Headlines related to Jonathan Majors of late have been related to the terrible controversy that led to his exit from the MCU, even before he could take off. Convicted of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, Majors has undoubtedly received a major blow to his acting career that he might even never recover from completely.
Jonathan Majors in 2023’s Creed III. | Warner Bros.
However, even if that turns out true, he has to a great extent, already proved his acting talent to Hollywood and his fans. With movies such as Out of Blue, Gully, and The Harder They Fall, the 34-year-old already has an acting legacy that will be remembered for a long time.
That also includes his work for and in Magazine Dreams. Not only did Jonathan Majors impress with his character of Killian Maddox, he also pulled off an insane body transformation that even scared his director, Elijah Bynum.
Jonathan Majors pulled off insane body transformation for Magazine Dreams
Jonathan Majors in Magazine Dreams. | Tall Street Productions
There have been a number of actors who have pulled off utterly impressive body transformations for their roles. From Christopher Bale to Emma Stone to Jake Gyllenhaal, a number of actors bulked up, or down, in very quick time, showing the kind of determination that they have for their work.
However, Majors’ transformation for Killian Maddox ranks high in the list, considering the character itself was a bodybuilder obsessed with the idea of physical perfection and immortality. While the character had plenty of vices as well, including addictions and the obviously toxic masculinity, Majors did not only have to tap into a disturbing mental psyche in order to play the role perfectly.
It also involved a frankly insane routine which involved consuming more than 6,000 calories, and multiple training sessions, a day. The situation became so dire that even his director Bynum was scared, and had the following advice for Majors: (via Slash Film)
Take it easy.
However, Jonathan Majors did not in fact, take it easy, as he eventually became a 202-pound hunk, standing more than six feet tall.
Jonathan Majors was intensely one-minded when it came to Magazine Dreams’ preparation
Jonathan Majors in Magazine Dreams. | Tall Street Productions
A read through Majors’ interviews at the time in itself reveal a determined man who simply accepted what needed to be done in order to prepare for the movie. Not only was Majors only too willing to put in the work, he also refused steroids, and decided that he wanted to achieve the transformation naturally:(via Men’s Health)
When you see these guys, it’s like, Yeah, they’re fucking fit. But if you look at it, there’s a story there. That’s a pain body. A lot of guys build their bodies by anger, which is a secondary emotion… And those bodies don’t look right. Those bodies don’t engender emotion.
Whatever Majors was talking about, he broke things down in another interview:(Variety)
I’m 6 feet tall. I’m 202 pounds. In order to sustain that and to grow that you have to eat as much protein that you weigh. I ate 6,100 calories a day for about four months. That included the pre-work and the post-work of ‘Creed III.’
And if there was ever any doubt, Majors continued with the following:
The normal bodybuilder works out two times a day. I’m playing Killian Maddox… Playing him you don’t fuck around. What ended up happening is I would train two hours, two times a day for the movie and a third time after wrap. Meanwhile, you eat six times a day. Lots of chicken. Lots of elk. That’s just for me. I like it.
So yes, Majors indeed did not f**k around, and was a treat to the eyes when he portrayed the role of Killian Maddox. While the actor has undoubtedly gotten into serious trouble in recent years, the work he has already put in for the industry will not be forgotten anytime soon.
Magazine Dreams is available to be streamed on Amazon Prime.
