Hugh Jackman has opened up about the “hardest” adjustment he made while gearing up to play Wolverine again this summer.
The Australian actor — who stars alongside Ryan Reynolds in the upcoming superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine — told People magazine that he was pumped to prepare for his big screen return as the iconic mutant.
“My body was a little sore at the beginning, but I was thrilled that my body was still responding. And I realised how good it is for your brain. But the hardest bit… the food,” said Hugh, who initially decided that he’d retire from playing Wolverine after Logan in 2017.
Hugh, who shared a snapshot of his apparent 8,000-calorie diet days on social media early last year, acknowledged that he had to “eat a lot” for the role.
“For me, for my body type, I’m naturally skinny. To get the size on, that’s the hardest bit. That’s the bit that does my head in,” said the Greatest Showman star, who previously told CNN’s Chris Wallace that he’d make it his “job” to train for the part in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Ryan noted that five or six meals a day might sound “great” to some people.
“But it’s not like the type of food that you would really necessarily enjoy,” he said.
Ryan, who is set to star in his third Deadpool movie, noted to People that he “couldn’t believe” Hugh’s change in physicality.
“Just the sheer relentlessness that you dedicated yourself towards stunts, choreography. It was the first time I’d ever seen how invaluable a background in song and dance is when you are doing an action movie,” he said.
Ryan continued: “You hit your marks in those fight scenes with speed and confidence, the likes of which I have never seen. I don’t care if you were 25, 35, 45 or 55. It was lightning.”
Deadpool & Wolverine is set to hit cinemas on July 26.