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The Herald Scotland
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Pedro Pascal trained with Jason Walsh for 'Fantastic Four.' So did I.
In October, I arrived at Jason Walsh's private gym in West Hollywood. A strength and conditioning coach, Walsh has been in the business of turning actors into action stars - including Pascal - for about two decades. He trained Brie Larson for "Captain Marvel," Jake Gyllenhaal for "Road House," Matt Damon for "Elysium," John Krasinski for "13 Hours," Bradley Cooper for "American Sniper" - and many more. During this time, Walsh was busy flying back-and-forth from California to London, where he was getting Pascal in shape to play Mr. Fantastic. Still, he was able to fit me in for a training session. Walsh had recently launched his own protein powder, Rise311, a plant-based supplement geared to those who have trouble digesting whey, and he was doing some press. I was there for an interview and a workout, but, selfishly, I also wanted to know his secret. What are these ripped celebrities doing that I'm not? Walsh quickly dispelled me of any magic shortcuts. There's no secret, he said - but there are smarter ways to train most people often overlook. "There's misunderstanding of what it is and what it takes," he said. "It's a mentality. There's a personality. It's hard to put it into words. But there's the people that want to just cheat their way through it, and I like the people that want to do the work and do it from the ground level and build all the way through." How Pedro Pascal, Jake Gyllenhaal more stars get ripped for movies You probably wouldn't notice Walsh's gym while driving down Santa Monica Boulevard. Located above unassuming storefronts and with no signs on the door, it's the perfect place for celebrities to get a workout in away from the prying eyes of paparazzi. If you walk through the front door and up the narrow staircase, however, you'll find a massive loft full of fancy exercise equipment. Walsh said he even has a device that scans clients' bodies, revealing exactly what mobility issues they may have prior to training. More: How Pedro Pascal got in Mister Fantastic shape for Marvel debut When a studio hires him for a project, Walsh sometimes only has a matter of weeks to get an actor in action-star shape. It can be a daunting task, and he said a big part of his job is talking to studios about what's realistic and what's not, given the time frame. "Taking someone who has never done this before and then building them from the base level all the way up, it's a huge endeavor," he said. "It takes a lot of work, a lot of dedication, a lot of pain and suffering in a way. You're just sacrificing a lot to get this thing done." He also said he feels responsible to the public to be transparent about the process as well. Sure, working out and eating right alone often yield tremendous results. But, when it comes to movies, there's usually more going on behind-the-scenes. He says it's common for actors to go through periods of intentional dehydration or extreme calorie manipulation to look as chiseled as possible while cameras roll. Such a physique, however, is not sustainable - nor should it be the goal. "Jake Gyllenhaal, the shape that he got in for 'Road House' was insane, and that is not sustainable," Walsh said. "It's pure manipulation. It's dehydration protocols. It's conditioning protocols, low calories during certain times. We literally undulate constantly. And all you got to see is the edits of him with his shirt off." When he meets a new client, Walsh said he first asks what they want out of training. If someone comes to him wanting to look like Gyllenhaal in "Road House," Walsh said he wouldn't discourage them, but he'd be honest about what it actually takes to get there - and encourage them to consider if it's really something they want to put themselves through. More: I worked out with Jake Gyllenhaal, Matt Damon's trainer. The results shocked me. What's more fulfilling, Walsh said, is getting people in shape so they can live healthier, fuller lives. This, he said, plays just as big a part in transforming someone into a superhero as aesthetic muscles do. "I want you to feel strong, because it becomes part of that character too, right?" he said. "It's confidence. It's not false confidence; it is confidence. You can lift something heavy. You can take a fall and get up and not be injured. Brie Larson's one of those clients. She's a perfect example of someone who would have a hard time taking the bottle cap off a bottle, and then, by the time we finished with her, she was doing all of her own stunt work. And for her, she felt like a superhero, which is beautiful." I asked Jason Walsh to turn me into a superhero. Here's what happened. So, did Walsh turn me into Thor in one hour? Well, no - that's impossible. Instead, he did something else. I ask Walsh to train me as if I was just cast as a Marvel's newest hero, and this was day one. He said we should start with a basic screening to find where my body's mobility might be holding me back, something he does with every client. This might seem tedious - especially for someone who's been working out for a while - but he said it's essential. Doing so helps prevent injuries as workouts ramp up. It also makes a big difference in how clients feel day-to-day. "It's not always about aesthetics," Walsh said. "I want to clean up any and all issues." What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter Walsh had me do leg stretches and immediately clocked limited flexibility in my lower body, particularly my right hip. So, we got to work. He put me through the ringer of stretches and body-weight exercises, all