Dwayne Johnson has addressed fan concerns about his extreme weight loss at a recent event.
The wrestler-turned-actor, famous for his part in the Fast & Furious franchise as well as many other roles, looked noticeably svelte while attending the Venice Film Festival and a Miu Miu event with co-star Emily Blunt, prompting concern online.
Fans were of course quick to speculate about the 53-year-old's health, prompting a second wave of discourse as others became critical about those dissecting the appearance of celebrities online.
The chatter has since made its way back to Johnson, but the Black Adam star, who's currently winning plaudits for his role as MMA fighter Mark Kerr in A24's The Smashing Machine, has come forward to reassure fans that there's absolutely nothing to worry about.
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Speaking about his career during a talk at the Toronto Film Festival on Monday (8 September), Johnson revealed that he's teaming up with filmmaker Benny Safdie for upcoming project Lizard Music.
Johnson explained that Safdie had pitched him the idea after wrapping The Smashing Machine: "After about 45 minutes, this pitch ended and I said, 'I am your Chicken Man'."
Adapted from a 1976 novel by Daniel Pinkwater, Lizard Music follows the story of a young boy who stumbles upon a television broadcast of lizards playing otherworldly music while home alone. The discovery triggers a journey into the extraordinary - crossing paths with the Chicken Man and his 'beloved companion' Claudia, a 70-year-old chicken (per Deadline).
"United by this shared vision, they set off on an adventure that begins as a hunt for a hidden society but blossoms into something far greater: a voyage through invisible worlds, unexpected harmonies, and the unbreakable bond between lost souls who discover magic not only in what they find, but in each other," the synopsis adds.
The actor went on to explain the weight loss was due to him preparing to play the Chicken Man, adding: "I still have a long ways to go.
"I’m so excited to get a chance to hopefully transform again like I was able to do in Smashing Machine. [It means] eating less chicken."
Johnson of course isn't the first, and likely won't be the last, actor to undergo an extreme body transformation in the name of acting, with Christian Bale famously shedding 62 pounds to star in The Machinist.
Meanwhile Johnson has spoken about his desire to break away from being 'pigeon-holed' into action blockbusters, which led him to take on the role of UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine.
"I had this burning desire and voice that was saying, ‘What if there is more and what if I can?’," he said at a press conference for the film according to The Independent.
"A lot of times, it’s harder for us – or at least for me – to know what you are capable of when you’ve been pigeonholed into something."
Topics: Dwayne Johnson, Celebrity, Health, TV and Film
Brenna Cooper