David Harbour has put his body through a wide range of physical transformations over an illustrious career. From adding slabs of muscle to play Hellboy to shedding 80 pounds for the fourth season of Stranger Things, the actor has made a lasting impression through his onscreen appearances. He’s done it again for Violent Night, where he plays a boozing, badass Santa Claus who’s forced to bring the hurt to a group of mercenaries trying to rob a house he’s delivering presents to.
No one’s saying a brutal, unhinged Kris Kringle is a role Harbour was born to play, but given his massive 6’2” frame and killer acting chops, it’s hard to think of anyone better. The actor dedicated himself to the process as usual, bulking up to a jolly 280 pounds. We spoke with Harbour about his training process, the routines that work for him, and the runs that help him keep his cool.
Men’s Journal: What was your hot take on being asked to play Santa Claus?
David Harbour: My first instinct was to pass on the movie, I didn’t really get it—a violent Santa Claus who fights people. But they wanted me to talk to the filmmakers before I turned away completely, and I knew David Leitch and his work in action films like John Wick and Atomic Blonde. The more I heard about the movie, the more I found it unique and interesting. There’s a heavy action element but also a lot of comedic moments and actually a lot of heart as well. During everything, he connects with a little girl who needs help and believes in him, with a touch of Miracle on 34th Street in there.
Santa has a sizable physique. How’d you put on size?
I wish I could tell you it started with something healthy when I began to put on the weight for Violent Night, but there was nothing healthy about what I was consuming. The minute I heard the movie was a go, I went to the bakery and bought a dozen donuts. I just went in on those like it was my job, which technically it was. I ate everything I could get my hands on and got really huge. I got up to about 280, which is big for me.
Donuts are foolproof. How about the prep work for ass-kicking?
I went up to Canada early with the stunt team, in Winnipeg, where it was freezing, to prep for all the action scenes. I was already doing that heavy eating I mentioned, so that was all happening while I was training really hard for hours every day. I was doing a lot of jiu jitsu and Greco-Roman wrestling with the team from 87 North. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything more exhausting. I’d never wrestled before this film, and they do this pummeling where you grab your opponent to move them around, then they do the same to you. We were doing that for like four hours a day, then I would try to recover and sleep for a bunch of hours. But I was able to push through it all thanks to the stunt team who were all incredible. They just make you look good and are great teachers. My job was just to show up on time and be ready for whatever they had in store for me.
*Spoiler: Santa’s revealed to be a Viking-era warrior in a past life who wields heavy weapons to fight mercenaries. How’d you get ready for this?
I ordered a couple weighted maces I keep at home to work out with. They’re amazing for all kinds of shoulder mobility exercises and training the arms. The Skullcrusher sledgehammer in the movie was just an awesome weapon, and I was swinging a real one at one point. The rest of the time I had a rubber one, so I could really unleash on the guys I was hitting, which had more of a medium weight.
Did you get to keep one of the hammers?
I kept one of the medium-weighted ones, so I can threaten people at home with it on occasion. It’s a pretty intimidating piece, because it’s still covered in fake blood.
You’re no stranger to extreme transformations, but how difficult is it to return to your baseline post-production?
I felt pretty miserable while we were filming at times, because of how much I was eating and how hard I was training. My emotions were a bit out of wack, which worked for the character. But I never want to take that kind of energy back into my real life with my family and kids. I’ve found that one of the best ways to do that is by running, and I’ve been able to drop a lot of the weight since making the movie thanks to those runs.
You’ve started to work with Brooks to advocate the benefits of running. How did that relationship begin?
I believe one of the reasons they approached me was because there were photos that came out of me wearing their shoes, which I’ve worn for years. I’d always liked the gear from Brooks Running. I’d always been a runner, but during the pandemic is when it truly became a daily ritual again. I began to run every single day for at least 40 minutes, at a low intensity, trying to keep my heart rate at 145 beats per minute. That’s like five miles an hour and wasn’t difficult to achieve right from the start.
What are the benefits you have discovered from running regularly?
I’ve struggled a lot with mental health over the years, and gone through phases where I was too depressed to leave the couch for months at a time. Those period of inactivity that I used to have really took a toll on my body. That anxiety intensified during the pandemic, and I started to have a lot of difficulty breathing. Once I started running again, my breathing slowed and that parasympathetic nervous system started to kick in for my benefit. There is something about having that time to truly call your own, where you aren’t distracted by calls or screens. I’ve found myself thinking a lot clearer since and able to be more creative. It’s become a meditation.
Given how many times you’ve trained for different roles and different body types, what is the regime that works for you off-set?
I’ve been through the gamut when it comes to wellness and working out. I’ve put myself through very intense regimes when it comes to getting ready for a physical role. Situations where I’ve really invested heavily into living the lifestyle that would get me the results that I wanted. I did a lot of heavy weight training with Don Saladino when I was getting ready for Hellboy and learned a lot during that process. These days I’ve been on the hunt for some kind of balance that works for me. I know I need a regular practice, because it brings a steadying energy into my pretty chaotic life.
The best routine for me is when my week includes three days of steady state cardio like running for 40 minutes, three days of weight training, and one day of pilates. There is no better way to look great aesthetically than weights, and running is great for so many reasons, like dropping weight. I usually run on the treadmill, which I know is sometimes looked down on by the hardcore runners. But I like the ability to monitor my heart rate and stats while I’m in the zone. On the days that I do run outdoors I like an overcast day, not too hot. Maybe there is a little rain, where you end up just soaked. You just feel hardcore on those runs.
I know you have a number of roles coming up, including returning as the Red Guardian in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Do you have plans for how you will prepare for that role?
I’ve got some wacky ideas. I don’t want to give away too much about the script or where Red Guardian is at but one of the elements about this project is that we haven’t seen him in a couple of years. The last time we saw him was at the end of Black Widow and that was before Natasha’s death. So when we pick up in Thunderbolts It’s later with Yelena and the Winter Soldier, and U.S. Agent. He’s had a couple of years outside fo the prison and we’ll have to see where he’s at physically. I don’t want to say too much at this point. But it’s going to be fun.
Check out Violent Night in theaters now from Universal Pictures.
Check out Back On My Feet, the charity Harbour is supporting along with Brooks Running.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/t3SRhXn
No comments:
Post a Comment