Nicola Peltz Beckham, 31, recently shared a series of cozy Instagram photos with her husband, Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, 26, during a quiet getaway following Brooklyn’s recent public claims against his parents, David and Victoria Beckham.
While fans speculated about the family drama, many comments focused on Nicola’s noticeably slimmer figure. A source tells PEOPLE that the actress’s weight loss is due to her rigorous preparation for her upcoming role in the ballerina film Prima, in which she stars alongside Faye Dunaway, Mira Sorvino, and Jack Huston.
“She’s undergone a physical transformation and an intense workout regimen for her role in Prima, where she portrays a prima ballerina,” the source explained. Film producers did not respond to requests for comment.
According to the film’s press release, Prima follows the story of Margo (Peltz Beckham), a dedicated prima ballerina raised by her strict grandmother and “guardian of the art,” played by Faye Dunaway. The story takes a tense turn when the head of her ballet company (Jack Huston) marries a contemporary choreographer (Betty Gabriel), challenging the company’s traditional ways and sparking a subtle power struggle that threatens its very future.
Peltz’s physical transformation echoes the demanding preparations that other actors have undertaken to portray ballerinas on screen. For instance, in Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 Oscar-nominated Black Swan, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis underwent grueling dance training and followed strict diets. In a 2025 interview with Vogue, Kunis recalled, “My prep was a lot of dancing and very little eating. I drank a lot of broth and we danced for 12 hours a day.”
Kunis previously told Harper’s Bazaar in 2012 that she lost 20 pounds for the role, noting, “My body has never been the same. My shape is different. When I got down to 95 pounds, I was muscles, like a little brick house, but skin and bones.”
Similarly, Jennifer Lawrence shared with Vanity Fair in 2017 that her role as an ex-ballerina in Red Sparrow required her first experience with strict dieting. “Red Sparrow was the first time that I was really hungry, and disciplined,” she said. Lawrence admitted the process was challenging, noting, “I can’t work on a diet. I’m hungry. I’m standing on my feet. I need more energy. I remember having a meltdown, freaking out that I had eaten five banana chips.”
Nicola Peltz Beckham’s dedication to her role in Prima reflects a long tradition of actors undergoing extreme physical preparation to authentically embody the demanding world of ballet.
