Although actors have to go through months of training and dieting to build up their bodies for certain roles, they aren’t the only ones.
Unlike Hugh Jackman though Eddie Davenport isn’t a household name despite the fact he appears in blockbuster films like Logan and Real Steel.
That’s because he is a stunt double for Jackman, paid to do the dangerous tricks and take the body blows that the Hollywood star doesn’t fancy.
Considering how muscular Eddie is now, it is hard to imagine him being too self-conscious of his body to pose for photos and being bullied in school because of his weight.
Growing up his diet consisted of ‘whatever was cheapest’ and although Eddie was by no means obese, he was often called fat in school.
But at college he found inspiration in a book called Body For Life and decided to fully commit himself to the diet and exercise programme he found within.
Always dreaming of becoming an action star, Eddie learnt basic stunt moves while woking at a dinner show in Orlando and shortly after in California too.
There he met people who worked in Hollywood who delivered Eddie some harsh realities.
He told Men’s Health:
I met with agents, and they asked me what I wanted to do, and I said I wanted to be in action movies.
They literally asked me to lift up my shirt, saw my stomach, and told me I wouldn’t make it, because I was just average.
I was just skinny; I wasn’t muscular.
This of course gave Eddie the fuel he needed and so he hit the gym hard and educated himself on what to eat.
Soon enough he got his big break with Real Steel as Jackman’s stunt double for the first time ever and it just snowballed from there.
With Logan the training just got more intense as Eddie worked out six days a week splitting the time between cardio and strength training.
He added:
Windsprints are the best, especially if you’re trying to shred up and lean out. They make you feel like you’re going to die, but they really work.
He also had to follow a stricter diet saying goodbye to his cheat days and using intermittent fasting as a way to lose weight quicker.
Eddie admits that it wasn’t too bad though as he knew he was doing it for the right reason saying:
I’ll go crazy for frozen yogurt, but my body is so used to eating clean that it kind of rejects anything that is outside of my diet.
People always ask me why I’m so strict about my diet and working out. In this industry, how I look is really the only thing I have any control over.
Eddie also had some advice for anyone who wants to make a big lifestyle change like he did or dreams of becoming an action hero.
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He concluded:
It’s all about your mindset. You need to figure out exactly what it is you want it to be and always keep that in your mind.
And remember that the process takes time, so don’t get discouraged when you aren’t seeing any results.
Just trust the process and stick to it.
Inspirational stuff!
