Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ star Kumail Nanjiani shares ‘thirsty shirtless’ photos after training for a year to play Kingo
From the ashes of the geeky, socially awkward Dinesh Chugtai of ‘Silicon Valley’ has risen a ripped shirtless god Kumail Nanjiani. The actor for ‘The Big Sick’ on Monday shared two shirtless photos on Instagram, giving fans a sneak peek of what to expect from his character Kingo in the upcoming Marvel Comics film ‘Eternals’.
Nanjiani wrote on Instagram, “I never thought I’d be one of those people who would post a thirsty shirtless, but I’ve worked way too hard for way too long so here we are. You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
He added, “I found out a year ago I was going to be in Marvel’s Eternals and decided I wanted to transform how I looked. I would not have been able to do this if I didn’t have a full year with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world. I’m glad I look like this, but I also understand why I never did before.”
Nanjiani further thanked those who helped him pull this look off: “It would have been impossible without these resources and time. So big thanks to @grantrobertsfit who started working with me at the beginning of the year and made me understand true physical pain for months and months. Then, once we started shooting, a massive thanks to @davidhigginslondon and his team (@ellispartridge, @thebeardypt, @tomcheesemanfitness) for training me almost every day and making me strong, limber and injury-free. I can almost touch my toes now."
He added: "(And thank you for forcing me to do cheat meals David.) Matthews Street Catering for their delicious and healthy meals. And finally, the biggest thanks goes to @emilyvgordon for putting up with me complaining and talking about only working out and dieting for the last year.” He ended on a funny note, saying, “I promise I’ll be interesting again someday.”
According to Marvel, "The Eternals are a race of god-like beings locked in a millennium-old conflict with the less evolved Deviants and their originators, the Celestials. Each Eternal has watched civilizations burgeon and die from their domain of Olympia – they are immortals blessed with strange, sometimes monstrous, powers."
Directed by Chloé Zhao with a screenplay by Matthew and Ryan Firpo, ‘Eternals’ has an ensemble cast that includes Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Barry Keoghan as Druig, Gemma Chan as Sersi and Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, aka the Black Knight.
The film arrives in theaters on November 6, 2020.