Russell Crowe on gaining 63lbs for new film role

Russell Crowe has revealed he gained 63lbs (four and a half stone) in weight for his new film Body of Lies.

He told Access Hollywood recently that it “felt right” to bulk up to over 250lbs to play a former CIA agent in the film: “[Director Ridley Scott] wanted the image of Ed to feel like a retired football player whose knees didn’t allow him to train anymore or something like that.

“He wanted him to have, even though he did feel that there should be some grace about him, he just wanted him to be heavy. And he wanted to show that this is a guy that actually spends most of his time sitting down.”

To gain the weight, Russell joked he just said “bring on the burgers, baby!” but really it was inactivity that helped him pile on the pounds: “If you want to put on weight, you just elect to live a sedentary life style.

“Just as soon as you stop actually being active and decide to eat what ever you want, then these two things will combine very quickly.”

He added that wife Danielle Spencer didn’t mind him tubbing up: “We’ve known each other for a long time so she’s seen a whole lot of different hair ‘dos - long hair, no hair, fat, skinny, muscles, no muscles, with a limp. One eye squinting - she’s seen it all.”