Recently actor Quinton Aaron was asked to give up his seat on a US Airways connecting flight because of his size. The star of the Oscar winning movie, The Blind Side says he didn’t cause a scene or ask the airline to reconsider, he simply grabbed his bag and left as quickly as he could.
In The Blind Side, Aaron played the real life Michael Oher, a homeless teen who is taken in by a local family and raised as their own. Oher would eventually join the NFL as an offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans. Standing 6 foot 8 and weighing 550 pounds, Aaron’s size was perfect for the role, but after this “humiliating experience,” he’s determined to lose weight.
In the past, Aaron avoided the seat issue by flying first class, but when there were none available on the US Airways flight, he had to buy two economy seats. This solution worked until the the passenger who purchased the third seat arrived on the sold out flight.
He told ABC News, “As I saw the seats, I’m literally hoping that no one had to sit next to me because I knew it wasn’t going to work if they did.” He was asked to leave the plane and was re-booked on a later flight.
At age 29, the actor has struggled with his weight for years, even starting an anti-bullying campaign to provide education and support for kids at risk for childhood obesity.
Though he doesn’t have an immediate plan for his weight loss approach, it has been suggested that he might be partnering with weight loss giant, Jenny Craig.
What goal is at the top of his weight loss bucket list? Looking good at the beach. “I live in California. I want to go to the beach in the summertime with a tank top on and have girls chasing me down,” he said.
Also Read:
Kenlie Tiggeman Sues SouthWest over ‘Too Fat to Fly’ Policy
A Deathbed Promise to God Helps Stephanie Berstein Lost 80 Pounds
Kevin Smith Forced off Airplane for Being Too Fat to Fly
Image via MyFoxPhilly.com