John Goodman Opens Up About Dramatic Weight Loss and Reflects on Hollywood Career

Actor John Goodman, best known as Dan Conner from "Roseanne" and Walter Sobchak from "The Big Lebowski", recently opened up about his dramatic 200-pound (90 kg) weight loss. In a candid interview on Josh Horowitz's podcast "Happy Sad Confused", the 74-year-old actor discussed his complex relationship with his new physique, his past struggles with alcohol addiction, and working alongside Tom Cruise.

Goodman revealed that despite the impressive transformation, he still struggles to recognize his reflection. Discussing a near-nudity scene in the television series "The Righteous Gemstones", Goodman admitted he initially balked at the idea. "I thought, I don't know, my body's too wrecked after all this weight loss. No, I'm not going to do it," he recalled, though a compromise was eventually reached to complete the scene.

Reflecting on his physical journey, Goodman noted that he reached a peak weight of around 400 pounds (180 kg) while battling severe weight fluctuations and alcohol dependency. In a separate recent interview with The New Yorker, he disclosed that he underwent gastric surgery as part of his weight management. Goodman also discussed his sobriety, acknowledging that looking back, he was heading down a destructive path and trying unsuccessfully to hide his drinking from colleagues.

Shifting to lighter topics, Goodman shared details about filming the upcoming movie directed by Alejandro Gónzalez Iñárritu alongside Tom Cruise, in which Goodman portrays the President of the United States. He praised Cruise's boundless energy on set and recounted how Cruise vividly remembered their very first meeting over three decades ago at a party hosted by Bruce Willis in Malibu.