People still can't believe 50 Cent's extreme transformation is actually real
Fans of rap legend 50 Cent cannot believe the transformation he underwent for a 2011 movie that he starred in and co-produced.
The 'In Da Club' star is known primarily for his music, though has managed to build a decent acting career on the side, mostly through his role as Kanan Stark on Starz crime-drama, Power.
Real name Curtis Jackson III, the rapper burst on the scene with his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin' under Eminem's Shady Records.
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The Grammy and Emmy winner has since built himself a widely successful career, and is continuing to push the limits with his projects, as seen in resurfaced snaps from one of his previous movies.
Titled Things Fall Apart, 50 Cent played an American football running back named Deon who had aspirations of making it pro and playing in the NFL, having performed well at college level.
However, he falls ill from a genetic disease as he is about to go professional, turning his life upside down as his football dreams are crushed.
Deon fights cancer throughout the film and comes to terms with his new future in the process, learning to see the bright side of things.
The late Ray Liotta stars in the film too, but the main talking point from the movie is just how much weight 50 Cent lost to play the role without the need of any CGI.
The 49-year-old went on a liquid-only diet and worked out for three hours a day on a treadmill for nine weeks to achieve the look and weight, similar to Christian Bale when he prepared for his role in The Machinist and lost 63lbs (28.5kg).
The rapper lost a huge 54 lbs (24.5kg) in nine weeks for the role, and though he falls just short of Bale's weight-loss, it's still staggering.
Upon seeing the transformation, you wouldn't believe that it's the '21 Questions' rapper at all, especially if you put the before and after photos side by side.
The multi-millionaire is known for his buff, muscular body, often going topless at shows and being best known for appearing topless and upside down in the 'In Da Club' music video.
When photos of the star on set were released, rumours spread that it was a hoax, which Jackson was quick to shut down, saying at the time: "I was starving," when announcing that he would be back on tour after the film wrapped.
"I've been eating. I'll be back in shape in no time!"
Prior to filming the 2011 flick, the hip-hop artist revealed he had some of his tattoos removed as he pursued a more serious acting career.
He stated: "I took ‘em off. I’ve been on a few acting projects and they been making me get up… My call time is four hours before the regular acting talent because of the tattoos."
It proved to be worth it, with roles in films such as Southpaw and Den of Thieves being huge hits at the box office, while the critically acclaimed and popular TV series Power (2014-2020) proved his acting ability and firmly put respect on his name in the acting world.
Joshua Nair