Orlando Bloom is no longer just the elf that could gracefully leap across Legolas-level landscapes. No, no – he’s now a boxer on the verge of a mental breakdown, and you’re about to embark on the wildest “diet plan” Hollywood has ever seen. Orlando shed 52 pounds – that’s right, FIFTY-TWO – and if you think this is your average “I’m cutting carbs” kind of diet, oh boy, you’re in for a treat (though definitely not the edible kind).
The Cut is the movie where our dear Orlando plays a boxer racing against time (and common sense) to lose weight in ways that make even kale shakes look like cupcakes. And how did Orlando do it? Forget smoothies or fancy protein bars – this man lived on a gourmet menu of… tuna and cucumber. Yes, really. Imagine the most depressing sushi roll ever, with no rice, no soy sauce, and definitely no happiness.
While promoting the film at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival, Orlando broke down the whole saga. He said he shed those 52 pounds over a three-month period by what can only be described as the ultimate anti-buffet experience. “I basically tiered down the food,” he said. Tiered down?! That’s code for “I slowly ate less and less until I was basically auditioning for the role of a very grumpy celery stick.”
Orlando started at a healthy 185 pounds and, over time, descended into what sounds like a cucumber-fueled madness. “I dropped quite a lot of weight, and I was very mentally challenged as well,” he admitted. You don’t say, Orlando? Nothing makes a man question his sanity like day 47 of tuna and cucumbers. “You feed somebody tuna and cucumber long enough…” he trailed off, probably imagining a world where pizza exists but is forever out of reach.
Director Sean Ellis, who clearly has a PhD in Torturing Actors for the Sake of Cinema, decided to make things extra spicy by filming The Cut in reverse chronological order. That’s right – Orlando had to start the movie as his most cucumbered-out self and then bulk back up while filming. “It was going to be impossible for him to work while dieting,” Sean said, as though this was some shocking revelation. “So, he came to us at his lightest, and then he starts to eat.” Finally, Orlando was allowed to return to the land of carbs and joy.
But the twist? The film is shot backward, edited forward, and everyone’s brain is just as starved of calories as Orlando’s. Imagine the final fight scene being shot on day one, with Orlando probably dreaming of cheeseburgers mid-punch. Then, by the time they got to filming the beginning – where he’s supposed to look trim and lean – he’s already started bulking up, presumably smashing pancakes between takes.
Yet despite the starvation, mental exhaustion, and reverse filmmaking shenanigans, Orlando actually found the whole thing more “exciting” than “daunting.” Because apparently, nothing screams “fun” like sleep deprivation and trying to remember your lines while your brain is running on cucumber fumes. “There’s a lot going on in your brain,” Orlando explained, which is basically code for “I have no idea what’s happening anymore but I think I’m still acting?”
The true tale of Orlando Bloom’s epic battle with tuna, reverse filmmaking, and his own sanity. He might’ve survived Mordor, but this might just be his toughest challenge yet.
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