because I’m lazy,” the star confessed to Rolling Stone. “I’ve just let everything go just because I haven’t had the energy because of the jobs.”

John stepped out at the premiere of the new Smurfs movie looking unrecognisable. The actor is now believed to have lost 200lbs thanks to over 15 years of healthy living, and fans were shocked at how different the star looked.

“Didn't even recognise him," one commented, with another adding, "If I saw him out and about I would have never recognised him."