Did Brie Larson lose weight for ‘Lessons in Chemistry?’

Despite being an Academy Award-winning actress, Brie Larson always seems to find herself lumped into conversations that rarely have anything to do with her acting, and unfortunately, her performance in Lessons in Chemistry is no exception. 

Larson, who won an Oscar for her performance in the family drama Room, has borne the brunt of misogynistic hate and negative press ever since she gained worldwide stardom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Captain Marvel in 2019. Anyone familiar with the plot of Apple TV Plus’ Lessons in Chemistry will recognize the irony at first glance, as Larson’s character, Elizabeth Zott, similarly spends the better part of her time dodging baleful stares and condescending comments from the men around her.  

Through it all, Larson has remained a consummate professional. Her filmography proves that she doesn’t just sit around soaking up all of the online negativity; she’s too busy working. Still, whether out of innocent curiosity, reverence for her devotion to the craft, or something a little less savory, viewers of Lessons in Chemistry are wondering if Larson intentionally lost weight for the limited series.

Did Brie set out to shed pounds for Lessons in Chemistry?

The short answer is no, not that Larson has confirmed. Nevertheless, it takes only a swift glance at her on-screen physique to see that she has, indeed, shed more than a few pounds in the years since her Captain Marvel performance.

The series finds Larson’s characteristically strong jaw is held up by more noticeably prominent cheekbones and her face sporting noticeably less puffiness, for lack of a better word (not that that should matter). Instead of being the result of intentional weight loss, however, the explanation can likely be linked to Larson’s rigorous work schedule around the time of filming (August 2022) and the physical demands of the roles she was playing.

You’re probably wondering what makes Lessons in Chemistry — a show about a chemist turned host of a cooking show — physically demanding. The answer is that Larson’s character is a part-time rower, and anyone familiar with rowing knows how grueling and physically demanding the sport can be. Larson, always willing to put her best foot forward in her work, did not opt for a stunt double; she trained for rowing as if she intended to compete right alongside her character, according to the show’s director Sara Adina Smith in an interview with The Wrap. That alone would cause a few pounds to fall off.

What’s more, around the same time that Lessons in Chemistry was being filmed, Larson was shooting scenes for Fast X, which involved heavily choreographed fight scenes. Less than a year before that, she was working on The Marvels, which also required fight sequences and even more stunt work. Some days found her hooked up to a harness for hours, dangling mid-air, which would be enough to make anyone’s abs sore.

Sure, Larson might look thinner in Lessons in Chemistry than she did in Captain Marvel, but it has nothing to do with her succumbing to the harsh demands of public perception. Even if it did, that shouldn’t take away from her standout performance in the show.

Oh, she also does yoga, but it tends to feel like her haters need that more than she does.