From a fit physique to a fuller “uncle” bod and back again to having a six-pack, local actor Desmond Tan’s latest video captures the dramatic physical transformation he underwent for his upcoming movie Pace.
An Instagram post with three photos shared on Sunday (Aug 30) shows the 40-year-old visibly chubby and sporting a small paunch he had gained for the role.
The text in the photos read: “What gaining weight for a movie looks like. I stopped recognising the person in the mirror. And this was only one phase of the transformation.”
The father of two plays Malcolm, a middle-aged former drug addict who takes up long-distance running after rehab in an attempt to turn his life around.
The movie also stars Zhu Houren, his actor son Joel Choo and content creator Simonboy. The feature film is directed by the veteran actor’s older son Jonathan Choo.
Another post by Desmond yesterday featured a video documenting his change full circle beginning with clips of him on set with his fuller physique.
The video then cuts to Desmond after he’s shed the weight and returning to his familiar, toned physique, with clips of him shirtless at a photoshoot showing off his defined arms and abs.
The post captioned: “The body had to change for the role, then the role changed the body.”
Speaking to AsiaOne in December last year, Desmond shared that it was the first time in his 17-year acting career playing a drug addict and undergoing such a drastic weight transformation for a role.
Despite leading a healthy and active lifestyle and being prepared to transform for the role, Desmond still had his reservations.
Production took place in three separate blocks between November 2025 and March 2026, where Desmond went from “pudgy” to cutting weight at the end with help from a dietitian and a trainer.
He revealed that he had gained 10kg specifically for the role – a weight he had never reached before in his lifetime.
During a press conference for the movie, he also admitted that he experienced mild panic speaking to the media as he was self-conscious about his weight gain.
As Malcolm “cannot be a handsome man”, Desmond said he took inspiration from everyday life to make his character more believable.
He recalled heading to the Central Business District with a cup of coffee to people-watch, noticing that many men over 40 had a paunch. He then adjusted his physique to make the character more realistic.
Pace is set to be released in Singapore cinemas on Oct 8.
Many netizens were amazed by Desmond’s full-circle transformation, praising him for the hard work and dedication to the role.
Some were also inspired by his achievement, including local singer-songwriter Derrick Hoh, who shared an Instagram Story today of his own attempt to follow in Desmond’s footsteps.
“Thank you, my idol Desmond, for showing us that this can be done, being a dad with two kids,” Derrick wrote. “The number of middle-aged men you inspired with your latest post on my feed exploded.”
Desmond reposted the Story with the caption: “We got this!”
One netizen wrote: “Oh wow there’s transformation in the movie. That’s a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment to the role required. Salute.”
A netizen also asked for Desmond’s exercise regime, writing: “Please do a video on your diet and/or workout plan on how you got back your six-pack, that will be very helpful for every one of us.”
Pace is supported by the Singapore Film Commission and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, through the Media Talent Progression Programme Long Form Content Grant and Yellow Ribbon Project.
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esther.lam@asiaone.com
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