Dave Bautista addresses fan concern over sudden weight loss

The former WWE wrestler said he’d gained ‘an uncomfortable amount of weight’ to make ‘Knock at the Cabin’

Dave Bautista has reassured fans concerned about his recent weight loss that he’s healthy.

The former WWE wrestler, 55, explained that he’d previously put on an “uncomfortable amount of weight” for his role in the 2023 psychological thriller Knock at the Cabin.

Speaking to TikTok personality Chris Van Vliet, Bautista said: “I started trimming down because I just got fat. I got really big for a role and it was uncomfortably big… Knock at the Cabin… I got really big. I was around 315 pounds and I put the weight on really fast.”

Bautista went on to say that unlike his younger days in the WWE when he was “carrying lots and lots of muscle”, he gained weight for the M Night Shyamalan film by eating “french fries and pancakes.” He recalled the director telling him: “I don’t want you to look like a powerlifter, I just want you to look like a great big guy.”

Looking back, Bautista added: “I probably overdid it. I was probably a little too big, but at the time I was just thinking: ‘I gotta get big.’ I put on an uncomfortable amount of weight, and it took me forever to shed it off.

“Then I noticed the more I trimmed down, the better I felt. And I also noticed the more I trimmed down, the better I looked on camera, the better I look next to other actors.”

The Guardians of the Galaxy star said he’d heard several comments about his weight, but reassured those concerned he’s still at a healthy weight. “People say, ‘God, you’re skinny,’” he said. “I’ve even seen online some people worried about my health. And when I say it out loud to people, ‘I’m 6’4″, 240 pounds,’ which sounds like, when you say that, I’m a big person!

“But to me, because people have seen me so much bigger over the years they think I’m anorexic, but I’m still just a large human being. At 6’4”, 240 pounds, next to your typical actor I look like a gorilla, and it’s distracting!”

Dave Bautista attends the premiere of ‘The Last Showgirl’ at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in September (Getty Images)

Bautista can next be seen in Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl, opposite Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The film tells the story of a veteran dancer in Las Vegas named Shelly (Anderson), who has worked for most of her career as part of an old-fashioned feathers and rhinestones show called “Le Razzle Dazzle”.

Shelly’s life is sent into a downward spiral when the show’s producer, Eddie (Bautista) tells the dancers that the casino that hosts them is closing the show down with only two weeks’ notice.

Anderson has received rave reviews for her performance, with some suggesting she could be a major awards contender.