The Eternals is still shrouded in mystery, and that’s by Marvel’s design. It feels like The Eternals is a huge risk, but Marvel and Disney are rolling in money, and they’re throwing a lot of that money at this production. It feels like everyone involved is really excited about it. Especially… Kumail Nanjiani, best known as the brilliant comedic actor from Silicon Valley and The Big Sick (which he cowrote with his wife). He’s lovely and nerdy and a tad short. But it also turns out that he went on a year-long journey to get absolutely shredded for The Eternals. He plays Kingo, which means nothing to me, but I guess Kingo is a Hottie With A Body? Kumail posted the above Instagram yesterday with his new body, the product of some insane effort. From his IG:
I never thought I’d be one of those people who would post a thirsty shirtless, but I’ve worked way too hard for way too long so here we are. You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I found out a year ago I was going to be in Marvel’s Eternals and decided I wanted to transform how I looked.
I would not have been able to do this if I didn’t have a full year with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world. I’m glad I look like this, but I also understand why I never did before. It would have been impossible without these resources and time. So big thanks to @grantrobertsfit who started working with me at the beginning of the year and made me understand true physical pain for months and months. Then, once we started shooting, a massive thanks to @davidhigginslondon and his team (@ellispartridge, @thebeardypt, @tomcheesemanfitness) for training me almost every day and making me strong, limber and injury free. I can almost touch my toes now. (And thank you for forcing me to do cheat meals David.) Matthews Street Catering for their delicious and healthy meals.
And finally, the biggest thanks goes to @emilyvgordon for putting up with me complaining and talking about only working out and dieting for the last year. I promise I’ll be interesting again some day. #thirstyshirtless (Photo by @markupson.) (edit: I left off one very important person: @lancecallahan who trained me for 6 years and helped me build the foundation I could use to do this. Thank you!)
Love a humble beefcake. All of a sudden, Kumail Nanjiani is – *checks notes* – more ripped than Chris Hemsworth? And Chris Evans too? Weird. But I’m into it. I hope Kumail has a big role in The Eternals and I hope the role gives him the room to Hulk out and do some stunt work, because I need to see this in motion.
Photos courtesy of Instagram.
As long as he doesn’t pull a suddenly buff Christ Pratt on his wife.
From what I read Anna Farris stepped on Chris Pratt first not the other way around. Did he become more famous than her, yes but him becoming buff wasn’t what killed their marriage.
Well he did stay by his then-girlfriend’s side when she was in a coma and they weren’t even married yet. 😀 I think he’s a lot better than Chris.
I was afraid to write that but it was my first thought. Although he seems much more grounded than Pratt overall.
From my understanding, their relationship break up had a lot more to do with him wanting more kids and Anna Faris only wanting the one after the medical scare; not cheating.
Loling at “Christ Pratt.”
Wasn’t there a blind item about Faris / Pratt on Lainey? Something about her having some substance abuse issues or alcoholism and stepping out?
OMG, the veins! They look like they are about to burst with blood going all across the ceiling. Disturbing.
I was thinking the same thing about the veins. That is worrying, I must say.
Before they film topless scenes (and shoot topless photos) they go on crazy food and water regimes where they drink tonnes of water then none at all so that they get really dehydrated, then they eat food (like peanut butter) which makes everything pop. They all do it, Hemsworth and others like Hugh Jackman have talked about it and how horrible it is. It is also SUPER unhealthy. No one is meant to have body fat that low. And the things they do (classic body builder tricks) are also really bad for you. A doctor friend actually had a body builder present to emergency once with a blood clot in one of his balls from doing this (without the top guidance; but same principles). In his case, his veins have really popped which means he is super dehydrated and his veins show heavily when he is dehydrated.
Holy hell, that’s crazy. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, I have a friend whose trainer got her into fitness competitions and she would do the same thing (along with getting a spray tan, which I guess also enhances the musculature). It always seemed strange that something she got into for health reasons turned into something less than healthy. She has to watch every bite of food she ate for months and was pretty miserable. I’d guess having the backing and help of a team might make it easier but still…moderation seems much more sustainable, lol.
it DOES look disturbing and not attractive at all. yikes.
I am very exited for this movie for various of reasons: Angelina, Salma as the first female leader, the first Pakistani, deaf superheroes etc.
He looks great and I love that he didn’t fall into the “if I can do it, so can you” thing. Many could learn from him. Can’t wait to see the movie!
Right? I appreciate him acknowledging the time and resources that it takes to achieve this. Not that regularly hitting the gym with a trainer isn’t attainable or available to “regular” people, but the results would take *a lot* longer to achieve. This has basically been his job for the past year. He looks fantastic, despite the veiny arms!
And Im sure marvel is PAYING for him to get in shape, which helps.
Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia made similar comments about how he got so ripped – I really do appreciate when people acknowledge this is not just a full time job, but it takes a really expensive village too (Rob McEllenhy I think, I can’t remember how to spell his last name)
agree completely. it takes beaucoup MONEY to get this shredded and not want to kill yourself.
love him just a little more today haha, but really he seems like such a sweet fun guy.
Yes!
I’ve read in other websites that HGH might also be involved?
I’m not that interested in the movie but I do like him in Silicon Valley.
Whenever I see massive popped veins like that I’m always suspicious, and when the trapezius muscles pop up it’s also a sign that there was some additional ‘help.’
But honestly, every male star in Hollywood who is somewhat buff has probably been on something at some point. It’s far more common than most people realise so I don’t hold it against Kumail for doing it too. It just seems pretty obvious in his case.
