The ideal image of a Hollywood actor consists of a chiseled and handsome face, amazing charisma, and most important of all, some aesthetic muscles to show to the world. By that definition, Chris Hemsworth is the perfect personification of a heartthrob in the film industry. And to maintain that image, the star keeps his health at the top of the list of priorities.
But what happens when the film you’re part of needs you to lose all those hard-earned gains and become the skinniest you can be? The star found himself in that situation with Cillian Murphy during the production of In The Heart of The Sea, where they had to portray stranded and starving sailors. To achieve that disheveled aesthetic, they had to rely on soups, salads, and eggs for a while.
How Chris Hemsworth Lost All His Muscles For In The Heart Of The Sea
Portraying the Norse God of Thunder in the MCU also requires a physique befitting the title of a God, which is why Chris Hemsworth packs so much muscle in his 6’2 frame. For more than a decade at this point, the star has maintained that aesthetic for his role as Thor, but in 2015, he had to do the complete opposite.
While shooting for his then-upcoming maritime survival film In The Heart of The Sea, the star had to lose almost 33 pounds of weight within a month while the shoot was still ongoing.
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In a past interview with Men’s Health, the Extraction 2 star talked about his drastic weight loss journey on the sets of the aforementioned film alongside Cillian Murphy. They had to portray starving sailors, who later had to turn to cannibalism to survive, for which he couldn’t have looked like his normal jacked self, which is why he had to lose all of it, and fast.
Therefore, he survived on vegetable soup, a sufficient amount of salads, and if they were lucky, a single-boiled egg to reach the 500 calories per day goal. He said:
“It was lots of big vegetable soups and giant salads, You feel like it’s a large meal and you have a sense that you’re filling up. The problem is that you’re underfed. The challenge is not physical but emotional,”
Hemsworth admitted that it was one of the hardest things he had to do in his career, but since his fellow co-stars were going through the same process, he had them motivating him to keep pushing.
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What Was In The Heart Of The Sea About?
The adaptation and retelling of Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick, In The Heart of The Sea tells the tale of the horrors 19th-century sailors had to face in their whaling expeditions.
In one of their long whaling expeditions, the crew of the Essex comes across a giant whale, which they desire to capture and bring back with them for oil. But that whale proves to be a formidable foe, who capsizes their vessel, leaving them stranded at sea. Now, in an attempt to return to their homes, these sailors have to face unimaginable horrors for a chance at survival.
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In the Heart of The Sea, streaming on Max.
