Nicholas Galitzine reveals intense training behind He-Man transformation

Nicholas Galitzine described the physical transformation required to embody He-Man in the upcoming "Masters of the Universe" film as a "monumental task." While the character Adam transforms into the muscular hero by wielding the Sword of Grayskull in the movie, Galitzine's journey to the role demanded months of intense dedication.

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I wish I could just point the sword to the sky.

His routine revolved around strict dietary phases and weightlifting, squeezing in cardio whenever possible. "I knew it was going to be really difficult, but I didn't imagine how strong you have to be mentally to do this," the British actor confessed, admitting he spent much of the process "envying the food" around him.

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It was a monumental task.

Galitzine, 31, wasn't a childhood fan of He-Man but was drawn to the project after reading the script. He found the story, directed by Travis Knight, co-founder of the stop-motion studio Laika, to be humorous. "There's a lot of humor in the way we meet Adam. He's a bit of a clumsy guy, who isn't totally comfortable in his own skin, so there was a lot of material to work with."

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I knew it was going to be really difficult, but I didn't imagine how strong you have to be mentally to do this.

He stars alongside Camila Mendes, who plays his friend Teela, and Idris Elba as Duncan. They face off against Jared Leto as the villain Skeletor and Alison Brie as his sorceress right-hand, Evil-Lyn, in a battle for Eternia. Mendes, also 31, saw her role as a strong heroine as a welcome opportunity. "Teela is a kind of stabilizing force throughout the film," she told AFP, noting the humor in her character's frustration with the often-clumsy Adam and her father, Duncan.

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I didn't just devour it from beginning to end, but I was laughing almost the whole time.