John Goodman has been open about his weight journey, sharing in a 2010 interview that he once weighed 400 pounds. But recently, the 71-year-old actor stepped out on the red carpet and showed off his amazing transformation. John has shaved off over 200 pounds, and his personal trainer, Mackie Shilstone, played a huge role.
Mackie knew about John's struggle with losing weight and actually keeping it off, so he knew he had to take a different approach in getting the actor's full commitment. Prior to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, John lost 85 pounds with Mackie's help. But after the storm, he gained it all back.
"John decided that he was going to make a commitment," Mackie shared. "I’ve known John for a long time, and 85 pounds coming off and then regained, it didn’t work. So I said, ‘What am I gonna do?'"
So he made a plan. He knew John has much experience in acting, so he figured he'd play out a role that could change the actor's life forever.
"John was my friend and my neighbor, so I said to myself, ‘Let me become an actor for a moment.'" Mackie took him to the cemetery, bringing along a shovel with them.
Upon getting there, he led John to an empty area with visible dirt. "I said, ‘John, here’s a shovel. You told me you’re going to recommit yourself and follow this plan,'" Mackie recalled. "I said, ‘I want you to dig your grave. Until you dig your grave, you won’t understand what it means to live.'"
And from then on, Mackie decided to play the role of Death. "John, do you really know who I am?" he asked the actor. "Do you have any idea who you’re next to? You notice there’s no wind? And there are no birds, nothing, no sounds, you don’t even hear cars. I’m death, and I’ve come to give you a second chance. You can dig your grave now and I’ll cover you over and we’ll be done with this, or you can use this shovel and cover it over and move on with your life and take it back."
"John, you have a lovely daughter, you have a lovely wife, and you’ve been successful, but you’re not gonna make it. I want you to close your eyes and think you can never say another word to your daughter and wife. It’s all over. I’ve taken that from billions of people over time. I will give you one more chance. John, just remember this. I’m always around. I always know where you are. I can find you anytime, your day will come. But it’s not now."
And that seemed to be just the motivation John needed to commit himself to his weight-loss journey. He made an appearance on the red carpet for the 62nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival, and no one seems to be able to stop talking about his transformation. They say it takes a team, and Mackie says it took commitment over contribution. "Anyone can lose weight. It has to be a smart, committed person to keep it off, especially as you age."
