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Behind The Scenes: Interviews With Actors Who Trained Like Athletes For Movie Roles

Celebrities such as Hilary Swank, Michael B. Jordan, and Mickey Rourke truly deserve recognition for their incredible commitment and drive to achieve remarkable fitness levels for their film roles. Their dedication to transforming their bodies is nothing short of commendable. 

These A-listers went all out, engaging in intense workouts and following specialized diets designed by the most sought-after trainers and nutritionists in Hollywood. Their efforts were not in vain, as they successfully transformed into MMA fighters, professional wrestlers, and even footballers. 

Let’s take a moment to appreciate some of these talented individuals’ most astonishing and unrecognizable transformations by looking back at the actors who trained like athletes for movie roles. 

Mickey Rourke becomes a wrestler. 

Mickey Rourke’s career suffered due to his inability to maintain his focus solely on acting. He needed to prove himself in other areas, particularly in physical competition. This desire led him to the boxing ring. While he never achieved success in boxing movies, his willingness to sacrifice his body found a poignant expression in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler.” 

In the film, Rourke convincingly portrayed a professional wrestler who constantly faced adversity. Rourke endured the physical toll, enduring bumps, chairs, and even staples. Anyone who attended local wrestling events during their childhood undoubtedly recognized Rourke’s character and wondered about his past glory. It was a role perfectly suited for Rourke, and he was unjustly denied the Best Actor Oscar.

When interviewed by MTV in 2008, Rourke was asked, “What kind of training did you go through?”. 

I got a really good Israeli trainer who made me pump iron and do the cardio for four months,” Rourke said. “Then we did two hours of weight training and cardio and two hours of wrestling practice. This is months before the film. When we shot the movie, I was like,’ This is the easy part,’ The other stuff was murder.” 

Michael B. Jordan in Creed & Black Panther 

Michael B. Jordan is renowned for accepting physically demanding roles, and his latest portrayals in ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Creed III’ are no exception. 

Jordan adopted a strict regimen of six meals and three workouts per day to achieve peak physical condition. Jordan committed to consuming a hefty gallon and a half of water daily to optimize his fitness journey. Additionally, his diet consisted of nutritious foods such as egg whites, lean turkey, and brown rice for breakfast. He incorporated chicken breast, sautéed spinach, and a quarter cup of brown rice for subsequent meals. Protein shakes, steak, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and protein shakes rounded out his diet plan. 

In terms of exercise, Jordan’s routine combined elements of athletic conditioning and bodybuilding principles.

In an interview conducted by People, Jordan shared how a consistently healthy lifestyle has assisted him in maintaining peak physical fitness, which is handy for the movie roles he’s often in. 

Finding a healthy balance of just breaking a sweat has been useful. Participating in activities such as swimming, baseball, or frisbee provides a natural workout. A baseline fitness is also important, and at one point, I was doing 300 push-ups and 200 sit-ups throughout the day,” Jordan said.  

Real-life boxing contests are commonly matched with highly-priced odds, and there’s usually a landslide between a favorite and an underdog. However, without knowing who Michael B. Jordan was, you could place him in any boxing event, and the physique he obtained during Creed movies would have us fooled into betting on him with or without the assistance of a BetMGM bonus code

Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby 

Hilary Swank’s transformation for her Academy Award-winning role in Million Dollar Baby is truly remarkable. The dedication and discipline she displayed in achieving her boxer physique are awe-inspiring. Swank completely revamped her lifestyle, implementing a carefully structured regimen that governed every aspect of her daily routine, from her workouts to her meals and sleep schedule.

My training was two and a half hours of boxing and approximately an hour and a half to two hours lifting weights every day, six days a week,” Swank said. “The producers asked me to gain 10 pounds of muscle. I gained 19 pounds of muscle. I started at 110 and went to 129. And in order to do that, I had to eat 210 grams of protein a day. Now. Your body can only assimilate so much protein, so I had to eat every hour and a half.” 

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