Actor Billy Gardell, best known for playing Melissa McCarthy’s husband on “Mike & Molly,” says the bariatric surgery he underwent in 2021 “probably saved” his life.
Speaking on the “Breaking Bread” podcast, the 57-year-old described how Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and heart issues had built up over the years. He recalled his doctor telling him that “after 50, the warranties start running out.”
“You can’t outrun those. I think the only reason I was able to survive as long as I did is one, I got decent genetics, and two was I played some sports when I was younger,” Gardell said. “So, I was a big fat guy, but I was a pretty solid fat guy, and I could carry the weight for a long time, but eventually you can’t outrun that.”
Gardell said a knee injury made the situation clearer. “I got to the point where I hurt my knee, and I couldn’t even walk for exercise, and I was like, I have to do something drastic,” he said. “So, I got the surgery, and it’s been a couple years now, and I probably saved my life. I’m not on any medication. Diabetes is gone.”
Five years after the procedure, Gardell said he has to be careful about what he eats, since he only has “12 ounces to work with,” adding that the temptation to overeat, which he calls “the fat Hulk,” still lingers in his mind.
Small victories
Beyond the health improvements, Gardell said losing the weight opened up everyday experiences he once couldn’t manage, like hiking with his wife or buying clothes off the rack at the mall.
“It’s just those little freedoms that you go, ‘Wow, man. I’m so grateful I can do this now,'” he said. “I know those are simple, stupid things, but they mean the world to me.”
Gardell said his wife, Patty Knight, and their son, William, were his main motivation for getting healthy.
“It was like I don’t want to survive what I’ve survived, succeed where I succeeded and then not be able to get out of a chair. So, I had to look that in its face. And for anybody out there struggling, if I can do it, you can do it. And don’t let nobody tell you different. Do whatever it takes.”
Gardell said his weight used to swing by about 30 pounds a year, and at his heaviest he weighed 379 pounds. In a December 2025 interview with People, he said he now maintains his weight through diet and exercise, fluctuating between 210 and 215 pounds.
Gardell starred as Melissa McCarthy’s husband on “Mike & Molly” for six seasons, from 2010 to 2016.