aimed at my glutes. At one point, he had me take side-steps across the gym in various positions with bands around my legs. He had me do squats on a balance ball. By the end, my glutes were on fire, and I was sweating bullets. When we finished, the difference was startling. My squat was deeper and more even. My balance had improved. My posture was better. Even walking felt easier. "We all want to look good, don't get me wrong - and there's some really big benefits to the psychology of looking in the mirror and going, 'Oh,' " Walsh said. "It's encouraging. I just don't find that it is the primary focus for me." What is the primary focus, he said, is helping people live their best lives. The next Tom Cruise? Brie Larson got ripped, did most of her own 'Captain Marvel' stunts Coming into the session, I thought exercise had to involve heavy weights or heart-pounding cardio to be valuable. After working out with Walsh, however, I learned detailed work on a specific issue is often much more important - especially if it gets at a root problem that's been long neglected. It's a mindset shift he himself has undergone over the course of his own fitness journey. "I'm trying to evolve myself and open myself up to different ideas," he said. "I was pretty hardheaded about stuff, because, coming from coaching, it's a very, very masculine, alpha-male kind of mentality. And so, here, I think you have to have a little more sensibility and understand people. Us regular people, we go through (things) constantly. We carry that. We have things on a daily that would hinder us from doing the things that we want to do sometimes." More: Jake Gyllenhaal got a staph infection making 'Road House,' says his 'whole arm swelled up' Now that I'm squatting like a superhero, I wonder what other issues I may have in the rest of my body that have gone unnoticed. As I continue to work out and lift weights on my own, I'm going to pay attention. More importantly, I know that, if I do achieve a superhero physique one day, it needs to be built on a solid foundation - one that, ultimately, makes the aches and pains of life a little easier. After all, what's the point of looking like a superhero, if you don't feel like one too? Look out, Thor - I'm one workout closer to stealing your hammer.
USA Today
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
I worked out with Pedro Pascal's trainer for 'Fantastic Four.' The results shocked me.
The internet is buzzing about Pedro Pascal's fitness transformation as Mr. Fantastic in "The Fantastic Four." How did he do it? Well, I have a bit of an idea. In October, I arrived at Jason Walsh's private gym in West Hollywood. A strength and conditioning coach, Walsh has been in the business of turning actors into action stars − including Pascal − for about two decades. He trained Brie Larson for "Captain Marvel," Jake Gyllenhaal for "Road House," Matt Damon for "Elysium," John Krasinski for "13 Hours," Bradley Cooper for "American Sniper" − and many more. During this time, Walsh was busy flying back-and-forth from California to London, where he was getting Pascal in shape to play Mr. Fantastic. Still, he was able to fit me in for a training session. Walsh had recently launched his own protein powder, Rise311, a plant-based supplement geared to those who have trouble digesting whey, and he was doing some press. I was there for an interview and a workout, but, selfishly, I also wanted to know his secret. What are these ripped celebrities doing that I'm not? Walsh quickly dispelled me of any magic shortcuts. There's no secret, he said − but there are smarter ways to train most people often overlook. "There's misunderstanding of what it is and what it takes," he said. "It's a mentality. There's a personality. It's hard to put it into words. But there's the people that want to just cheat their way through it, and I like the people that want to do the work and do it from the ground level and build all the way through." How Pedro Pascal, Jake Gyllenhaal more stars get ripped for movies You probably wouldn't notice Walsh's gym while driving down Santa Monica Boulevard. Located above unassuming storefronts and with no signs on the door, it's the perfect place for celebrities to get a workout in away from the prying eyes of paparazzi. If you walk through the front door and up the narrow staircase, however, you'll find a massive loft full of fancy exercise equipment. Walsh said he even has a device that scans clients' bodies, revealing exactly what mobility issues they may have prior to training. More: How Pedro Pascal got in Mister Fantastic shape for Marvel debut When a studio hires him for a project, Walsh sometimes only has a matter of weeks to get an actor in action-star shape. It can be a daunting task, and he said a big part of his job is talking to studios about what's realistic and what's not, given the time frame. "Taking someone who has never done this before and then building them from the base level all the way up, it's a huge endeavor," he said. "It takes a lot of work, a lot of dedication, a lot of pain and suffering in a way. You're just sacrificing a lot to get this thing done." He also said he feels responsible to the public to be transparent about the process as well. Sure, working out and eating right alone often yield tremendous results. But, when it comes to movies, there's usually more going on behind-the-scenes. He says it's common for actors to go through periods of intentional dehydration or extreme calorie manipulation to look as chiseled as possible while cameras roll. Such a physique, however, is not sustainable − nor should it be the goal. "Jake Gyllenhaal, the shape that he got in for 'Road House' was insane, and that is not sustainable," Walsh