Chubbed-up Nicolas Cage is struggling to shed the 50 pounds he gained to play legendary football coach and commentator John Madden in an upcoming biopic, RadarOnline.comcan reveal.
Months after the movie wrapped, the 62-year-old Oscar winner is still not back in shape and is going to extreme lengths to slim down.
Nic’s Weight Gain Challenge
John Madden role required Nicolas Cage to gain about 50 pounds for the upcoming biopic ‘Madden.’
“He generally weighs around 180 or 190, but he rocketed right up to the mid-200s for the role,” an insider said.
“Shedding that much has been a major challenge for Nic and is not something he’s used to.”
The Moonstruck star and his tight-knit team are sure the film, titled Madden, will be a huge success.
“It’s a wild, wacky and fun movie that a lot of people are going to fall in love with and that every fan of football is going to want to see multiple times,” said an insider.
But playing the hefty Madden, who died in 2021 at the age of 85, required a full-body transformation for the usually fit actor.
Outside His Comfort Zone
Cage faces challenges shedding weight months after filming wrapped.
“He hates what he had to do to his body to get ready,” the source said.
“He went outside his comfort zone on this one and he’s still getting over the weight gain he put into looking the part.”
According to the source: “Nic now has to dig in and show discipline and even suffer some to get back into his version of normal shape.”
Sources said the National Treasure star takes pride in having maintained his fit physique for years.
Oscar buzz around ‘Madden’ puts added pressure on Cage as he prepares for promotion.
“He still loves putting on clothes he could fit into when he was 20,” the source said.
With Oscar talk already buzzing around the movie, and a major promotion campaign planned, he’ll be in the spotlight a lot in the months ahead.
“He’ll be expected to get out and promote this project, which is easily the biggest role he’s had in 20 years.”
Feeling The Pressure
Cage is said to be on a daily journey to return to his old physique.
“So he’s really feeling the pressure to look his best ASAP, the insider said.
“He’s still on the journey toward looking like his old self and it’s a daily battle that he takes incredibly seriously.”
