Actor Omar J. Dorsey is best known for his roles in films like The Blind Side, Django Unchained, and Selma before landing his latest role as Ray in the HBO Max hit series Bookie. But while he also appeared in the popular drama, Queen Sugar, this actor is now limiting his intake of the sweet stuff. It’s become part of a conscious effort that has seen him drop significant amount of weight.
In an exclusive interview with M&F, Dorsey explains why he decided to call it quits on some of his bad habits, and why he’s feeling more motivated than ever.
The critically acclaimed comedy series sees Dorsey co-star with Sebastian Maniscalco in the world of sports gambling, dealing with a rag tag of unstable clients and even crazier co-workers.
As an avid gambler himself, this is a world that Dorsey knows only too well. ”I’ve slowed down a whole lot right now, but when I lived in New Orleans, when I was on the show Queen Sugar, I lived across the street from the casino. I was in the casino so much I had my own parking space! But, I slowed down quite a bit, man. I was like, I’m just giving away money!” says the star.
Working on Bookie, Dorsey’s eyes have been opened further. “Playing the characters that go to collect from these people, I was like, man, this is really an addiction. So, I think that’s what really slowed me down a little bit. I still got my bookie. We might do a little bit here and there, but I don’t gamble anywhere near as much as I did. Reading all these scripts and seeing how an addiction can ruin whole lives, and it can ruin families and stuff, I think I’ve backed off my gambling quite a bit since I started the show.”
Omar J. Dorsey Turns Negatives into Positives
During the 2023 writers and actors strike, Dorsey suddenly had a lot of time on his hands to reflect, and realized that he had also been spinning the wheel on his health. In the years prior, the star lost friends to COVID that could have had a better chance of beating the virus if they’d been healthier before contracting it. The actor was also still reeling from the loss of his brother to cancer. “He was in his 40s, and they said they could have done more for him if he wasn’t so obese.”
The time for change had come.
“I looked at myself in the mirror, I said; ‘Omar, you gotta get it together, man’” With time on his hands, Dorsey felt that he had no excuses and it was time to address his health.
Working in New Orleans and eating too much of a good thing had stacked on the weight, but now the actor was also hoping to cast a better shadow in his upcoming wedding photos. “What I started out doing was walking,” explains the actor, who made it a non-negotiable that he uses his days off by hitting no less than 18,000 steps. “On the weekends, I started just eating right and knowing exactly what I’m putting in my body, and drinking water, water, water. I was also counting calories. I’d say I was probably doing, maybe like 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day, but I was just walking so much. I live in a place called Fryman Canyon in LA, so I hike.”
Small Food Swaps Made Major Weight-Loss Gains
Dorsey swapped fast foods for the farmers market, and soon his neighbors started to comment on the star’s more svelte physique. Then, a month before his wedding day, the actor picked the weights back up and started to workout in the gym. The actor’s friend, DJ Jay Hussle, was able help reignite the explosive power that he’d enjoyed as a young football player, and the two now make for great accountability partners. Dorsey calls his ever-growing group of fellow gymgoers “old men with abs,” and while his sessions are fun, he’s very eager to get his sweat on.
Dorsey says he does a mixture of free weights and machine-based sessions, splitting body parts on different days, and using minimal rest time to keep his workouts both efficient and suitably intense.
Omar J. Dorsey is Cashing in on His Commitment to Being Fit
“My sleep has gotten better, my blood pressure has gone down, and my doctor is very happy for me,” says Dorsey of his most important win to date. “You know, I went from 290 pounds to about 220, but I’m probably about 225 right now because with all of the lifting, there’s extra muscle.” And, now that he’s made such great progress, the star is looking towards some of his inspirational peers to elevate his training further.
Having had the chance to observe the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Colin Farrel performing hotel workouts in the early hours of the morning, Dorsey has learned that the top 5% in his field are the ones that work 95% more than the rest. “I see what it takes to be great,” he says. It seems that being jacked is the most valuable jackpot of all.
Bookie Season 2 is set to premiere Dec. 12, 2024 on HBO Max. Follow Omar J. Dorsey on Instagram
