Set Photos Reignite Chatter About Jonah Hill's Weight Loss — But He’s Been Here Before
His weight has been a sensitive subject for Jonah Hill since he was a child.
Published Oct. 8 2025, 3:57 p.m. ET
When photos surfaced on Oct. 6, 2025, of Jonah Hill on the set of his upcoming film Cut Off, the internet did what it always does — it reacted. Fast. Tabloids called him “unrecognizable.” Social media fired off side-by-side comparisons. Once again, the spotlight landed squarely on a topic Jonah’s dealt with his entire life: his weight.
Now, if you’ve followed his story at all, you already know that Jonah Hill’s weight loss isn’t some overnight transformation. It’s not new, and it’s definitely not simple. In fact, it’s been an ongoing struggle his entire life.
Jonah Hill’s weight loss has been ongoing — and emotionally complicated.
Let’s get this out of the way: Jonah looks different. That’s obvious. But the bigger story is why that change has always come with so much pressure.
In a 2018 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, per People Magazine, Jonah opened up about being mocked for his weight as far back as childhood.
“I spent most of my young adult life listening to people say I was fat and gross and unattractive,” he said. According to Jonah, it wasn’t just kids in school or anonymous internet trolls — it was headlines, casting decisions, and comments from people he worked with.
According to People, he later expanded on this struggle in Stutz, his 2022 Netflix documentary exploring therapy, self-worth, and mental health. The film was deeply personal, and while it didn’t center on his body, the undercurrent was clear: his appearance has always been a source of unwanted attention.
"The media kept being really brutal about my weight. It was just kind of free game for anyone to sort of hit my sore spot. It made me so defensive — like almost anticipating someone saying something mean. I'd be so angry. It kept me from feeling any sense of [being] able to grow past negative feelings about myself," he shared in the documentary.
When people saw the Cut Off photos and said Jonah looked “unrecognizable,” what they missed was this: the real transformation didn’t happen overnight. It’s been years in the making — physically and emotionally.
Why does this obsession with Jonah’s weight keep coming back?
There’s a strange cultural reflex when it comes to actors who lose weight — especially if they were once typecast because of it. For Jonah, that typecasting was relentless. He was the “funny fat guy” in Superbad, 21 Jump Street, and countless press tours.
Even after he earned Oscar nominations for Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street, the focus often stayed on his body. Not his craft. Not his evolution as a writer or director. Just … his weight.
In 2021, he posted a now-deleted post on Instagram after paparazzi pictures surfaced of him surfing shirtless: “I don’t think I ever took my shirt off in a pool until I was in my mid-30s ... Probably would’ve happened sooner if my childhood insecurities weren’t exacerbated by years of public mockery about my body. I’m 37 and finally love and accept myself.”
In a separate Instagram post he also published in 2021 before later deleting, per People Magazine, Jonah also asked people not to comment on his body anymore.
"I know you mean well but I kindly ask that you not comment on my body … Good or bad I want to politely let you know it's not helpful and doesn't feel good. Much respect,” he explained.
His real story isn't about how much weight he's lost.
Jonah’s weight loss isn’t a wild transformation that happened in a short period of time. It’s a much longer and deeper story. One that he’s already told those who were willing to listen.
There’s no denying that Jonah looks different in 2025. But what’s more meaningful is that he seems to be living differently, too. How much weight he’s lost, however, isn’t the real story. The real story is that he’s finally happy in his own skin.