The Lord of the Rings director shocked adoring fantasy fans in 2005 when he shed his frumpy, geeky look by losing more than 70 lb. (32 kg) and getting laser eye surgery to rid himself of those Coke-bottle glasses. "I just wanted to get healthy," the New Zealand native told the Sydney Herald Sun. "At the end of The Lord of the Rings, I was very, very tired, and I wanted to get a bit more fit. I just stopped eating junk food and ate fruit and vegetables."