Remember when those shocking weight loss photos of a sickly looking 50 cent hit the net?
[READ: Suddenly Slim: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s Disturbing Weight Loss ~ PHOTOS]
The 35-year-old rap superstar underwent a drastic transformation in order to play a football player stricken with cancer to the extent he almost looked on the brink of death in real life.
The star went on a strict liquid diet and spent three hours every day in the gym to drop over 60lbs from his normally muscular frame for his starring role in “Things Fall Apart”.
Rumors quickly spread that the images had been photoshopped but more screen shots from the film have been released and it doesn’t look like a photoshop job to me!!
That knee-grow was serious about that role!!!
Check out more images of “Skinny Fiddy” PLUS watch the official trailer for “Things Fall Apart” below:
And in yet another sacrifice for his craft, Fiddy also had his tattoos removed on his arms after getting fed up of the time spent in make-up getting the covered up before going in front of the cameras.
[READ: 50 Cent’s Disappearing Ink… ~ PHOTOS ]
He admitted: ‘I took ?em off. I’ve been on a few acting projects and they been making me get up? My call time is four hours before the regular acting talent because of the tattoos.’
Jackson said he was inspired to lose the weight by Robert De Niro who lost 35lbs for his award-winning role in Taxi Driver in 1976.
Director Mario Van Peebles gave props to the rapper’s dedication to the film, stating:
50 was not at all what I expected. 50 is a really focused, bright, disciplined, affable cat. In terms of directing him, he?s a dream.
VIDEO: “Things Fall Apart” ~ Official Trailer
Just FYI… Fiddy didn’t have any problems gaining the weight back. Check out this recent photo of 50Cent taken just last week in Chicago:
[Sidebar: Dayum Fiddy… wassup with those hips? And is that Jackie Long back there?]