Dave Bautista has left fans concerned with his dramatic body transformation.
The 55-year-old actor is widely known to WWE fans as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
The former wrestler gained fame in the sports entertainment industry under the ring name "The Animal" Batista, winning the WWE Championship twice and the World Heavyweight Championship four times.
During his time in WWE, Batista typically weighed around 290lbs, but at his heaviest, he reached a staggering 370lbs. He retired in 2019 and went on to build his impressive acting resume.
Bautista is set to star in The Killer's Game, an upcoming action-comedy film about a veteran assassin who orders a hit on himself after learning he has a "life-threatening" illness but tries to fend it off after discovering that the diagnosis was incorrect, per IMDB.
The star ditched his rippling muscles for a slimmed figure for the role and unveiled his transformation at the premiere of The Last Showgirl at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday (September 6),
He sported a patterned black suit over a black top, accessorized with slightly tinted glasses and necklaces.
According to The Mirror, Bautisa lost a shocking 240lbs after reportedly spending a year and a half on an intense diet.
Safe to say, many fans were stunned by his dramatic weight loss and took to their social media to share their reactions.
"No way that's him," one shocked person commented, while a second questioned: "Is that really him?" "It's very shocking to see my favorite wrestler like this," a third added.
Bautista recently opened up about his weight loss during an interview with Chris Van Vliet, and shared that this is the "lightest" he’s been since his teenage years, around 16 years before signing with WWE aged 31.
Watch below:Bautista said: "I'm getting super trimmed, this is probably the lightest I've been since I was 19 years old. The heaviest I've ever been is 370lbs (26st). When I started Deacon, I was about 325lbs (23st). Throughout most of my wrestling career, I was about 290lbs (21st)."
"Now I'm about 240lbs (17st). And I went a year and a half ago for Knock at the Cabin, I went 315lbs (23st). And that's when the nightmare started. Getting that weight off, which has been a challenge. Now I'm really particular about my diet," he added.
Many fans have taken note of the former WWE star's new appearance and have shared their supportive messages.
One user said Bautista is "transforming into one of the greater actors that'll let his work speak for him," adding: "He doesn't want to just wait for Action or Shooting movies, he wants to act. That's his passion. He was a wrestler, he built his body for that sole purpose and now, he lost the weight and build."
Another person pointed out that the actor "struggled with body dysmorphia his entire wrestling career, never believing he was 'big enough,'" and praised: "The fact that he's lost muscle in seemingly a healthy way is actually a massive accomplishment!"
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