Rafe Spall says he regrets telling the world he is ‘proud’ of his weight loss: ‘It hurt’

‘We shouldn’t celebrate it. Because it’s harmful,’ said the actor

Rafe Spall has said he regrets telling the world he was “proud” of losing weight.

The Shaun of the Dead star’s weight loss has been widely reported on by tabloids over the years.

After being pressured by a film studio to lose weight in 2013, Spall landed a role as Rose Byrne’s husband in the rom-com I Give It a Year.

He later earned lead roles in high-profile shows and films, including Black Mirror, The Life of Pi, Prometheus, Men in Black, and Jurassic World.

One publication wrote that Spall went from being “the go-to man for feckless losers” to “a lean, mean, six-packed machine”.

In a new interview with The Independent, Spall opened up about the change to his physical appearance and how the narrative around his weight loss “hurt” him.

Asked whether the fat-shaming comments and  reports surrounding his weight impacted his self-esteem, the actor replied: “It’s all wrong. It’s terrible.”

“I feel bad every time I’ve ever contributed to that narrative by talking about my weight loss as being extremely positive. It’s a harmful narrative. It hurt me. And it hurts others,” said Spall.

(Getty Images)

“Anyone reading that with any perceived weight issue, it’s gonna make them feel crap. We shouldn’t celebrate it. Because it’s harmful.”

The 38-year-old said he “understands” why it is a topic of interest for people “because it’s fascinating”.

“But I can tell you, it’s meaningless,” continued Spall. “The shape of your body is meaningless. It doesn’t mean anything. It hasn’t made me any happier, or any more unhappy.”

He continued: “I’m still the same person. I’ve still got the same heart. The same soul. The same views. Regardless of what my f***ing waist size is.”

Timothy and Rafe Spall (Getty)

He went on to say that he regrets speaking publicly about how proud he was of his weight loss, and specifying how much he weighed before and after dieting.

Spall concluded: “So much of my identity, privately and publicly, has been bound up in this weight loss story.

“And I contributed to that early on because I thought it would please people, and because I thought, ‘Oh yeah, I did that. And good on me.’ But I don’t want people to read it, men and women, and feel s***.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Spall spoke about being “allergic” to earnestness, as well as his forthcoming role as Atticus Finch in the Gielgud Theatre’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird.

For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this piece, eating disorder charity Beat’s helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. You can visit their website here.

NCFED offers information, resources and counselling for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. They can be reached by phone on 845 838 2040 or their website here.