Not everyone who’s ripped is on steroids. He probably lost most of his body fat which shows off the musculature even more. Working out for him was a full time job so yeah you can look like this naturally given his very privileged specific circumstances. I’m a woman with decent sized traps and I dont even consume protein powder. Everyone’s body is different. He’s also short which helps.
Just came here to say wow Angelina is gorgeous in that photo.
He looks fantastic! In your face Gilfoyle!
I will miss Silicon Valley when it ends.
The series finale is out. It was a very interesting approach.
It did end 🙁
@hoopjumper it was an interesting approach. I can’t say I enjoyed how they ended up where they all ended up but I am glad my favourite twosome will be together forever
Damn…. He’s hilarious in Portlandia.
I dunno. The popping muscles and veins are starting to be the silicone t*ts for men. Not into it AT ALL. Anything artificial that tells me that a person spent an unholly amount of time prepping is off-putting to me, even when it comes to make-up and clothes. I LOVE style but the one that really tells a story about a person.
I do like him though and I am very stoked that, although I don’t enjoy these franchises, he gets to be there for obvious reasons. Pakistani and Pakistani-descendant kids are gonna be thrilled, and all of us with them.
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think this is attractive. I can appreciate the hard work that went into it though.
Same. I even have a hard time looking at the photo as I find it slightly repulsive.
Yes, I know what you mean. And reading above how unhealthy it is…it’s a big NO from me.
Exactly. I’m all for a fit man, but it loses all appeal when it is taken to such an extreme. Strong and healthy is way more attractive than spray tanned, veiny and dehydrated.
I am generally a fan but I HATE the way he portrayed women of Indo-pakistani origin in the Big Sick. Such a pathetic stereotype, from a man who said he was suffering from those same stereotypes. It ruined what was otherwise a nice movie, and reminds me of so many of the men of my ethnicity (I am also desi) and why I have always had trouble finding one that’s not a jerk to a woman from their own ethnicity/culture.
You know there is truth to what you are saying. So many Desi men treat other Desi women like sh*t but will gladly kiss the feet of any White woman. I’m not saying all of them, but a wholeeeeeeee lot.
Thank you for mentioning that! I hate the Big Sick because of his portrayal of desi women and how he portrayed himself as a victim for being “forced” to meet all the women his family suggested. I don’t know a single desi woman who wasn’t offended by that movie.
If he and Emily break up there is no hope for romance. Please be one of the good ones, dude!
If he and Emily did break up it wouldn’t be an automatic indicator of him being a bad guy. Js.
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTT????????
👀
Im more excited by the selfie he took with Angie and Salma.
Steroids was the only thing that came to my mind when I saw this pic.
I don’t think this is steroids. I think this is exactly what he described, a year’s worth of dedicated nutrition, work-outs and weight lifting. I’ve known plenty of people who have done the same with similar results and absolutely no steroids.
Angelina looks gorgeous as always.
If he’s happy with the way he looks and is healthy that’s the main thing. I don’t find this look attractive, nor did I on the Chrises, Jackman etc., but I’m not the target audience.
His standup is hilarious, I wish he was still doing some of that.
I was interested in this movie but now that I see Angelina Jolie, I figure there is no way it will really be good. Her movies are always just not that good
I feel like people don’t stress ‘resources’ and ‘time’ as contributing factors to fitness enough. At least he does and aknowledge why he didn’t look like that before.
Gross.
LOL seriously though with all the CGI effects they can do now, why do the actors have to actually work out and get buff ? I personally have never been in to muscle men. I…just…can’t…
What he’s not mentioning: the fact that he likely dehydrated and fasted preceding that photo to get that hard look. It’s an insane amount of work and calorie reduction to get that look for a lot of people, but even that specific look is a temporary illusion. Professional strongmen and athletes don’t look like that all the time if at all. I really wish THAT was something they were more honest about so men didn’t feel the pressure to emulate these impossible body types the way women are driven to model thinness.
His wife Emily posted a recent picture of him playing video games and he’s definitely buff but he’s not ripped like this photo and you’re statement is exactly what came to mind– he did a water fast in order to achieve this very temporary look for the photoshoot. Which is fine! That level of leanness just is not sustainable for most folks.
I remember people on this site thinking his casting in the Eternals was a bit weird but I guess he was ready to transform. I like a lean, fit guy but am grossed up by the overly muscles veiny look. I hope he stays funny and humble and doesn’t let his body go to his head.
I didn’t know that much working out could age the face that rapidly..
He’s chiseled but looks kind of old compared to what he used to look like.
Sweet jesus! 😛 salivating over here
Woaaah! Well congrats to him for working hard to achieve that body. But I have to ask… do people think popping veins are attractive?? I don’t think women in general like this look? I hope I’m not a weirdo who is a bit freaked out by that.
Also Angelina looks a bit like… a Victorian ghost?
But a beautiful Victorian ghost! Agree the popping veins are gross on all, men and women. Why is that considered attractive, it must be at some conventional level in these circles for all of these folks to strive for it?
Not sure exactly how I feel about the portrayal of Desi women in The Big Sick. Very broad strokes for sure, but if I was writing a comedy about getting set up by my folks with Desi boys (luckily they gave up long ago after much fighting and weeping) the guys might be somewhat broadly drawn as well. It was a comedy, not meant to be a nuanced examination of gender expectations and conduct in 21st century ABCD (American born confused desi) family dynamics and resultant social dislocations! I don’t know, I guess as a POC/Desi woman I feel like there are so many scarier things to worry about in these Trump days. But I respect your right to differ, my Desi sisters.