Brad Pitt stripped things down to pure definition for Fight Club, aiming for low body fat rather than bulk. His training split was simple and ruthless: chest and back early in the week, arms later, with cardio earning its own day. The diet matched the discipline, built around high protein and six small meals a day, creating a look that still gets talked about decades later. | © 20th Century Studios
Hugh Jackman took the physical side of Wolverine seriously for The Wolverine, pushing himself well past what the role technically required. He built his routine around classic heavy lifts, starting light and steadily loading more weight as his body adapted. Jackman famously trained at 4 a.m. and survived on endless servings of chicken and tuna, a grind he admitted got old fast, even if he secretly loved it. | © 20th Century Studios
Chris Hemsworth didn’t just step into Thor’s boots, he rebuilt his body for them in Thor. Working with former Marine and Navy SEAL Duffy Gaver, he added around 20 pounds through heavy lifting and a protein-loaded diet, then doubled down for later films with punishing ab and leg sessions that ran for hours. Hemsworth has slimmed down for other roles since, but he’s been clear about one thing: putting on the weight is the part he enjoys most. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Dwayne Johnson stepped away from his polished Rock image for The Smashing Machine, chasing a heavier, rougher presence. He gained about 30 pounds, trained in MMA camps, and spent hours each day in prosthetics to erase his familiar look. The aim wasn’t to impress, but to fully inhabit Mark Kerr: dominant, worn down, and unmistakably human. | © A24
Jason Statham didn’t need a full overhaul for Death Race, since staying in top shape was already part of his daily life. Instead of chasing size, he leaned into functional training, running through tight exercise circuits and long warm-ups to stay fast and durable. Most of the time, he stuck to his own proven routine, and it showed on screen. | © Universal Studios
Josh Brolin had just 11 weeks to turn himself into Cable for Deadpool 2, and at 49, there was no easing into it. He trained for hours every day, mixing cardio and calisthenics with late-night bodybuilding sessions that kept him mobile enough for the role. By the end of it, Brolin had dropped around 30 pounds and carved himself down to a hard, stripped-back 180, proving the timeline didn’t matter if the work was brutal enough. | © 20th Century Studios
Daniel Craig knew James Bond couldn’t just look sharp in a suit for Casino Royale, so he had to look dangerous without one. He quit smoking, trained five days a week, and kept his sessions short but brutal, pushing nonstop for about 45 minutes at a time. Craig famously told his trainer he needed to look like he could kill someone when his shirt came off, and the final result made that point very clear. | © Sony Pictures Releasing
Nikolaj Coster looked nothing like Jaime Lannister in Shot Caller, and that was very much the point. Playing a man hardened by years in prison meant packing on serious muscle, with trainer Jesper Mouritzen guiding both his diet and brutal, repetitive workouts. Coster-Waldau later said gaining around 20 pounds was the toughest part, but it helped sell the idea that this body was built behind bars, not in a Hollywood gym. | © Saban Films
Will Smith couldn’t fake it when stepping into Muhammad Ali’s shoes for Ali, he had to look and move like a real heavyweight. He packed on mass the hard way, jumping from about 185 to a lean 220 pounds while training up to six hours a day with boxing drills, lifting, and roadwork. Smith cut junk food entirely and treated the role like total immersion, wanting audiences to feel they were watching Ali’s life, not an impression of it. | © 20th Century Studios
Alexander Skarsgård had to look like someone raised in the jungle for The Legend of Tarzan, and that meant a body that looked powerful. He reportedly ate close to 7,000 calories a day and spent eight straight months doing little besides training and feeding that workload. The process came in phases, with food playing just as big a role as the workouts, all designed to build a physique that felt earned rather than sculpted for show. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Ryan Gosling didn’t stumble into that famously chiseled look for Crazy, Stupid, Love, it was the result of a very narrow, disciplined routine. He trained two hours a day most days of the week, fueled largely by bananas and protein shakes, with a heavy focus on chest, shoulders, and core. Gosling later joked that muscles are like pets, you have to keep feeding and looking after them, or they disappear. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Tom Hardy was already built like a tank from films like Bronson and Warrior, but Mad Max: Fury Road called for something more feral. Instead of bulking up, he stripped things back hard, eating just one meal a day while grinding through months of fight training. Working with former Marine Patrick Monroe, Hardy followed brutal short-burst sessions mixing weights and martial arts, repeated multiple times a day. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Zac Efron was already known for being in great shape, but Baywatch pushed him into a different gear entirely. He leaned out hard for the role, locking into a strict diet and mixing high-intensity cardio with heavy resistance training to get that ultra-cut lifeguard look. Back and biceps took priority on his toughest days, while his abs mostly just came along for the ride. | © Paramount Pictures
Henry Cavill didn’t really have a choice when it came to fitness, playing Superman in Justice League means looking like you can lift the planet if needed. The shirtless scenes make it obvious how much work went into that build, and none of it was accidental. Cavill trained under Mark Twight, following a punishing routine built around heavy Olympic lifts designed to sell that unmistakable super physique. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Jamie Dornan didn’t have the luxury of a long transformation for Fifty Shades of Grey. He had about four weeks, and that was it. He hit the gym immediately, zeroing in on upper-body work and simple bodyweight exercises that could deliver visible results fast. Between takes, he knocked out press-ups and core work whenever he could, treating set downtime like training time rather than rest. | © Universal Studios
Some roles don’t work unless the body looks right. These actors put in the hours, changed how they ate, and trained hard to sell it on screen. Here are 15 times getting in serious shape was part of the role.
