An actor has revealed the gruelling preparation he underwent in order to play a drug addict in an upcoming film, that he ‘whole heartedly’ committed to.
The Australian star is best known for playing the lead role of warrior Leif Eriksson in Vikings: Valhalla, a spin-off of the popular series Vikings.
For that role, he had to take on a Viking-type workout routine that he’d have to go through every day in achieve the desired physique of a warrior.
But for this upcoming movie, it looks like he’s had to do the complete opposite.
Sam Corlett took to Instagram to share his jaw-dropping body transformation to play a drug addict for his new film, He Ain’t Heavy, with his 729,000 followers.
The Netflix star posted before and after photos, explaining how focused he was on achieving the the role, as he got ‘mental clarity’ while undergoing the drastic physical change.
His character Max is the subject of the film which has been inspired by a true story, following a sister that kidnaps her brother to try and save him from his addiction.
In a candid post to fans, Corlett wrote: “When I read David’s [Vincent Smith] script, HE AIN’T HEAVY, there was simply nothing I wasn’t willing to do to honour this story.
“Knowing where it came from in his life and how much it mirrored relationships in my own, I knew I had to commit whole heartedly.”
The actor lost 26kg from this point (Instagram/@samcorlett)
Corlett continued: “With guidance, I ended up going from 92 kg (for Vikings: Valhalla) down to 66 kg for this film.
“I found that the physical structure gifted me so much mental clarity and emotional access that helped me serve the character Max.”
He then added that the film would be out in Australian cinemas on 17 October, before concluding: “I would love to hear how the film made you feel when you get a chance to see it.”
Starring opposite Corlett in He Ain’t Heavy is Leila George, who plays Max’s 30-year-old sister, Jade, that does everything in her power to get her brother clean.
Corlett was ‘whole heartedly’ committed to the role (Instagram/@samcorlett)
Corlett revealed to Confidential that he walked thousands of steps a day to lose the necessary weight.
After filming though, he said it was tough to get back into regular eating habits once again.
The Australian admitted: “(I had) dysmorphia afterwards for sure, I struggled coming back to normal. My diet before was training for Vikings and so I had to find a completely new normal and my stomach was used to consuming that much food.”
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week.
