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Famous Fat Actors And Actresses

Who are the most famous fat actors and actresses?

Introduction

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with at least 3 million people dying every year as a result of being overweight or obese.

This happens because the excess weight may increase the risk for many health problems, including:

  • high blood sugar during pregnancy;
  • type 2 diabetes;
  • kidney disease;
  • high blood pressure (hypertension);
  • fatty liver disease;
  • osteoarthritis;
  • sleep apnea;
  • certain types of cancer;
  • strokes;
  • heart disease.

List Of 17 Famous Fat Actors And Actresses:

#1 Melissa McCarthy

famous fat women Melissa McCarthy

@Getty

She is an American comedian, actress, writer, fashion designer, and producer who has been featured multiple times in the annual rankings of the highest-paid actresses in the world.

On May 19, 2015, Melissa received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

In 2016, she was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

McCarthy attended and graduated from St. Francis Academy in Joliet, Illinois.

Moreover, Melissa has received nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards and is the recipient of several accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards.

McCarthy told Refinery29;

“I have [lost weight], but I’ll be back again. I’ll be up, I’ll be down, probably for the rest of my life.”

Melissa later added:

”The thing is, if that is the most interesting thing about me, I need to go have a lavender farm in Minnesota and give this up. There has to be something more.”

#2 Rebel Wilson

fattest celebrity

Rebel Wilson attends the UK Premiere of “Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb” at Empire Leicester Square on December 15, 2014, in London, England – @Getty

She is an Australian writer, actress, and producer who appeared as Toula on the sketch comedy series The Wedge and the Special Broadcasting Service comedy series Pizza.

Wilson says getting fat led to her Hollywood success:

“I was like, ‘oh, that girl’s getting a lot of laughs, a lot easier than me. What is it?’ Because I don’t think there’s much difference in talent.”

Rebel continued:

”And I remember distinctly thinking, ‘I think it’s because she’s fatter’. And then, I don’t know if it was mega-conscious, but I thought, ‘how can I get more laughs? Maybe if I was a bit fatter…’ And then suddenly I was fatter and doing comedy.”

#3 Jorge Garcia

chubby actors

@Getty

He is an American comedian and actor best known for portraying Hugo “Hurley” Reyes in the television series Lost from 2004 to 2010.

Jorge first came to public attention with his performance as Hector Lopez on the television show Becker.

According to The National Enquirer, Garcia is reportedly tipping the scales at 400 lbs and exposing himself to such weight-related health problems as – heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, which could ultimately cause a heart attack.

#4 Jonah Hill

Jonah Hill

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He is a writer and actor who rose to fame through comedies like Superbad, before earning award nominations for roles in The Wolf of Wall Street and Moneyball.

During a chat on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Hill said:

“I became famous in my late teens and then spent most of my young adult life listening to people say that I was fat and gross and unattractive.”

Update – Hill has recently lost weight dramatically from a combination of eating less and exercise.

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#5 John Goodman

John Goodman

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He is an American actor that had many roles in animated films, including:

  • Monsters University (2013);
  • Monsters, Inc. (2001);
  • The Emperor’s New Groove (2000).

Also, Goodman is a regular collaborator with the Coen brothers on films like:

  • Inside Llewyn Davis (2013);
  • O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000);
  • The Big Lebowski (1998);
  • Barton Fink (1991);
  • Raising Arizona (1987).

Early in his career, Goodman was known for playing Dan Conner on the ABC TV series Roseanne (1988–1997; 2018).

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But along with having a big career, John also has a large frame, weighing around 400 pounds. Goodman told ABC that he decided to take control of his life and never looked back. He declared:

 “I just got tired, sick and tired of looking at myself.”

Goodman later added:

“You’re shaving in the mirror and you don’t want to look at yourself. It gets dangerous.”

#6 Daniel Stewart Sherman

Daniel Stewart Sherman

© Guliver / Getty Images

He is an American actor who portrayed Mario Pepper on Gotham. Daniel also performed in Boy Wonder, Night Run, and Le come back.

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#7 William Hootkins

William Hootkins

© Guliver / Getty Images

He was an American character actor who made appearances in films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Tim Burton’s Batman.

Hootkins moved to the United Kingdom after his friend John Lithgow recommended that he go there.

William portrayed Fatty Arbuckle in Ken Russell’s infamous 1977 flop Valentino and played Hans Zarkov’s assistant in the 1980 Flash Gordon.

He studied Chinese linguistics and astrophysics while attending Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey.

Additionally, Hootkins had significant roles in films such as:

  • Hear My Song (1991);
  • Like Father, Like Santa (as Santa Claus);
  • Hardware (1990).

He was initially slated to play the role of Dennis Nedry in 1993’s Jurassic Park; however, he was replaced after Spielberg saw Wayne Knight’s performance in Basic Instinct.

William is best known for supporting roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, and Batman.

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#8 K. Trevor Wilson

K. Trevor Wilson

Image source – © Guliver / Getty Images

He is a Canadian writer, comedian, and actor. In 2017, his first special, Bigger in Person, debuted on The Comedy Network.

His debut album SexCop Fire Penis won Best Taped Live Performance at the 2015 Canadian Comedy Awards and reached the top of the iTunes Comedy Charts.

Wilson grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and is best known as the character Squirrely Dan in ”Letterkenny.”

