Paul Rudd is sharing the “horrible” and “restrictive” diet he underwent to prepare for his role in the Ant-Man franchise.
During a recent appearance on the Off Menu podcast, where guests talk about their “dream menu,” hosts Ed Gamble and James Acaster asked the actor what type of water he preferred.
“When I was having to train for the Ant-Man movie, and I was on a very restrictive diet, my reward was sparkling water,” he responded, laughing. “That’s how horrible that diet was. I was like, ‘Alright, I’m gonna have some sparkling water now, I’ve earned it.’”
Rudd explained that while he was training and working out a lot, he would have “a lot of sparkling water” as a reward. Acaster proceeded to ask him if actually felt like a treat.
“Yeah, it was great,” he said. “It wasn’t flavored, I wasn’t gonna go crazy.”
The Only Murders in the Building actor noted that he mostly stuck to the strict diet and training for all his Marvel movies. He said, “Once you’re in it, it’s actually not too hard,” adding that he didn’t mind having “really boring food, every time, over and over again,” especially since he would wake up with “tons of energy.”
But Rudd isn’t the only actor to open up about undergoing intense training and diet for a role, as Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Allen White, Robert Pattinson and Channing Tatum are among others who have previously shared their experiences in Hollywood.
Rudd was later asked if other Marvel stars would “compare notes” on their training when working on ensemble films together, including Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
“I mean, I think people kind of are,” he said. “But I also think I worked out harder than anyone, I would eat better than everyone, and I looked worse than all of them. I had to work out all the time, eat perfectly, just to look kind of bad. Not even like great.”
The Living with Yourself actor continued, “I remember on Endgame, Chris Hemsworth would always have these Tupperware containers and he’s eating this gruel of just a mash of stuff. He’s working out, and then you stand next to a guy like that, and I just think, ‘Well, what’s the point of any of this?’ Why am I killing myself when that can exist, and then I look at myself and this exists. I can never achieve that. … That was the good thing that it was Ant-Man, it isn’t Thor. But I tried to work out, and it didn’t work.”
