John Goodman’s years-long health transformation is attracting fresh attention after actor David DeLuise shared an unexpected photograph from a grocery store encounter
The casual selfie, posted August 6th, shows the 74-year-old Roseanne star smiling beside DeLuise in a supermarket aisle. Some commenters said they initially struggled to recognize Goodman, while others focused on seeing two familiar television actors together
The photograph captures a much slimmer Goodman, but the change is far from new. He has spoken publicly for years about losing approximately 200 pounds after once approaching 400, describing the transformation as a gradual effort built around sobriety, portion control, changes to his diet and regular exercise
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Goodman has also resisted treating the weight loss as a finished project. He has described maintaining his health as an ongoing process, including periods when his exercise routine slipped and he had to recommit
David DeLuise Shared the Surprise Grocery Store Encounter
DeLuise shared the photograph after unexpectedly running into Goodman while shopping. The Wizards of Waverly Place actor called Goodman a “legend,” while his post quickly filled with reactions to both the encounter and Goodman’s appearance
According to Page Six, some followers described Goodman as difficult to recognize after his weight loss. Others responded with references to his decades of memorable roles, including Dan Conner in Roseanne and The Conners, Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones, Sulley in Monsters, Inc. and Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski
Goodman Once Said He Was ‘Pushing 400’ Pounds
Goodman’s transformation developed over years rather than through one dramatic short-term diet. During a 2010 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, he said he had been “pushing 400” pounds at his heaviest
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He also described a pattern in which he would lose substantial amounts of weight and then regain it. “I’d get off of Roseanne,every spring. I’d lose 60 pounds every spring,” Goodman recalled. Eventually, he decided to move away from that cycle
Speaking to ABC News in 2016, Goodman said his previous approach involved losing 60 or 70 pounds over several months before returning to his old habits. “This time I wanted to do it slowly, move, exercise,” he said. His goal, he explained, was not simply to look different but to have enough energy to continue working as he got older
He Changed His Diet and Stopped Drinking
Goodman’s health changes also coincided with his decision to stop drinking in 2007. He later described his alcohol use as increasingly debilitating and said sobriety became necessary for his well-being
As part of his broader lifestyle changes, Goodman began working with health coach Mackie Shilstone and adopted what has been described as a Mediterranean-style eating plan. He also reduced sugar and, during periods of intensive training, exercised as often as six days a week
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Portion control became another important part of the approach. “It was basically just portion control and ‘I don’t need it,'” Goodman told AARP in 2018, acknowledging that he had previously eaten without paying much attention to how much he was consuming. PEOPLE’s review of Goodman’s health journey notes that by 2023 he was publicly displaying an approximately 200-pound weight loss
Walking His Dogs and Boxing Became Part of the Routine
In 2023, he told Rolling Stone that simply “getting out and walking the dogs” was part of keeping himself moving. He also developed an interest in boxing workouts. “I dug it,” Goodman said of the sport, explaining that his training involved hitting mitts and learning technique rather than actually fighting another person
Goodman acknowledged that he had stopped boxing during the COVID-19 pandemic and that his exercise routine had suffered while he remained busy with acting work. “I haven’t been exercising, but I’m going to start a routine again,” he said at the time
His Slimmer Appearance Was Already Visible on the Red Carpet
In July 2025, he attended the Los Angeles premiere of Smurfs, in which he voiced Papa Smurf, and his approximately 200-pound loss again generated headlines. By then, Goodman had been appearing publicly at a substantially lower weight for several years
He also remained active professionally throughout the transformation. Goodman played Dan Conner through the 2025 final season of The Conners and starred as Eli Gemstone through the conclusion of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones that same year
