“A slim, shaggy-haired figure turned heads on set in Los Angeles this week – sporting a leopard-print top and jeans in a complete transformation for a new film.”, — write: www.dailymail.co.uk
It wasn’t until he removed his sunglasses that the mystery man was revealed to be Jonah Hill, 41, who looked dramatically different while filming his upcoming comedy Cut Off, which he also wrote and directs.
The star, best known for his roles in Superbad and 21 Jump Street, looked almost unrecognizable as he stepped out in character wearing a tight leopard-print top that accentuated his noticeably slimmer frame, a pair of jeans adorned with long black fringe and a shaggy blonde wig reminiscent of Brad Pitt’s 1997 Legends of the Fall era.
He completed the quirky ensemble with tinted glasses, a beard, and a silver belt chain as he reviewed his script between takes.
The Wolf of Wall Street star’s transformation stunned fans and marked yet another reinvention for the Oscar-nominated performer, who has been open in the past about his fitness and wellness journey.
Wiig, 52, was equally eye-catching in costume, sporting red lace tights, a pink mini-skirt, a turquoise bra layered over a lilac top and a velvet bathrobe as the pair filmed outside their trailers.
Between scenes, the longtime friends were seen laughing and chatting on set, offering the first glimpse at the eccentric world Hill has created for Cut Off.
In addition to writing and directing, Hill stars in the film, his first major directing project since Mid90s, reuniting him with Wiig for a new offbeat comedy that’s already generating major buzz.
Cut Off is currently in production and scheduled to be released on July 17, 2026.
In this upcoming comedy, Wiig and Hill play a pair of entitled siblings, whose wealthy parents stop supporting financially.
In 2023, Hill ,who suffers from anxiety attacks, openly discussed his fluctuating weight with his therapist Phil Stutz for his second feature directorial effort, the Netflix documentary Stutz.
‘When I was a kid, exercise and diet was framed to me as like, “There’s something wrong with how you look,”‘ the Winning Time director recalled.
‘But never once was exercise and diet propositioned to me in terms of mental health. I just wish that was presented to people differently.’
Jonah admitted growing up overweight ‘intensely f***ed me up,’ and inside he still feels like ‘a 14-year-old boy who’s very overweight and has acne and feels very undesirable to the world.’
‘Inherently, at my core, I’m still this unlovable person,’ Hill explained.
‘But the work is inching toward [realizing] that it’s great to be this person. But that’s still very hard.’
Jonah first publicly slimmed down in 2011 after hiring a nutritionist and a fitness trainer on the advice of his 21 Jump Street co-star Channing Tatum, which he mentioned on The Tonight Show in 2016.
Hill’s weight went up to 270lbs in 2014, but by 2017, he had lost it again.
In 2022, he revealed in a statement to Deadline that he would not be promoting the film, or any of his upcoming movies after realizing that public appearances were ‘exacerbating’ his mental health issues.
‘The whole purpose of making this film is to give therapy and the tools I’ve learned in therapy to a wide audience for private use through an entertaining film,’ he explained.
‘Through this journey of self-discovery within the film, I have come to the understanding that I have spent nearly 20 years experiencing anxiety attacks, which are exacerbated by media appearances and public facing events.
‘I can’t wait to share it with audiences around the world in the hope that it will help those struggling, however, you won’t see me out there promoting this film, or any of my upcoming films, while I take this important step to protect myself.
‘If I made myself sicker by going out there and promoting it, I wouldn’t be acting true to myself or to the film.
The actor, who has appeared in dozens of movies over the past 18 years, made it clear, however, that he is not retiring from acting permanently.
He ended his statement by sharing his hope that his documentary will help to ‘make it normal for people to talk and act on’ their mental health struggles, adding: ‘With this letter and with Stutz, I’m hoping to make it more normal for people to talk and act on this stuff, so they can take steps towards feeling better and so that the people in their lives might understand their issues more clearly.’
Back in 2021, Hill got vulnerable on Instagram as he spoke up about body positivity and struggling with his body image over the years.
‘I don’t think I ever took my shirt off in a pool until I was in my mid 30s even in front of family and friends,’ he wrote. ‘Probably would have happened sooner if my childhood insecurities weren’t exacerbated by years of public mockery about my body by press and interviewers.’
He, continued: ‘I’m 37 and finally love and accept myself.’
The star went on to say his message was for ‘the kids who don’t take their shirt off at the pool.’
‘Have fun. You’re wonderful and awesome and perfect. All my love,’ he concluded.