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#9 Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates

Image source – © Guliver / Getty Images

She is an American actress and director and the recipient of the following:

  • two BAFTA nominations;
  • three American Comedy Awards;
  • two Screen Actors Guild Awards;
  • two Golden Globes.

Bates received her 2nd and 3rd Academy Award nominations for Primary Colors (1998) and About Schmidt (2002) in the category of Best Supporting Actress.

For her portrayal of Annie Wilkes in the 1990 film Misery, Kathy won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

She began her career on the stage, and for her performance, Bates was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play in 1983.

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#10 Kevin James

Kevin James

Image source – © Guliver / Getty Images

He is an American comedian, actor, film producer, and screenwriter. From 2016 to 2018, James starred in the CBS sitcom, ”Kevin Can Wait.” He performed with Adam Sandler in Sandy Wexler in 2017.

Kevin has also done voice work for the Hotel Transylvania film series, Barnyard and Monster House. In addition, Kevin has appeared in the films Hubie Halloween (2020), I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007), Hitch (2005), Grown Ups (2010), Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009), Here Comes the Boom (2012), Zookeeper (2011), and Pixels (2015).

But James is best known as Doug Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007).

#11 Steven Seagal

Steven Seagal

@Getty

Seagal is an American action film star with a 7th-dan black belt in aikido. He made his acting debut in Above the Law in 1988.

He also starred in General Commander, The Asian Connection, Out for Justice, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Fire Down Below, Into the Sun, and more. He served as the director of many movies, including Sniper: Special Ops, Not Even the Trees, and Attrition.

He has seven children from four relationships. In addition, Seagal is a godparent to Yabshi Pan Rinzinwangmo, the daughter of the tenth Panchen Lama.

In 2020, Charlize Theron said that Seagal is “just incredibly overweight and can barely fight.”

#12 Robbie Coltrane

Robbie Coltrane

@Getty

Coltrane was a Scottish actor best known for his role as Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series.

He also performed in National Treasure, The Fruit Machine, The Comic Strip Presents, Alice in Wonderland, The Brothers Bloom, and The Adventures of Huck Finn.

He suffered from osteoarthritis. In 2019, Coltrane was pictured in a wheelchair due to osteoarthritis.

“I had no cartilage in my knee,” Coltrane said. “It was bone on bone.”

Coltrane passed away on October 14, 2022.

#13 Gérard Depardieu

Gérard Depardieu

@Getty

Depardieu is a French actor who appeared in more than 250 movies. Depardieu made his screen debut in Le Beatnik et le minet.

In 1990, Depardieu received the Cannes Film Festival: Best actor award.

“I gain weight and lose it again in inevitable cycles,” Depardieu once said. 

In 2010, Depardieu lost 44 pounds (20 kg) in 10 ten days. “I just drank water, and I lost 20 kilos,” Gérard revealed at the time.

#14 Jack Black

Jack Black

@Getty

Jack Black is an American actor, comedian, and musician who began his career at age 13.

Jack’s recognition as a fantastic comedic talent led him to act in popular films such as High Fidelity, Jumanji: The Next Level, School of Rock, Nacho Libre, The House with a Clock in Its Walls, and Kung Fu Panda.

In 2020, Jack weighed 240 lbs at 5’7. Black hired celebrity trainer Mark Wildman to help him lose 25 pounds. “I’m gon’ get ripped,” Jack said at the time.

#15 Jon Favreau

Jon Favreau

@Getty

Jon Favreau is an American filmmaker and actor who performed in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Entourage, Spider-Man: Far from Home, The Wolf of Wall Street, Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man 3, Four Christmases, and more.

Favreau served as the producer of Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King, The Book of Boba Fett, Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Mandalorian, Young Sheldon, and The Shannara Chronicles.

In 2007, Favreau went from 290 to 205 lbs.

#16 Larry The Cable Guy

larry the cable net worth

Daniel Lawrence Whitney, also known as “Larry the Cable Guy” attends The Walt Disney Family Museum Gala – @Getty

Larry the Cable Guy, also known as Daniel Lawrence Whitney, is not just known for his comedic talent but also for his weight loss journey. The actor and comedian has been open about his struggles with weight and his efforts to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

At his heaviest, Larry the Cable Guy weighed 282 pounds. He admitted to having gained a significant amount of weight, which he attributed to his lifestyle and dietary habits.

#17 Roscoe Arbuckle

Roscoe Arbuckle weight

Fatty Arbuckle on the stand during the trial that ruined his career, even though he was acquitted – @Getty

Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was a prominent figure in the silent film era, known for his remarkable comedic talent and significant influence on early Hollywood. His weight played a pivotal role in shaping his image and career. At some point, Arbuckle weighed 300 lbs (136 kg).

Here’s a quick recap of the 17 famous fat actresses and actors:

  1. Melissa McCarthy
  2. Rebel Wilson
  3. Jorge Garcia
  4. Jonah Hill
  5. John Goodman
  6. Daniel Stewart Sherman
  7. William Hootkins
  8. K. Trevor Wilson
  9. Kathy Bates
  10. Kevin James
  11. Steven Seagal
  12. Robbie Coltrane
  13. Gérard Depardieu
  14. Jack Black
  15. Jon Favreau
  16. Larry The Cable Guy
  17. Roscoe Arbuckle

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