Bryce Dallas Howard is well-versed in the demands of Hollywood. As the daughter of acclaimed director Ron Howard, she has observed the transformation of her father into a legendary filmmaker. Despite her status as an A-lister and showbiz royalty, the Argylle star, 41, has not been able to escape the pressure and criticism surrounding weight fluctuations throughout her career.
Following the birth of her son, Theo, in 2007 (whom she shares with husband Seth Gabel), the stunning Spider-Man 3 alum shed 30 pounds. She then gained 35 pounds for a 2016 episode of the hit sci-fi series Black Mirror.
When it was time to shoot 2022’s Jurassic World: Dominion, the studio demanded that Howard lose even more weight. Despite pushback from the studio executives, the director Colin Trevorrow stood by Howard and her healthy physique, and never required her to lose additional weight.
Read on for photos of the beautiful actress from the early 2000s, the 2010s and modern day to highlight her healthy weight loss transformation over the years:
Bryce Dallas Howard's Weight Loss Transformation & Stunning Physique From The Early 2000s To 2024
In 2003, Howard depicted the character of Rosalind in a production of As You Like It, which garnered the interest of award-winning director M. Night Shyamalan. As a result, he selected her to play the role of a visually impaired girl in his 2004 thriller movie, The Village. Two years later, she gained 80 pounds while pregnant with her first child, son Theo. Following the birth of her son, Howard managed to shed 30 pounds but experienced post-partum depression.
In a 2010 essay she penned for Goop, Howard revealed: "Before Theo was born, I had been in good humor about my 80-pound weight gain, but I was now mortified by it." She went on: "I felt I was failing at breast-feeding. My house was a mess. I believed I was a terrible dog owner."
The Help alum continued: "I was certain I was an awful actress; I dreaded a film I was scheduled to shoot only a few weeks after the birth because I could barely focus enough to read the script. And worst of all, I definitely felt I was a rotten mother — not a bad one, a rotten one. Because the truth was, every time I looked at my son, I wanted to disappear."
Howard added: "Do I wish I had never endured postpartum depression? Absolutely. But to deny the experience is to deny who I am. I still mourn the loss of what could have been, but I also feel deep gratitude for those who stood by me, for the lesson that we must never be afraid to ask for help and for the feeling of summer that still remains."
Six years later, Howard flaunted her curves and tiny waist on the red carpet. In 2021, she opened up to The Muse about her longtime workout plan. Howard explained to the outlet that she would work out "at least four days a week (not on weekends), I’ll do an hour virtual workout with trainer Lacie Mackey and my husband. This sets my brain right for the day — plus, I get to have a little date time with my husband."
She also dished to the publication that she kicks off each day with a healthy meal. "For breakfast, it’s a simple cup of English breakfast tea with half and half and honey. I also adore sourdough gluten-free toast. As for toppings, butter and jam are my usual, but if I’m feeling sentimental for my U.K. life while I was filming Jurassic World: Dominion, I’ll do cream cheese and lemon curd instead." she shared.
In 2016, Howard starred in the Season 3, Episode 1 episode of Black Mirror, titled, "Nosedive." Howard garnered praise for her role as a self-doubting office worker navigating a society fixated on status and surface-level smiles who maneuvers her way into an elite social circle. For the role, she gained 35 pounds.
Speaking to Men's Journal, Howard shared how she did it. "I ate around the clock. First thing in the morning, last thing before I closed my eyes. I’d have food by my bed. I’d get up in the middle of the night and have a chocolate bar," she said." Regarding her weight loss after the episode aired, Howard noted: "I trained a lot, used the rower, did CrossFit — the workouts definitely got really intense. But it was fun. I’m like a dog — you have to walk me. I have to go out for my run or I’ll chew up the furniture."
During the 2021 filming of Jurassic World: Dominion, Bryce received a request from the studio executives to shed some pounds. However, Colin Trevorrow, the director, came to her defense and fought against this demand. In an interview with Metro U.K. one year later, Howard recalled: "On the third movie, it was actually because there were so many women cast, it was something that Colin felt very strongly about in terms of protecting me … Because the conversation came up again, 'We need to ask Bryce to lose weight.'"
"I got to do so many stunts that wouldn’t have been possible if I had been dieting," she continued, stressing the importance of her prioritizing her health over the studio executives' (ridiculous) request. "So, I’m really thrilled [at] all the action I got to do, and I got to do it with my body, she was at her maximum strength, and I hope it is just yet another indication of what’s possible."
