Hollywood heartthrob Matthew McConaughey is giving up his famously muscular physique to play an overweight fighter in a new movie. The actor is regularly caught by photographers topless on the beach or working out semi-nude near his California home.

His toned body has earned him a strong female following - but the 39-year-old has revealed he's swapping muscles for flab for new film The Grackle.

And McConaughey is already poised for the inevitable paparazzi shots of him looking out of shape. He says, "When I go to do The Grackle and put on 20 pounds, they're going to go, 'What happened?'"

He adds of his character, "It's set on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, and he's down there eating it all and drinking it all and smoking it all."

But the actor admits he's looking forward to letting it all go: "I'll eat more cheeseburgers. That's my favorite food. Man who invented the hamburger was smart; man who invented the cheeseburger was a genius."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)