Pudgycakes

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Am I hallucinating, or has N.Y. Times reporter Michael Cieply written a Hollywood Elsewhere-styled observation piece about how more and more leading actors are looking heavier and heavier? Do I not own this topic? Have I not staked out once-thin-but-now-overweight actors and filed a claim? Cieply even mentions the tendency of movie stars to have big heads, which I've also been riffing on for years.

"Based on a close look at trailers, still photos and some films already released, at least a dozen male stars in some of the year's most prominent movies have been adding on the pounds of late," Cieply says.

He mentions the girthy Denzel Washington, 54, and John Travolta, 55, in The Taking of Pelham 123. The wider-faced Hugh Grant in Did You Hear About the Morgans? The "better padded" Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island. Plus Tom Hanks, Jason Segel and Vince Vaughan.

Let's see -- that's seven. Didn't Cieply say twelve? He mentions Seth Rogen but Rogen, of course, has lost weight recently. He could have mentioned upcoming comedy star Jonah Hill, I suppose, although Hill has always been fat. There's certainly a striking difference in Kevin Costner of today vs. the one who starred in Field of Dreams and Bull Durham, but who doesn't thicken as they age?

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 18, 2009 at 9:38 AM

comment #1

BurmaShave says ...

That was the first thing I thought when I read this, like he'd been possessed by your spirit.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 18, 2009 10:29 AM

comment #2

glass_family says ...

"but who doesn't thicken as they AGE?"

Holy shit, Wells! Is that an actual understanding comment about weight gain?

Posted by glass_family at April 18, 2009 10:30 AM

comment #3

EricGilde says ...

Seems like a weird place to plant your flag, but whatever.

Posted by EricGilde at April 18, 2009 10:31 AM

comment #4

JT says ...

I haven't read this piece and won't but NO, you DO NOT own it Wells because you choose to ridicule your beloved, much revered "Philly" Seymour Hoffman. Yes, he is a great actor but he is one of our heaviest thespians and until you make fun of this tubby bitch, then you are being shallow in your condemnation of others while letting Philly" get a pass.

Posted by JT at April 18, 2009 10:47 AM

comment #5

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Russell Crowe has slimmed down for Robin Hood. And as far as I'm aware, he was fat in State of Play because he was still carrying the weight he put on for Body of Lies. Due to the last-minute nature of his involvement, he didn't have time to shift it.

Crowe is great. He was really excellent in State of Play. I don't care if he's chubby or slim.

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at April 18, 2009 11:11 AM

comment #6

Travis Crabtree says ...

It's commonly known that big heads photograph well, particularly on television. That was the main reason Merv Griffin hired Vanna White (over a bevy of other pretty faces) for "Wheel of Fortune" back in the day. Her melon is enormous in relation to her body. In person she looks like a kewpie doll.

Posted by Travis Crabtree at April 18, 2009 11:31 AM

comment #7

dangovich says ...

Nothing on Val Kilmer?

Posted by dangovich at April 18, 2009 11:39 AM

comment #8

BurmaShave says ...

Val Kilmer and Alec Baldwin were spared presumably because they are not movie stars any longer.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 18, 2009 12:09 PM

comment #9

austin111 says ...

Gee, poor Leo DiCaprio. If he stayed the skinny kid he used to be, he'd only get banged on harder for looking like, well, a kid. He does have a large head, albeit boyish looking. He'll never look like what some critics and audience members think he should to play what in their minds, at least, is an adult leading man. He'll always be looked at more hypercritically for this, no matter how good he is.

Posted by austin111 at April 18, 2009 12:28 PM

comment #10

erniesouchak says ...

Don't worry, Wells, you still corner the market on complaints about fat viewers -- and fat people in general.

Posted by erniesouchak at April 18, 2009 12:44 PM

comment #11

AndrewOwens says ...

You should have left a cowboy hat on the topic, then Cieply would have known not to go there.

Posted by AndrewOwens at April 18, 2009 2:21 PM

comment #12

JT says ...

I love that Wells is trying to proclaim himself a bigger D-bag than this guy...LOL!!!!

Posted by JT at April 18, 2009 2:56 PM

comment #13

Sabina E says ...

lol, of course you own this topic, Wells.

Posted by Sabina E at April 18, 2009 3:27 PM

comment #14

bfm says ...

Mow that the star system is dying and salaries are lower, they have no incentive to lose the weight.

Posted by bfm at April 18, 2009 3:54 PM

comment #15

Gordon27 says ...

Our culture would be a much better place if Jeff did indeed own shallowness.

Posted by Gordon27 at April 18, 2009 5:01 PM

comment #16

nemo says ...

Chase him off, goddammit! This is your turf, not his!

The WSJ says poor Val Kilmer is now trying to sell off his entire New Mexico ranch at a bargain basement price, after trying to sell off smaller portions without success.

Posted by nemo at April 18, 2009 9:14 PM

comment #17