50 Cent's extreme body transformation left people questioning whether it was actually real
50 Cent's nine-week body transformation was so insane that it's left people questioning if it was even real.
Spoiler alert: It was.
The acclaimed rapper - whose real name is Curtis Jackson - made his name in music, but has arguably made just as big of an impact on the film and TV industry.
Jackson, 49, has performed in various projects, from biographical drama Get Rich or Die Tryin' to actor/producer of popular crime series Power, as well as several successful follow-ups.
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In 2011, however, he took on his most physically demanding role to date.
Why did 50 Cent lose so much weight?
50 Cent lost a lot of weight when he starred in 2011 film, All Things Fall Apart.
Alongside a star-studded cast that included the likes of Ray Liotta and Lynn Whitfield, Jackson played a gifted American college football player who was diagnosed with cancer.
He went on a strict weight-loss routine to look as authentic as possible.
How much weight did 50 Cent lose?
The 'In da Club' rapper lost a whopping 54 lbs (24.5kg) in nine weeks, going from 214 pounds (97kg) to 160 (72.5kg).
It just falls short of Christian Bale when he prepared for his role in The Machinist by losing 63lbs (28.5kg).
Commenting on the weight loss on X, one person wrote: "Homie lean af," while another added: "What was his secret? I wanna lose that too."
"No way that’s the same person," a third penned.
How did 50 Cent lose so much weight?
Well, there was no CGI involved here, as the 'Many Men' hitmaker followed a strict liquid diet and intense treadmill routine for nine weeks.
Though the dieting was something he had done previously after he was shot in the jaw in 2000 and was forced to consume only liquids.
"This time it was a lot tougher for me," he admitted to the Associated Press. "I had to discipline myself not … to actually have myself be in the physical state to convey the energy I felt. It’s a passion project for me."
50 actually looked into Bale's weight loss experience, as well as similar examples from actors such as Tom Hanks and Robert De Niro.
"I actually got on the computer when it started getting difficult," he recalled. "I was looking to see what their experience was like and I got a chance to see all of the interviews they had at different time periods when they were doing promotion for the projects."
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, All Things Fall Apart got a pretty average 58 percent rating.
Some viewers did rate 50's performance though, as one person wrote: "I simply like this movie for 50 Cents performance. HE makes the film. I love the underlying themes. The camera work is amazing! Most underrated movie I know of."
And another added: "I was impressed with 50 Cent's performance."
Anish Vij