Ralph Fiennes isn’t returning to his old physique.
62-year-old actor involved in the movie “Conclave” (2024), originally built physique to portray Odysseus, unveiled his fitness regimen by offering a sneak peek into the exercises he adopted to embody the legendary Greek ruler of Ithaca, King Odysseus.
On April 22nd, Ralph posted a video of himself performing burpees in the gym with two dumbbells weighing 25 pounds each. The video was accompanied by the Bee Gees’ song “Stayin’ Alive”, and he captioned it, “This is how we keep our youth”.
Earlier this month, Ralph posted a before-and-after picture series on X, symbolized by a muscle emoji as the caption, highlighting his significant change.
Ralph was initially approached by director Uberto Pasolini in 2011 to play a Greek legend, but he didn’t intend to appear excessively muscular. Despite spending five months preparing for the role, he aimed merely to fit the character, rather than possessing a heavily built physique from the gym.
To be quite honest, I recently confessed to a fitness trainer that I aspire to resemble a weathered piece of rope – a humble yet challenging goal, if I may say so myself.
Initially, I must admit, I harbored some doubts. With such an immense amount of protein intake and rigorous workouts, it seemed plausible that our bodies would exhibit signs of exercise rather than the effects of being depleted, as he put it, a “lived-in” body.
Ultimately, Ralph put it simply: “There is no gym in ancient Greece.”
As a die-hard fan, let me share some exciting news: It’s not just Ralph who’s been making waves with his remarkable metamorphosis to embody Odysseus. The legendary Matt Damon, at 54 years young, has been flaunting his chiseled abs in snapshots from the set of Christopher Nolan’s epic take on the Greek tale, The Odyssey. I can hardly wait to see these two powerhouse performances!
Moreover, his old friend and companion, Ben Affleck (age 52), couldn’t resist adding his thoughts about the transformation. He found it to be truly remarkable.
In his interview with Entertainment Tonight on April 16, the actor expressed that respect is due because it takes an enormous amount of effort. He consistently puts in a lot of work, and it shows clearly here. If a particular role demands a specific physique, like that of a warrior, he’s more than willing to achieve it.
For more stars who went through physical transformations for roles, read on.
Over the years, the actor who played Magic Mike has seen changes in his weight, particularly in the year 2024 when he was preparing for two consecutive film roles by adopting those characters’ physiques.
In an Instagram post in March 2025, he mentioned that he was then weighing 205 pounds, which was a significant increase from the 172 pounds he had weighed during the filming of Roofman (as seen on the right). Prior to starting production for that 2024 movie, he had already finished shooting the film Josephine (as seen on the left) and put on an additional 63 pounds for his role in it.
In the movie “A Complete Unknown,” the actor who played a character in “Dune” mastered singing and playing the guitar for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of musician Bob Dylan.
He mentioned during an episode of NPR’s All Things Considered in January 2025 that he gained approximately 20 pounds. Surprisingly, he was slimmer than the other person before this weight increase.
To portray the role of scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s movie “Oppenheimer”, the Irish actor found it necessary to shed a significant amount of weight, as he explained. He became quite thin, bordering on emaciated, and his sustenance primarily consisted of martinis and cigarettes. As for his eating habits, according to his costar Emily Blunt, “He had such an immense task at hand. And he could barely consume, like, a single almond each day.
Speaking to the Associated Press about his transformation for the Joker role, the Oscar winner shared insights on his 52-pound weight loss, saying, “Once you hit your goal weight, everything feels different. It’s the daily struggle of worrying about losing just 0.3 pounds that becomes overwhelming. Over time, it can develop into an obsession, even a potential disorder.
Actor from Spider-Man left spectators stunned as he unveiled his muscular arms during the Justice League movie.
In a conversation with TopMob News following his weight loss of 30 pounds for Nightcrawler, he expressed that his mother was concerned. However, he clarified that her concern stemmed more from a desire for him to exercise caution, while also acknowledging her awareness and respect for his dedication and professionalism in his work.
I, a diehard fan here, can’t help but share my awe as I witnessed the remarkable transformation of the Black Panther star. He bulked up an impressive nearly 30 pounds of pure muscle to metamorphose into a rookie boxer who eventually became a pro in Creed. Simply amazing!
The actor-turned-musician clinched an Oscar, impressively portraying a character in “The Dallas Buyers Club“. For that role, he shed an astonishing 40 pounds.
The Mindy Project alum had to gain 40 pounds for his role in Live by Night.
In the first and second installments of the Bridget Jones franchise, the actress playing Bridget Jones intentionally put on weight to convincingly depict her endearing character.
* Chiseled actor from “Magic Mike” shed approximately 30 pounds to play his role in “The Dallas Buyer’s Club,” a film that revolved around the true tale of a man battling AIDS in the 1980s, who resorted to unconventional treatments by procuring remedies from Mexico and secretly importing them into the U.S.
The actress looked lean and strong for her starring role in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
The Les Misérables star took home an Oscar for her role in the musical.
He’s not new to transforming his physique for film characters. In the year 2004, he shed over 60 pounds for the movie “The Machinist,” and he repeated this feat for the film “The Fighter” with Mark Wahlberg. He also piled on 40 pounds for “American Hustle” and subsequently lost a staggering 70 pounds for “Ford v Ferrari.
In the 2010 movie “Prince of Persia,” the actor appeared more like a divine being rather than a prince, impressively embodying his character. To prepare physically for the role, Gyllenhaal practiced Parkour, a popular French discipline that involves running and jumping through urban environments.
In an interview with Time magazine, the Academy Award winner explained that success in his role as the castaway from the 2000 film “Cast Away” was simply about dedication and self-control, as he shed more than 50 pounds to portray a man stranded on an isolated island.
The well-known rapper astounded his followers with a picture showing his lean physique. It’s said that he managed to shed 54 pounds (from 214 to 160) in just nine short weeks, to portray a cancer-stricken football player in the movie “Things Fall Apart“.
Preparing for film characters isn’t a novel concept. This renowned actor received an Academy Award nomination for his chilling portrayal of the tattooed rapist Max Cady in the 1991 thriller “Cape Fear”.
To accurately depict the role of former Vice President Dick Cheney in the 2018 film “Vice”, the actor adopted a more voluminous build.
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2025-04-22 23:24