7 Actors Who Drastically Transformed Their Bodies For Forgettable Movies

It’s not difficult to see the logic behind McConaughey taking on the role of Kenny Wells, a Good Ol’ Boy with an obsession with precious metals. This body altering performance had precedent, namely his award-winning turn in The Dallas Buyers Club.

Getting thin won him an Oscar, so why wouldn’t packing it on?

The problem with his decision to go the opposite way and turn his washboard abs into a laudable gut is that the movie in which he chose to become an overweight, balding and often unlikeable character is even more bloated than the 40lbs of paunch he nurtured.

Gold, as a concept, is quite interesting on paper. The corruptive power of wealth is always a fun angle to explore, just look at The Wolf Of Wall Street. Unfortunately, an overlong runtime and a melodramatic, wild-eyed performance from its lead didn’t add up to a particularly memorable experience.

Despite the initial Oscar buzz, the movie has amassed what could generously be described as a mixed bag critically and, as a result, it received precisely zero nominations. Currently sitting at an uninspiring 41% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s unlikely that you’ll be hearing people talking about Gold for any reason other than Matthew McConaughey letting himself go.