said. "It's pure manipulation. It's dehydration protocols. It's conditioning protocols, low calories during certain times. We literally undulate constantly. And all you got to see is the edits of him with his shirt off." When he meets a new client, Walsh said he first asks what they want out of training. If someone comes to him wanting to look like Gyllenhaal in "Road House," Walsh said he wouldn't discourage them, but he'd be honest about what it actually takes to get there − and encourage them to consider if it's really something they want to put themselves through. More: I worked out with Jake Gyllenhaal, Matt Damon's trainer. The results shocked me. What's more fulfilling, Walsh said, is getting people in shape so they can live healthier, fuller lives. This, he said, plays just as big a part in transforming someone into a superhero as aesthetic muscles do. "I want you to feel strong, because it becomes part of that character too, right?" he said. "It's confidence. It's not false confidence; it is confidence. You can lift something heavy. You can take a fall and get up and not be injured. Brie Larson's one of those clients. She's a perfect example of someone who would have a hard time taking the bottle cap off a bottle, and then, by the time we finished with her, she was doing all of her own stunt work. And for her, she felt like a superhero, which is beautiful." I asked Jason Walsh to turn me into a superhero. Here's what happened. So, did Walsh turn me into Thor in one hour? Well, no − that's impossible. Instead, he did something else. I ask Walsh to train me as if I was just cast as a Marvel's newest hero, and this was day one. He said we should start with a basic screening to find where my body's mobility might be holding me back, something he does with every client. This might seem tedious − especially for someone who's been working out for a while − but he said it's essential. Doing so helps prevent injuries as workouts ramp up. It also makes a big difference in how clients feel day-to-day. "It's not always about aesthetics," Walsh said. "I want to clean up any and all issues." What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter Walsh had me do leg stretches and immediately clocked limited flexibility in my lower body, particularly my right hip. So, we got to work. He put me through the ringer of stretches and body-weight exercises, all aimed at my glutes. At one point, he had me take side-steps across the gym in various positions with bands around my legs. He had me do squats on a balance ball. By the end, my glutes were on fire, and I was sweating bullets. When we finished, the difference was startling. My squat was deeper and more even. My balance had improved. My posture was better. Even walking felt easier. "We all want to look good, don't get me wrong − and there's some really big benefits to the psychology of looking in the mirror and going, 'Oh,' " Walsh said. "It's encouraging. I just don't find that it is the primary focus for me." What is the primary focus, he said, is helping people live their best lives. The next Tom Cruise? Brie Larson got ripped, did most of her own 'Captain Marvel' stunts Coming into the session, I thought exercise had to involve heavy weights or heart-pounding cardio to be valuable. After working out with Walsh, however, I learned detailed work on a specific issue is often much more important − especially if it gets at a root problem that's been long neglected. It's a mindset shift he himself has undergone over the course of his own fitness journey. "I'm trying to evolve myself and open myself up to different ideas," he said. "I was pretty hardheaded about stuff, because, coming from coaching, it's a very, very masculine, alpha-male kind of mentality. And so, here, I think you have to have a little more sensibility and understand people. Us regular people, we go through (things) constantly. We carry that. We have things on a daily that would hinder us from doing the things that we want to do sometimes." More: Jake Gyllenhaal got a staph infection making 'Road House,' says his 'whole arm swelled up' Now that I'm squatting like a superhero, I wonder what other issues I may have in the rest of my body that have gone unnoticed. As I continue to work out and lift weights on my own, I'm going to pay attention. More importantly, I know that, if I do achieve a superhero physique one day, it needs to be built on a solid foundation − one that, ultimately, makes the aches and pains of life a little easier. After all, what's the point of looking like a superhero, if you don't feel like one too? Look out, Thor − I'm one workout closer to stealing your hammer.
Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Tech shocks to industry have only just begun
A few weeks ago, I had one of those 'blink' moments that changed my view of the labour market in America. I was in a shipbuilding factory in Marinette, Wisconsin, owned by the Italian company Fincantieri. Among other things, they build giant frigates for the US Navy, vessels that are more than 120m long and many storeys high. It used to take hundreds of men years to do the kind of metal bending this takes. But in this massive building, a little more than the size of a football field, I counted fewer than two dozen workers. They were directing robotic welding arms to carve massive pieces of steel in a fraction of the time that hand blasting takes. Virtual-reality helmets helped them to exactly match construction on new builds to parts yet to be fitted, something that used to involve guesswork and paper blueprints. Even painters were wearing sci-fi type 'exosuits' (think Matt Damon in the movie Elysium) to make their jobs exponentially easier and more comfortable.
