Orlando Bloom shed over 50 pounds for The Cut warns on weight cutting

Orlando Bloom says he lost more than 50 pounds and subsisted largely on tuna and cucumber while preparing to play a retired boxer in the forthcoming film The Cut, a transformation he described as physically and mentally draining during an interview on Britain’s This Morning on August 27. The actor, who spoke about the extreme diet and its effects on his mood and cognition, said production was shaped around his weight loss, with scenes shot in reverse chronological order because he lacked the energy to work in an undernourished state.

Bloom said his nutritionist, whom he was recommended by an agent and who has worked with other high-profile actors, progressively reduced his meals from three a day to one, checking his blood levels throughout the process. He said that in the final weeks he ate "just tuna and cucumber" and experienced profound fatigue, paranoia and intrusive thoughts. "I was exhausted mentally, physically. I was hangry. I was a horrible person to be around," he said. "I would not recommend doing it, it is not something to take lightly."

Accounts of the exact amount Bloom shed vary. Several interviews and reports quote him saying he lost 52 pounds, while an earlier...