June 4, 2002
The Mirror
Dougray Gets Fat for a Role as Dylan;
Welsh Playwright was chubby
by Sue Castle

WEIGHTY: Scott is fattening up to play Dylan; HUGE TALENT: Poet was known to be a 'big lad'

DOUGRAY SCOTT has been ordered on a food binge for his latest role.

The lean Scots actor must pile on three stones to play hellraising Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in a new film. Dougray has just got back to his fighting weight of 12st after losing 14lbs to play a leukaemia victim in the forthcoming sequel to The Talented Mr Ripley.

But now he has been told to go on an eating binge for the part of Thomas who died in 1953 aged 39.

It is not the first time Dougray has had to change his shape.

He spent two hours a day in the gym beefing himself up for Mission Impossible II, and then went on a cabbage diet to play a code-breaking mathematician opposite Kate Winslet in the the Second World War drama Enigma.

Dougray said: "I'm eating everything in sight to play Dylan. You name it, cakes, burgers and biscuits. He was a big lad and I need to look convincing. I'll keep piling on the pounds until I look big enough."

But he said he would choose his parts more carefully after playing Swansea-born Thomas.

He added: "It's hard work putting on and taking off weight."

His mum Elma said she was shocked to see her son after he finished filming Ripley's Game.

She said: "He looked gaunt. Now he has to put more on."

Copyright 2002 MGN Ltd.