New Indian Express
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
'Almost Cops' review: Familiar yet fun
Almost every film in the buddy cop genre operates at a nimble zone that makes it difficult to take it too seriously. But some films tend to be aware of this potential pitfall and lean into their tropes and come out entertaining. Gonzalo Fernandez Carmona's Dutch film Almost Cops on Netflix is a case in point. The film manages to be gleefully entertaining with an array of clever pop culture references, hilarious one-liners, and earnest performances. Unlike your regular buddy cop comedy, it does not start and end with the same two lead characters. It begins with Jandino Asporaat's Ramon experiencing a dream sequence where he serves as a security officer at a bank in Rotterdam. He talks a robber out of a heist plan while negotiating with the other, more aggressive thieves. Soon, Ramon comes back to his daily reality, his daily grind, where everybody else treats him as just another community service officer (CSO). Drug peddlers disrespect him, as do cops for failing to stop crime in the city. There are no major surprises in Almost Cops; the film is as predictable as it can get in terms of the crime thriller aspect. However, it commits itself fully to mindless, often rollicking fun. There is a hilarious reference to how Matt Damon 'needs escaping' in many of his films, including The Martian and Elysium. The joke practically writes itself: Damon in Distress. A stretch involving Ramon and his penchant for sandwiches is particularly funny because it comes soon after he fails at his job. And a chase involving go-karts is silly yet exciting at the same time. The film maintains a high level of energy throughout. And at a deeper level, it has poignant themes, such as Ramon's steadfast commitment to community service and aspirations to become a law enforcement officer, as well as Jack's realisation about where the true essence of service lies. The film also pokes fun at corruption in Dutch society. Everyone —from CSOs and CID officers to industrialists—faces constant sarcasm from people who exist below and above them in society just for being who they are. While the film does not explore these nuances deeply enough, they are interesting to look at and add some flavour to what otherwise would have been a straightforward comedy caper. Almost Cops admirably resists a tendency to fall prey to buddy cop genre trappings for a large part of its runtime. We only see the two leads address each other as 'bros' towards the end. The film manages to make us care about the characters and still keeps us entertained by leveraging the strengths of the genre. That is a job well done—well, almost.
Times
29-06-2025
- Times
How to see seven Greek islands in a week — in serious style
We've all seen them on a summer holiday and felt a twinge of jealousy. I'm talking about the smug people on yachts. Picture this: you're sitting in a quaint Greek taverna by the harbour. A plate of moussaka and carafe of cheap plonk are under way. The sun is setting and you're feeling pretty good about your holiday, when — like an uninvited dinner party guest — a sleek superyacht glides up and drops anchor. You can even hear the champagne bottles popping. It's enough to make you feel sick. Well, last summer in Greece, for the first and possibly last time, I was not on the harbour looking on enviously. I was on the yacht. And I can confirm, it was glorious. Two years ago I made my cruise debut on the 25-cabin Elysium, the first ship from the boutique Greek cruise line Elixir. I well and truly caught the cruising bug. Last summer I tried out its second ship, Gemaya, which, with just five cabins, is even more exclusive. I must admit that the thought of sharing such a confined space with eight strangers was a leap of faith. But the cabins have Netflix, and the latest series of Bridgerton had just come out, so at least I had a back-up plan. There are three routes around Greece and mine, Aegean Escape, ambitiously packs in seven islands in seven days. But, as I learnt on my last cruise, when the winds pick up — as they often do in the Cyclades, the schedule goes out of the window. We miss out Antiparos and Ios, but add Anafi and Santorini — which is fine by me, but it helps not to get too attached to your original itinerary. Think of it more like a rough outline of where you might go. When you're on a yacht this swish, though, it's hard to complain. A private transfer drops me at Lavrio port to board the ship. I deposit my shoes in a basket and explore the yacht, which takes all of five minutes. After a tentative hello to my fellow guests, we're quickly slicing through the waves to port in Kythnos with a glass of rosé in hand. After a long (and a much less glamorous) working life with the Swedish army, the 33m yacht Gemaya has had a serious makeover and is now spending a happy retirement cruising the Cyclades. Its interior rivals even the swishest of superyachts. You pad around barefoot on thick cream carpet that is probably a nightmare to keep clean — always a sign of true wealth, I think. Cabins are wood-panelled with leather trims and Molton Brown toiletries. There's more than a little hint of Succession about it all. There are plenty of nooks where you can swerve the other passengers if you're feeling antisocial. An indoor dining room, upstairs living room with a sink-in corner sofa, and four separate outdoor areas including a hot tub and communal seating at the back where we do our best Logan Roy impressions, drinking whisky until the early hours. For the alfresco-inclined, you can sleep on a rooftop bed — a plum spot for stargazing. • 19 of the best Greek island cruises My first evening is spent at a long table in the dining room getting to know my fellow passengers over a dinner of squid ink linguine. Two sisters from South Africa; couples from Finland and Australia; and Ioannis Terdimos, Elixir's owner who seems to lead a very nice life, splitting his time between Dubai, Athens and the ship. 