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Matt Damon’s transformation in The Informant! is practically iconic. To play the quirky, erratic real-life whistleblower Mark Whitacre, Damon didn’t just nail the performance. He packed on 30 pounds in the most Matt Damon way possible: by eating McDonald’s. A lot of it.
“I started eating like crazy and drinking dark beer,” he told Entertainment Weekly (via News Week). “Between meals on set, I’d eat a No. 1 value meal at McDonald’s and then Doritos on top of it. It was absolute heaven.” Not exactly method acting, but hey, it worked. Damon completely disappears into the role, and that’s kind of the point.
In The Informant!, he plays the FBI’s jittery golden boy-turned-problem child, exposing corporate price-fixing while quietly engaging in some shady business of his own. It’s a deeply unglamorous character. No action stunts. No hero arcs. Just lies, awkward tics, and a rapidly expanding waistline. And yet, it might be one of the most critically adored performances of his career.
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Matt Damon, McDonald’s, & the Oscar Body Trade: Why Hollywood Still Rewards the Weight Game
Actors transforming their bodies for a role is old Hollywood currency. Robert De Niro basically kicked it off with Raging Bull in 1980, gaining 60 pounds for his Oscar-winning turn. Since then, physical change = critical acclaim. Charlize Theron in Monster, George Clooney in Syriana, Tom Hanks in Cast Away – Oscars or nominations followed them all.
Damon’s case is the same formula. Only this time, it’s less about suffering and more about scarfing. There’s no starvation tale here, just greasy wrappers and dark beer. Still, the transformation is undeniable. When Damon shows up onscreen, bloated and wide-eyed, you’re not seeing People’s Sexiest Man Alive. You’re watching Whitacre unravel in real time.
But while actors like Damon get praised for physical commitment, especially when it’s tied to a male-driven prestige film, the aftermath isn’t always as kind, especially for women. Just ask Renée Zellweger. After Bridget Jones’s Diary, where she gained 20 pounds (and an Oscar nom), her body became media property. Years later, gaining a few more for Miss Potter triggered endless questions.
So yes, weight gain for a role can earn serious praise. But it can also leave a lasting mark offscreen. Damon might land another Oscar nod thanks to his McDonald’s binge, but the bigger takeaway is how weight and awards remain stubbornly linked in Hollywood. Transform, and you’re committed. Don’t transform, and people question your range.
With The Informant!, Damon doesn’t just reshape his body, he reshapes how we see him. Again.
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