Nicholas Galitzine reveals grueling He-Man transformation: ‘I was eating about 5,000 calories a day’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actor Nicholas Galitzine recently opened up about the intense physical and mental transformation he underwent to portray the iconic character He-Man in the upcoming live-action film 'Masters of the Universe.'
The 31-year-old actor discussed the demanding process for the role during an interview with E! News on Wednesday, May 19, revealing that it involved a strict workout regimen, consuming nearly 5,000 calories a day, and maintaining constant discipline throughout the film’s five-month production schedule.
Nicholas Galitzine addresses grueling He-Man transformation process
Speaking about preparing for the role, Galitzine said, “I was eating about 5,000 calories a day.” He explained that the process involved “three hours of weightlifting every day,” adding that the aim was to “pack on as much size as possible.”
The actor admitted that he would have preferred much more time to physically prepare for the role. “Ideally, I’d have had a year to do it,” Galitzine said, before explaining that the timeline forced him into an intense daily schedule.
“But it became an everyday-a-week thing,” he added.
Galitzine also detailed how difficult it was to maintain the superhero physique while filming the movie, revealing that every spare moment on set became an opportunity for additional exercise.
“If I had a 10-minute setup break, I’d go outside and run, I’d use the assault bike. Then I’d come back and shoot the scene," he said.
Galitzine also explained that this demanding routine continued throughout the entire production schedule.
“It was like that for five months,” he shared.
Despite the intensity of the experience, he appeared to take pride in the challenge, treating the transformation as a constant commitment throughout filming.
Nicholas Galitzine shares his post-filming routine and next role
After wrapping 'Masters of the Universe,' Galitzine revealed that he quickly shifted his attention to food and recovery.
“Food is very important to me,” the actor said, adding that his first indulgent meal after filming was a combination of “sushi and pizza.”
He joked that after months of discipline, he simply wanted “everything” placed in front of him.
However, the actor did not have much downtime before beginning preparation for another project, 'The Mosquito Bowl,' in which he portrays a World War II soldier.
Galitzine explained that the film’s director was concerned he would still resemble He-Man too closely upon arriving on set.
“The director was having terrifying nightmares about me showing up looking like He-Man.”
Because of this concern, the actor shared that he received very different instructions for his next preparation phase.
“He was like, ‘I need you to just chill out for a few weeks,’” Galitzine recalled.
He also admitted that the request came as a relief after the exhausting superhero regimen.
“It was music to my ears,” Galitzine added, explaining that he embraced the downtime completely by “lying on the couch eating potato chips,” which he described as the kind of preparation he truly enjoyed after months of intense training and dieting.
