Orlando Bloom says dramatic weight loss for 'The Cut' role made him 'very hangry'

Orlando Bloom has a hunger for great art, no matter the cost.

Bloom, who stars in the upcoming sports thriller "The Cut," opened up about his dramatic weight loss for the role while speaking at Variety's Toronto Film Festival Studio. In the film, Bloom plays a retired boxer who undergoes an intense weight management program in order to return to the ring.

The SAG-winning actor said he "basically tiered down the food over a three-month period until just before filming."

"I dropped 52 pounds, and I was about 185 when I started," he said. "So, I dropped quite a lot of weight, and I was very mentally challenged as well. You feed somebody tuna and cucumber long enough…"

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The film's director, Sean Ellis, said the movie was shot in reverse chronological order so Bloom could gain weight throughout the 25-day production.

"Your brain is starved of calories, basically," Ellis said. "It was going to be impossible for him to work while dieting. So, he came to us at his lightest, and then he starts to eat."

Despite the physical demands of the role, Bloom said he was taken aback by the psychological toll of his character.

"I was more surprised about the mental aspect of (it), like the sleep deprivation, and not the depleted calories," Bloom said. "There's a lot going on in your brain. … Living in that headspace for a while was very challenging."

Orlando Bloom says Katy Perry was 'freaked out' by his 'The Cut' performance

Bloom also reflected on his preparation for "The Cut," including his 52-pound weight loss, in an interview with People magazine published Friday.

"I was very hangry. The last three weeks in London, before we started filming, were just tuna and cucumber," Bloom said, adding that he worked with a nutritionist who "had me on a strict regime to tear me down, so that we started the film at my lightest weight."

"The Cut" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday. Bloom attended the film’s premiere with fiancée Katy Perry.

The "Gran Turismo" star said Perry was "freaked out" after viewing the film, adding that she cried during the movie screening.

"She was really moved," Bloom said. "She knew what it took."

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Bloom, who shares daughter Daisy Dove with Perry, said his family experienced the grueling production alongside him. "I literally thought I was going to die," he recalled of one home visit during filming.

But the "Woman’s World" singer was there to offer moral support, Bloom said.

"She was there throughout with the kids and stuff," said Bloom, who also has a son, Flynn, from a previous relationship. "It's hard for your family."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Orlando Bloom talks dramatic weight loss for 'The Cut' role