Everyone's already seen Stranger Things 2 by now (not even going to spare a thought for those who haven't) and it can be well and truly confirmed that Jim Hopper came out as the MVP of this season. The broody, chain-smoking cop and his man/bear-like protectiveness for
Eleven and the town of Hawkins won us over with his bravery and a well-tuned moral compass, as well as his dance moves.
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And now,
David Harbour who plays the character has ditched the police uniform and his 1980 Chevy K5 Blazer for a different and
bigger role in the new upcoming Hellboy movie. Replacing Ron Perlman, Harbour will be playing the huge half-demon in
Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen, and he's had to seriously bulk up for the role.
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Harbour's got a bit of a dad-bod going on in Stranger Things (as any small-town cop would), but that all changed thanks to a quick but effective 10-week training program. It sounds like a rather grueling regime, especially for someone who never really worked out before.
"I was a chubby kid growing up," Harbour revealed in an interview on his personal trainer's website. "Straight out of college, I did my first play, which I got pretty in shape for, but I let that go completely. So from about the time I was 26 years old, to about now, I haven't really been training at the gym seriously at all."
He said the Hellboy was the most extreme physical role he's ever taken on "by a long shot". He was training with Don Saldino, who's also worked to get
Ryan Reynolds,
Blake Lively and Scarlett Johansson in top shape.
The "Hellboy Boot Camp" involved a 10-week regime featuring machine weights, kettlebells, medicine balls, dumbbells, and
weighted sleds among other things. His transformation shows that it never is too late to get in shape and that it's possible even in less than 3 months.
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And what helped him get motivated? Why – you and me, of course!
"The fans are what are keeping me motivated through everything," he said.
"As well as the audience that will come see the movie and the haters out there who have decided to make their opinion known before a scene has even been shot. I’ve got something to prove to all three. I really want to do justice to this character and create a Hellboy that everyone can get behind."
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The results are INSANE. Although the promo pictures are photoshopped, there's no denying he's cut down and bulked up massively. Good job Harbour, and here's hoping for the opportunity for Hopper to flex those new muscles in
Stranger Things 3 as well.
