Latest news with #Alfonso Moretti
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sacha Baron Cohen, 53, reveals jaw-dropping body transformation as he takes on the role of Marvel's ripped supervillain Mephisto
He is best known for his iconic comedy roles Ali G and Borat, but here is Sascha Baron Cohen as you have never seen him before. The actor, 53, has undergone a superhuman transformation as he steps into the Marvel universe as villain Mephisto for his latest role. Sascha looked worlds away from his former self as he showed off his ripped transformation in the new issue of Men's Fitness UK. Sascha, who only had just three weeks to get into superhero shape, has made sure to put in the 'hard work' ready to portray the shredded Mephisto. Posing shirtless for the fitness magazine cover, Sacha looked incredible as he showed off his chiselled abs and toned arms. Speaking to the publication, the actor revealed he turned to Matthew McConaughey to get the phone number of celebrity trainer Alfonso Moretti, who has well-established reputation for transforming physiques on impossible deadlines. He joked: 'I called Matthew and asked for help. After asking who I was and how I'd gotten his number, he finally gave me Alfonso's contact'. Sacha went on to have a FaceTime meeting with Alfonso, who got him to strip down to his underwear during their first chat. Due to the short time frame and Alfonso workout methods, Sacha was tasked with being 'consistent' by doing '100 push ups a day'. Sacha's incredible transformation was far from marathon workouts and extreme dieting, as they concentrated on short workouts and a diet high in fibre and protein as well as low in sugar. He said: '25-minute workouts that were sustainable. Even while filming, the workouts happened. In the past, I would've thought you needed hour-long sessions'. 'But the short sessions made it so much easier to stay consistent - even with the demands of being on set.' By the two-week mark, Sacha's wardrobe team had to spend $5,000 (£3,600) altering costumes because his body had changed so significantly. He was leaner, stronger, and fitter than ever before. His trainer Alfonso gushed: '100% committed. He could be filming for 15 hours, start at 6am, finish at nine at night and he'd still send me a text: 'Do you have time for a workout?'' Revealing his new appearance on his Instagram Story, the funnyman quipped: 'This is not AI, I really am egotistical enough to do this. 'Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers. I did all three.' He also wrote that he is 'hard launching my mid-life crisis' and 'debuting my new character: middle aged man who replaced beer with protein shakes' His trainer also shared the magazine's photos to Instagram and wrote that he 'could not be more proud' of Sascha after working out with him. 'Sacha trusted my process and followed the plan exactly. Not only did he earn better health and fitness with incredible aesthetics…but also… The COVER of Men's Fitness!!!' Moretti wrote. 'From Borat to Buff full article coming this Friday! For now, enjoy the pictures. Tell me he doesn't look absolutely incredible!' In a recent press conference, Marvel chief Kevin Feige confirmed that Sacha will be portraying MCU character. Sacha first rose to fame in the 1990s with his Ali G character, the infamous spoof wannabe gangster who became a comedy star. He also starred as Borat, a journalist from Kazakhstan, and played the role of flamboyant Austrian fashionista Bruno.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sacha Baron Cohen's Pumped Transformation From Borat To Marvel's Mephisto: Photos
EXCLUSIVE: Marvel chief Kevin Feige said in a press gathering this week that Sacha Baron Cohen's Mephisto character will be prominent as the next MCU supervillain. For his part, Baron Cohen transformed his physique as evidenced by the cover of Men's Fitness UK. Baron Cohen has plunged himself into character creations like Borat, Ali G and Bruno, but the work he put into his body with Alfonso 'The Angry Trainer' Moretti indicates playing a shredded Mephisto is more than a one-off for the actor. Compared to Borat's rather hairy visage in the lime green singlet, Baron Cohen's transformed physique is buff, and well, bald. The changes he made through hard and consistent training, coupled with a diet high in fiber and protein and low in sugar, are startling. Maybe not quite as startling as when Deadline unveiled Jake Gyllenhaal's washboard abs transformation to play the boxer in 2015's Southpaw, but a decided change from what Baron Cohen looked like in comedies like Borat and Talladega Nights, and dramatic turns in The Trial of the Chicago 7, and the miniseries The Spy. More from Deadline Who Is [SPOILER]? The Latest Big Marvel Reveal Explained Sacha Baron Cohen's Next Scripted Film Comedy Shopping For New Home: The Dish Rebel Wilson Loses Bid To Have 'The Deb' Producers' Defamation Suit Nipped In The Free Speech Bud Deadline got a peek at the Men's Fitness UK article that comes out later this week and details how Baron Cohen reached out to buff peer Matthew McConaughey to get the phone number of a trainer capable of getting an actor buff and shredded in a hurry. McConaughey suggested Moretti. In their first Zoom call, Moretti made Baron Cohen strip down to his underwear. The trainer described the actor's body this way: 'He looked like a ruler, straight up and down,' but he also detected in Baron Cohen 'an athlete in hiding.' The actor was not a slouch as for years he has been working with a kickboxing trainer when time permitted in his busy production schedules. Moretti took on the challenge, and Baron Cohen applied a method actor's discipline to the task, starting with 100 pushups per day. He was disciplined and consistent in the short but intense training sessions the trainer put him through, even while he was away filming. The results came quickly, enough that Baron Cohen's Mephisto costume had to be altered a time or two to reflect the improvements in his physique. Mephisto originated in the Silver Surfer comics, and factored into comic book storylines including Avengers villain Thanos, and Spider-Man. Feige said the character is a devil who presents Faustian bargains to hero characters, but the Marvel chief would not elaborate on how the character will fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is undergoing a reset with two new Avengers films. Baron Cohen made a surprising debut as Mephisto in the finale of the Disney+ series Ironheart. The actor described his own condition at the start of his workout regimen as 'having the core strength of an arthritic jellyfish.' But he said that the short but intense sessions have left him feeling in the best shape of his life. He believes it is something others can emulate, tailoring their workouts to their own physique goals and time limitations. Best of Deadline 'Wednesday' Season 2: Everything We Know About The Cast, Premiere Date & More Everything We Know About 'Only Murders In The Building' Season 5 So Far 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter Solve the daily Crossword
