From Greek god Zeus in Immortals, to becoming a master vampire in Dracula Untold and slaying dragons in The Hobbit, Luke Evans is a versatile actor who believes what goes into his body defines the way he looks on screen.
TRAIN: Was Immortals, where you worked out with Henry Cavill, the first time you seriously got in shape for a role?
“Yes, and it was intense. Really intense – but I enjoyed the hell out of that. Before filming we were sent to Canada to work with experts in training, physical training, personal training, working with stuntmen. Then I was working with Henry Cavill for several weeks.
“That whole experience was immense and it really changed me physically for life. I’ve never gone back to the physique I had before Immortals. It thoroughly changed my discipline and it changed my education of what diet means, what training means. It was amazing and it has certainly informed me and showed me what you can do physically when you work hard and smart.”
What is your training like when you’re not working out for a specific role?
“I always train, even when I’m not working on something. I enjoy it and it does a lot for me. My training is different though – in that it’s a lot more relaxed, but it does me a lot of good. Even if I’m absolutely shattered and I don’t want to go, I never regret training. I always regret when I decide not to go. If I’m training for a specifi c role or not, I never spend that long in there. I really go at a particular muscle group hard. I move fast in the gym – 30 seconds to a minute between each set – and I’m big on supersets.
“I like getting circuits in as well to really beat up my muscles and I always try to change up my routines. My workouts are a mix of weights and bodyweight moves. Diet wise I relax a lot more as well. I’m very healthy, but I’ll have a glass of wine and eat what I want if I really want it. Thankfully, I’m at the point where I know my body and my calorie intake, as well as how long it’s going to take me to look a certain way for something. A big thing I’d say for everyone is: know what you’re eating and learn as much as you can about nutrition.”
Your diet was specific for Dracula Untold. What did it consist of and did you take any supplements?
“It was very strict. Certainly no wine or alcohol and my sugar and starchy carbs were very low – almost nonexistent leading up to a scene where I show my body. Then it was a lot of lean proteins and vegetables and then some complex carbs. There was no sauces, no creams. Just clean, plain, natural food. It was incredibly boring, but when you’re attaining a certain look for a long period of time, you need to do that. In all honesty it wasn’t so bad. You just have to be disciplined and always have the bigger picture in mind.
“Also, I was drinking a lot of water, vegetable juices. Supplement wise it was natural again – and mainly for my immune system because of how active I was with the stunts and long days. It was mostly vegetable juices and different types of amino acids – chewables and in a drink. Then there was omega 3-6-9, cod liver oil capsules, different multi-vitamins, casein before bed and low-carb protein shakes. Getting rest was important as well. I tried to get as much rest as possible – which was hard when we were actually shooting.”
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