John Goodman Says Weight Loss Left Him Uncomfortable With His Body

John Goodman said on November 2 that he was reluctant to appear nude in The Righteous Gemstones because he felt his body had changed in ways he was uncomfortable showing. The production found another way to film the scene, the actor said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. Goodman starred in the HBO series from 2019 to 2025 as the head of a megachurch family.

The 74-year-old said he is still adapting to his appearance and generally tries to tune out public discussion of his weight loss. He also said that, despite his changed physique, he still thinks of himself as a heavier person. Being able to buy clothes in ordinary stores has been a welcome difference, he said in a separate interview.

Goodman has said he once weighed nearly 400 pounds and repeatedly lost and regained weight. After stomach surgery and losing about 200 pounds, he developed anemia and lost a layer of fat beneath his skin, which he said leaves him cold. He now focuses on building strength, balance and core stability. Exercise takes effort, he said, but he keeps going; he also recalled fracturing his hip in a fall after returning to London from a Christmas break.

Goodman has attributed some of his earlier career difficulties to possible self-sabotage. He said he began in the industry weighing about 225 pounds and running daily in New York, and wondered whether his later lifestyle affected his work. In recent years, he has described cutting sugar, hiring a trainer and exercising regularly as part of his weight-loss efforts.