Billy Gardell‘s weight was most likely not the primary reason he was cast in the long-running sitcom Mike & Molly. But it helped and contributed to his ability to connect with the show’s audience.
The Swissvale, Pennsylvania native, was aware of his weight when he starred in the show. He is still that way today, going to great lengths to lose weight and keep his type 2 diabetes under control.
From his childhood, he struggled with his weight
Gardell had always been a guy who struggled with health issues and bad habits. During an interview with Wicked Local Cambridge in July 2019, he said, “I feel like my whole life has been quitting things.”
He had a long history of smoking and drinking. However, at the time of the interview, he had stopped drinking and smoking and had been sober for 11 years. His weight, on the other hand, was his last demon, according to him. He struggled to control his weight, which had reached 350 pounds at one point.
“I grew up fat,” he admitted in an August 2011 interview with the East Valley Tribune. He was shown a Marie Claire article in which it was suggested that watching two overweight people in a romantic situation (as in Mike and Molly) was repulsive.
He continued, “Do you think I’ve never heard a fat joke? I learned a long time ago in life that, hey, some people aren’t going to like your face. That is their specialty.”
Weight Loss Experiment
The Young Sheldon guest star told the East Valley Tribune that he was working hard to improve his situation. Even though he still had bad days, he worked with a nutritionist and a trainer to keep his weight under control.
“There are some days when I feel like rolling around in a pizza,” he said, adding, “I’m trying to keep the good days outnumbering the bad days.” Gardell was also learning how to eat properly while on the road that summer.
According to Starcasm, Gardell revealed on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in 2011 that he had lost around 45 pounds and would have liked to lose another 30 for the sake of his knees. A few years later, in June 2015, Gardell told the Tampa Bay Times that he had lost 70 pounds and still had 80 to go.
Diabetes is being combated through the Type-2 Transformation Program
Gardell went in for a routine check-up in mid-2017. He had no idea that his full battery of blood tests would reveal that he had type 2 diabetes.
After overcoming his fear and nervousness, he enrolled in a Novo Nordisk Type 2 Transformation program in March 2020. According to the program’s plan, the stand-up comic then began taking the company’s injectable non-insulin medicine called Ozempic.
In addition to taking medications, Gardell changed his eating habits and began exercising to maintain his weight. He also hired a coach to help him through his mental shifts. Because he was pleased with the program, he was hired as a paid spokesperson for Novo Nordisk. On February 15, 2021, he appeared in an advertisement for Ozempic.
Quick Facts About William Gardell Jr.
| Full Name | William Gardell Jr. |
| Date of Birth | 20 August 1969 |
| Age | 54 years old |
| Height/How tall? | 5′ 11″ |
| Profession | Actor |
| Father Name | William Gardell |
| Mother Name | Linda Gray |
| Gender Identity | Male |
| Is Married? | Yes |
| Is Gay? | No |
| Net Worth | $10 Million |
Billy Gardell Net worth
Billy Gardell’s net worth is about $10 million as of January 2024.
