“The Blind Side” Star Determined to Lose Weight After Being Booted From Flight
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Rachel Murray/WireImage(NEW YORK) — The star of The Blind Side says he’s determined to lose weight after he was booted from a US Airways flight for taking up too much room.
While Quinton Aaron’s size was an asset to playing Michael Oher in the critically acclaimed film, he called the incident on the plane a humiliating experience.
“I just grabbed my bag and just got off as quick as possible because it was embarrassing,” he said.
Aaron, 29, stands 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 550 pounds. He normally flies first class, but on a connecting flight between Philadelphia and Rochester, N.Y., there weren’t any first class seats available, so he needed two economy seats.
“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 said.
But another passenger arrived and Aaron had to be re-booked on another flight.
Instead of getting upset, Aaron said he’s using the experience to speed up his plans to lose weight.
“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 the beach one day,” he said.
Aaron has tackled weight problems before. After his breakout role in The Blind Side, he started an anti-bullying foundation that deals with childhood obesity.
“There’s a lot of kids that get picked on because of their outer appearance and not everyone has had the luxury of growing up knowing the right foods to eat or knowing what a healthier lifestyle is,” he said.
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