10 Actors Who Took On Roles in Fat Suits (3 of 6)

Gwyneth Paltrow — Shallow Hal

Wearing a roughly 25-pound suit, Paltrow later reflected on how differently people treated her when she walked through a hotel lobby in full costume. Instead of standing out, she noticed people avoided eye contact and acted as if she wasn’t there. The experience, she said, felt almost like slipping on an invisibility cloak. It became a striking reminder of how appearances can shape perception. For many in Hollywood, this story has endured because it captures, in just a few minutes, the quiet but powerful impact of bias and the importance of empathy in how we treat others.

Ryan Reynolds — Just Friends

Before Ryan Reynolds became known for rocking a tight spandex suit and being the Merc with a Mouth, he was a high-school sweetheart with low self-esteem and just an awkward fellow. The suit here isn’t just a visual gag; it’s actual storytelling. Director Roger Kumble wanted the audience to feel Chris’s humiliation, then watch him grow beyond it. Reynolds has said the makeup took about four hours every morning, which is roughly three and a half more hours than any human should spend looking into a mirror before coffee.