Dave Bautista has undergone a remarkable transformation after losing an impressive 25 kilos and reaching his lowest weight since his teenage years.

The WWE star lost weight while preparing for the role of a skilled assassin in his latest film, The Killer’s Game.

Dave Bautista had a difficult childhood and several run-ins with the law, but by the time he was in his thirties he was able to escape poverty after launching a successful career in professional wrestling and MMA.

Dave Bautista boasts incredible weight loss of 25 kilos

The professional wrestler turned actor was known for his bulky and muscular physique as he strode through the rings of WrestleMania and MMA.

However, he has now lost 25 kilos and, ahead of his leading role in his new film, he has a very slim body that is in no way inferior to his youthful appearance.

Bautista showed off his massive weight loss during a red carpet appearance on September 6 at the premiere of “The Last Showgirl” at the Toronto Film Festival.

“I’m getting super slim, I probably haven’t been this light since I was 19,” he told YouTuber Chris Van Vliet. Daily Mail.

“The heaviest I’ve ever been was 370 pounds (26st). When I started with Deacon, I weighed about 325 pounds (23st),” he continued. “For most of my wrestling career, I weighed about 290 pounds (21st). Now I weigh about 240 pounds (17st).”

Bautista added: “And I was on Knock at the Cabin a year and a half ago, I weighed 315 pounds (23st). And that’s when the nightmare began.”

Fans are amazed by the actor’s weight loss

Bautista’s weight loss has caused quite a stir online, as his fans reacted to photos of his slimmed down appearance on social media.

One fan said, “I’ve been a fan of yours literally since the day you first debuted on SmackDown. I’m so happy for you and your success! You definitely deserve it!”

“I love your work and your dedication, Dave,” said another.

A third person noted, “Dave, a lot of people make fun of your body. First of all, I see what you do for BJJ and I applaud you as another Gen-X wrestler. Second, you’re not so unnatural anymore, which is much better for you in the long run. Hats off bro. Take care of yourself. Respect.”

Some other fans were surprised by Bautista’s body and expressed their dismay without hesitation.

“Damn. What happened to you? Is it too much soy?” one fan wondered.

Another person asked: “Why do you look so small? Did you catch Ozempic too?”

Dave Bautista talks about his difficult childhood

The “Guardians of the Galaxy” actor has previously spoken about his difficult childhood, which led to several prison sentences.

Bautista grew up in the more dangerous areas around Washington, DC and witnessed several disturbing scenes as a young boy.

In his memoirs, he recounted how he and his sister, along with several other neighborhood children, witnessed a shooting victim die in front of his house..

The actor noted that they were “all standing around looking at this poor guy dying,” adding that he thinks “some of us were even telling jokes.”

“At 13, I started getting into more and more trouble for skipping school. I was also arrested for minor things. I had to stay in detention or go to juvenile detention, but the punishment was not severe. I was never in jail for more than a day,” Bautista said of his upbringing.

He claimed he “didn’t steal or break the law to get back at anyone or because I was angry or anything like that. I stole because all my friends were doing it. It wasn’t a big deal. It just wasn’t unusual. It was just what you did.”

“It wasn’t like I stole cars or did drugs or anything really, really bad. But I was definitely a gangster and everyone was afraid of where I was going,” he added.

Why Dave Bautista chose “The Killer’s Game”

In an interview with The Hollywood ReporterBautista explained why he accepted the scripts for his upcoming film “The Killer’s Game.”

In the film, based on the novel “The Killer’s Game” by Jay Bonansinga, Bautista plays love-struck assassin Joe Flood, but it wasn’t the action that first attracted him, but the chance to play a proper romantic lead for the first time.

The film has been in development for years, and names like Wesley Snipes, Jason Statham and others were initially linked to it, but work was not given the green light until 2023 after Lionsgate acquired the distribution rights and hired JJ Perry as director.

“When we first spoke, (Perry) before I said anything, he said, ‘Look, man, the best part about this and the thing that’s going to set us apart is the romance that’s at the heart of this story.’ And then I let out a huge sigh of relief. I just thought, ‘Thank God,'” Bautista told the news station.

He was very active in the casting of actress Sofia Boutella

The book “The Killer’s Game” tells the story of Flood, who is diagnosed with a neurodegenerative brain disease and has only months to live.

His only option is to take out a life insurance policy so that his lover Maize (Sofia Boutella) can collect the money from his life insurance.

When adapting the novel, Bautista was heavily involved in the casting process, especially for his leading actress and lover, Boutella.

When asked how he made sure the actress got the role, Bautista said: “They suggested other actresses, but I kept turning them down and saying, ‘No, I just can’t imagine anyone else but Sofia.'”

“So I said, ‘Let’s not look for another actress. Let’s just try to move the dates around so we can work with Sofia,'” he continued. “Producers, agents and managers had to do a lot, and Sofia had to be willing to fly back and forth between Budapest and London while working on two projects.”