Josh Gad Shares Fear His Huge Weight Loss on 'Miracle' Drug Will Devastate His Career as Hollywood's 'Funny Fat Guy'
Gad sat down to discuss his weight loss with Dax Shepard.
Jan. 28 2025, Published 12:45 p.m. ET
Josh Gad has opened up about his stunning 40 pound weight loss thanks to Ozempic-type drugs.
But now the comic actor is worried that his slimmer frame could actually end up hurting his career at the "funny fat guy," RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The actor recently revealed he lost 40 pounds.
Gad has made a career out of playing the sidekick in movies like Pixels and Love and Other Drugs. He's also unmistakable as the voice of Olaf in the smash Frozen movies.
After jumping on the GLP-1 bandwagon, Gad lost an impressive 40 pounds. But he gained a new level of insecurity wondering if he was costing himself his career.
He said: "Being overweight, I found that like the greatest superpower I had was making fun of myself and using that self-deprecation to win people over."
Gad, who spoke about his new eating approach with Dax Shepard on his Armchair Expert podcast, decided to come clean about his use of GLP medications.
The 43-year-old revealed: "This is the first time I've opened up about this. It has suppressed, in a great way, that noise... when I wake up, I feel hunger pains – and so much of that is psychological, right? And what this does is it takes away that signal."
But will people still buy a slimmer snowman?
Gad speculated: "I've always been the funny fat guy. Can I be the funny skinny guy? Can I be the hot leading man? I don't know that people would accept me as those things."
The Book of Mormon Tony nominee, who shares daughters Ava, 14, and Isabella, 10, with wife Ida Darvish, said none of that matters when compared to thinking of his family.
He added: "I'm not as worried about that because my primary goal is, I want to be there for my kids. Everything else is bulls---."
Gad is worried he'll lose some roles now.
Weight loss drugs have seen a boom in popularity – and sales.
One-in-eight Americans report having tried them, and 15 million adults, or 6% of the nationwide total, are taking a semaglutide pharmaceutical such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Rybelsus – or a similar-acting class of drugs called tirzepatides sold under brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.
But sources warn semaglutide comes with possible side effects – including severe nausea, vomiting, gallstones, constipation, kidney disease and even thyroid cancer and suicidal thoughts – which have triggered a tidal wave of lawsuits across the country.
A spokesperson for Ozempic and Wegovy creator Novo Nordisk said patient safety is its top priority and points out the FDA found no evidence that semaglutide meds cause suicidal thoughts or actions.
The 43-year-old doesn't mind losing out on some Hollywood roles if it means more time with his kids.
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However, an investigation into the so-called "game-changing" treatments reveals that the self-injected substances are not necessarily the miracle workers that a conga line of celebrity testimonials would have everyone believe.
One problem is that semaglutide drugs – which trick the brain into believing the stomach is full by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone – need to be taken in perpetuity.
Dr Gaurav Bharti, a plastic surgeon in Charlotte, North Carolina, asked: "While advancements have made these medications more effective with fewer side effects, the question remains – should someone rely on medication indefinitely to maintain a healthy lifestyle?"
"Ideally, the answer is no."
