Entertainment

Kumail Nanjiani shares shirtless selfie ahead of Marvel role

The actor has beefed up for his role in superhero film The Eternals.
The actor has beefed up for his role in superhero film The Eternals.

Actor Kumail Nanjiani shared a shirtless snap of his new muscular physique as he detailed how he got in shape to star in Marvel’s The Eternals.

The 41-year-old appears in the superhero film alongside Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and Kit Harington and has beefed up for the role.

The stand-up comedian and star of HBO series Silicon Valley posted a picture to Instagram showing his bulging biceps and sculpted six-pack and explained the work that went into his transformation.

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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!)

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He said: “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.”

Nanjiani said he has worked with multiple trainers over a 12-month period to get in shape.

He said: “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.”

As well as his personal trainers and dietitians, Nanjiani also thanked his wife, writer Emily V Gordon, “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,” he joked.

The Eternals is due to be released in November next year and will be part of a new phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.