A certain type of reckoning takes place in private, away from publicists, cameras the meticulously maintained celebrity image. For Jacob Batalon, it took place in a situation that most people are familiar with: standing in front of a mirror, shirtless, in the harsh and merciless light of honesty. He would later remark, “It was ridiculous”, “I could not believe I let myself get this far”.
It was at that point in late 2019 that Jacob Batalon’s weight loss story truly began. In his mid-twenties, he was already well-known for portraying Ned Leeds, Tom Holland’s charmingly devoted best friend in three Spider-Man movies and two Avengers movies.
He was always at work. There was a problem. He would struggle with fatigue on set, hardly able to go a day without dragging. Climbing stairs had turned into a minor struggle in and of itself. He had suspicions about the fast food, trailer snacks general accumulation of a convenience-driven lifestyle. It’s possible that the majority of people in that circumstance wait, adjust justify their actions rather than taking action. Batalon did not hold back.
A year of intentional, almost methodical change ensued. Ninety minutes a day, six days a week, with thirty minutes for cardio and an hour for weights. A rotating structure was laid out by his trainer: legs, chest and shoulders, arms and back, full body, abs, cardio rest. He recalled how the program “was so regimented” and how there was little opportunity for compromise or skipping.
Paradoxically, the pandemic that almost completely shut down Hollywood in 2020 gave him the time and structure to dedicate himself in a way that a busy filming schedule might not have permitted. He remarked, “I was very lucky to have the time and space to work on myself”. The idea that a worldwide crisis turned into a window for him is almost unsettling.
Around the same time, his diet changed dramatically. His girlfriend encouraged him to adopt a plant-based diet in place of the quick, fatty meals he had been relying on for years. Vegetables and protein became the base. Talking about something unglamorous and completely unsexy became a non-negotiable part of portion control. There was no dramatic shortcut, no single supplement no magic. He said, “To be honest, I wish there was a shortcut”. “But it was definitely the consistency that helped me”.
Batalon had shed about 100 pounds by the time he joined the postponed production of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in October 2020. His altered appearance became something that people actually noticed when the movie finally hit theaters not with tabloid scrutiny, but with what appeared to be genuine surprise. He had done it discreetly and without making any announcements.
Beyond the numbers, it’s important to notice the change in Batalon’s description of the experience. He presents it as more than just a physical makeover. “It’s put a lot of things in perspective for me”, he said. His professionalism on set, his ability to direct a production like “Reginald the Vampire” his confidence moving from the role of best friend to something more important all seemed to be impacted by the discipline needed to rebuild his body. It’s difficult to ignore the apparent rise in both ambition and health.
In his own words, exercising eventually became “almost like a drug”. Real change most likely sticks at that transition from discipline as willpower to discipline as want. Between those two states is where most transformations collapse. It appears that Batalon went too far. He has made it clear that the journey is not yet complete, but the course has been established.