The Boys star Jensen Ackles explained how he bulked up for the role of Soldier Boy.
Speaking to Men's Health, Ackles explained the process behind how he became Soldier Boy, including how he put on muscle for the role. Ackles said that he originally thought the character's super suit would have included musculature, going so far as to ask costume designer Laura Jean Shannon about when it would be added during one of the costume fittings. The actor said that she "just very pleasantly patted me on the shoulder, and she said, 'Oh, Jensen, you're going to bring me some muscles in April when you show up to set.' And I was like, 'Oh. Oh, okay. Yeah. Challenge accepted.'"
"I never talked to [showrunner Eric] Kripke about it," Ackles continues. "I never talked to the producers. Nobody impressed that upon me. So I just kind of took it as a personal challenge." It was an effort that Ackles took seriously, referencing other actors that managed to transform themselves for major superhero roles and become "larger-than-life figures."
"Look, we've all seen Hemsworth as Thor, we've all seen Evans as Captain America. We've seen these guys, how they've transformed their bodies," said Ackles about the Marvel stars. He admitted that The Boys wasn't in the same budget as those Marvel projects, "but this is a pretty big property, and I should respect that.”
The question of how he achieved Soldier Boy's physique was a simple enough explanation from Ackles. The actor, who's arguably best known for his role as Dean Winchester on Supernatural, admitted that he didn't follow a set routine or use a trainer. "Funny enough, I'll make a little shout out to beachbody.com because I went on there and that's how I got my cardio in," spilled Ackles about his workout routine. He continued on by saying that he "just followed the random videos. All I had was those adjustable power blocks, so I utilized those as my weights." All of these workouts were done in the basement of his house and he dedicated himself to it, putting on "maybe 15, 20 pounds of muscle."
All three seasons of The Boys are available to stream now on Prime Video.
Source: Men's Health