Forget A Movie Role — Tom Hanks Has A Personal Reason For His Weight Loss

Hollywood is filled with actors who have transformed their bodies for parts in movies, like Jake Gyllenhaal (who lost a sizable 30 pounds for "Nightcrawler") and Orlando Bloom (who dropped a shocking 52 pounds for "The Cut"). However, not all celebrity weight loss is driven by the desire to look physically different for a role. Take Tom Hanks, for instance. His most recent project (voicing Woody in "Toy Story 5") didn't require him to be a particular size. Yet he was clearly sporting a lean look during a lighthearted premiere event that was documented on X by Entertainment Tonight. To be honest, he's been keeping a trim physique for around a decade, but not because of his profession.

Woody and Buzz are back at it again! 🥹 Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reunite at the premiere of 'Toy Story 5' in London. pic.twitter.com/x8iSyHBMao

— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) May 28, 2026

As he explained to Radio Times in 2016, his motivation was connected to a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (via E! News). After jokingly belittling himself for assuming that he could somehow cheat diabetes by "removing the buns from my cheeseburgers," he 'fessed up that he eventually got serious about his health. "My doctor says if I can hit a target weight, I will not have type 2 diabetes anymore," Hanks explained. (Interestingly, Hanks has said that gaining and dropping pounds for roles also may have contributed to his development of diabetes.)

But could it really be possible to cure type 2 diabetes by losing weight? Science gives a cautionary "maybe." According to a 2022 review in the Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, "significant weight loss" can help reverse Type 2 diabetes. Ideally, the amount of weight a person lost should be in the 5% to 10% range to have a lasting effect.

That said, endocrinologist Dr. Mary Vouyiouklis Kellis cautioned in a Cleveland Clinic article that type 2 diabetes could go into remission with weight loss, but wouldn't go away for good. She agreed with the idea of setting a weight reduction target of about 10%. However, she was clear that it had to stick. "If you regain weight, you're at risk of coming out of remission and once again meeting the criteria for type 2," said Dr. Kellis.

It's unclear how much of his original weight that Hanks lost after receiving the news that he had type 2 diabetes. When he first disclosed his diagnosis to David Letterman in 2013, he said he'd never be able to lose enough to make it go away (via CBS News). Other than that, he's been fairly quiet about it. Regardless, he's kept it off, as side-by-side photos of him from the early 2010s and the 2020s clearly show.