Mark Wahlberg is sporting an entirely different body these days than the one we’re used to seeing; the usually-buff actor has slimmed down considerably for a role in “The Gambler”, a remake of the 1974 film.

The actor plays a professor dealing with an addiction problem, so the weight loss was necessary; Wahlberg says he dropped about 40 pounds for the film, but the hard work has taken a toll.

“Anytime I smell food, I get crazy… my daughter was eating a blueberry scone and I was going to jack her for it,’ he laughs. ‘I was literally going to rob my almost four-year-old daughter for her little blueberry muffin. It’s getting bad,” he said.

Wahlberg has been a busy guy lately, between helping to run Wahlburgers–his family’s restaurant–and preparing for demanding movie roles; one project, “Lone Survivor”, holds a special place in his heart as it tells the stories of the soldiers who have fought in Afghanistan and given their lives for their country.

“There’s nothing nice in war, and this movie is definitely not a pro-war movie, nor does it support the politics of our being in Afghanistan, but it certainly supports our soldiers,” he said. “A lot of women realize that’s somebody’s husband, that’s somebody’s son, and they are out there every day and a lot of attention isn’t brought to what they do.”

Wahlberg isn’t the first actor to dramatically change his body for a role; Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey are just a couple of devoted thespians who altered their weight–to a shocking degree–for roles in “The Machinist” and “Dallas Buyers Club”.

Image via Wikimedia Commons