'This is another level of cruising,' says Terdimos, looking out at the topaz-blue water of Poliegos — an uninhabited island off the coast of Milos — where we head on our third day. 'People told us this would never work. Ten people, all strangers, together on a boat for a whole week,' he says. It's true that on paper the Gemaya is a risky proposition. It's luck of the draw who the other guests are, and then you're stuck with them for a week. But at the start of 2024 Terdimos did a few trial runs on the Gemaya. The boat was stocked with board games to keep people entertained. As well as Netflix, there's wi-fi, a video console and TV upstairs for children (although no under 14s are permitted, unless the yacht is chartered privately). But the board games stayed in their boxes. 'They all wanted to eat together at the same table,' Terdimos says. 'We've had people make friends and swap numbers at the end of the week.' Elixir is an exciting new cruise line to watch. After launching its first ship, Elysium in 2021, and a bit of a shaky start thanks to Covid, all cruises for the 2024 season were booked out. The company is adding a third ship to the fleet in 2026 and hopefully another the year after. The company is run by Terdimos and his ex-wife, Manya Louvari — Gemaya is named after them and their son, George. • The boutique new cruise company that feels like a yacht Thanks to the proximity of the islands, minimal time is spent sailing. There's fun to be had renting a moped at the port (£17 a day for most islands). On Kimolos — less touristy than its neighbour, Milos — I spend the afternoon stopping at beaches after zipping along dirt tracks past dusty fields full of goats. Gemaya is even better than chartering your own yacht because for the whole week I don't lift a finger. There's a crew of five who do everything from serving drinks and turning down the bedrooms to organising watersports (sea bobs, water skis, snorkels and paddleboards). Stefanos Bagkos is the happy-go-lucky ship's captain who makes sure we're up to date with swim stops via a WhatsApp group. Sometimes we drop anchor only long enough to paddleboard to shore and lay our towels on the sand before we're hopping to another island. In all honesty, sometimes it's hard to keep track of them. I spend a very undignified afternoon at a peaceful bay on Sifnos being hurled around on an inflatable doughnut attached to a speed boat — most definitely not demure yachting behaviour. My favourite island is Folegandros, its arid brown mountain range protruding from the sea like the spine of a dragon. An early evening hike up to the Church of Panagia, where the whole island unfurls before you, is one of the highlights of the holiday. As well as obviously feeling like Jackie Onassis sidling up to port and walking the passerelle (translation: gangplank) like you're on a red carpet, one of the other advantages of Elixir is that the cruises are all half-board, meaning you get to eat dinner where you want. Cruise passengers often come under fire for not spending money in the local economy, especially important in the Cyclades, a seasonal tourist spot where resident numbers on some islands are in the double digits. Some on our cruise opt for rosette-worthy fine dining but I never tire of freshly grilled sardines with a wedge of lemon and Greek salad at a paper-tablecloth taverna. There is one particularly standout meal, though, at the Makris restaurant at the Domes resort on Milos, an island with no direct international flights to the UK but one that is quickly becoming the must-visit for the jet set. Dinner of sea bass cooked in lobster butter is served with a view of the infinity pool that stretches into a yawning sunset with the lunar rock formations of Sarakiniko beach in the distance (mains from £23; After becoming accustomed to stopping on tiny islands like Anafi (population about 300), I'm braced for chaos when we pull into the caldera of Santorini and our dinky yacht is immediately dwarfed by three big cruise ships. But it turns out to be the ideal way to see the Instagram-famous island: we visit the blue-domed churches of Oia — then retreat a safe distance away to the water for the night. I sip my final whisky of the trip with the other passengers and watch the twinkling lights of Santorini in the distance. We swap Instagram accounts and numbers and vow to stay in touch. My Netflix account remains unused. Tomorrow I'll be on an easyJet flight back home, but for one final night, I feel like the one per Gatens was a guest of Elixir Cruises, which has seven nights' half-board on an Aegean Escape voyage from £3,260pp, including an open bar and transfers for travel between May and October ( Fly to Athens
