Luke Evans has proved time and time again that he is the king of the thirst trap. The actor, who is just as much known for his shirtless selfies as he is his acting credentials, is back at it again, this time as a result of a year-long transformation.
The Welsh actor, 42, has been hard at work on his physique over the last year, chronicling his transformation through a series of workout photos which have showcased his progress as he has continued to burn fat and build muscle, resulting in shredded six-pack abs and jacked biceps.
Since touching down in Colombia two weeks ago, Evans has been sharing a series of shirtless selfies (complete with innocuous captions, because the reading is not the point) from his hotel room that not only show off his ripped torso, but the fact that he clearly hasn’t been skipping leg day.
Evans’ recent muscle transformation has been in preparation for The Little Town, a prequel series to the Beauty and the Beast live action remake, in which he played the buff villain Gaston. But there are also rumours circulating that he might soon be stepping into an even more famous role, that of super-spy James Bond, after he alluded to coveting the role earlier this year.
“I have to say though, it’s a daunting task for any actor to play the role after Daniel Craig,” he told the Daily Mirror in April, adding: “No one knows what’s happening. It’s a very secretive process and it’s a wonderful role. I would jump at the chance, as would many actors in my position, so we shall see. It will be an exciting casting moment for the Bond production and I wish whoever gets it the best of luck.”
The first time Evan’s had to bulk up for a role was when he was set to play the bad guy versus Vin Diesel and Mr Dwayne Johnson in Fast and Furious 6. You’d be forgiven for assuming that working with man mountains was a galvanising force for him to hit the gym. But the macho environment and the raw physicality of the rest of the cast wasn’t the reason for stepping up his workouts. It was for far more practical reasons than that. It was a matter of survival.
“I wouldn’t say being in a film with The Rock was motivating,” says Evans. “Terrifying would be a more accurate description. You look at this guy and think, ‘Fuck me you’re enormous.’ He’s huge. Genetically he’s a massive man.
“But for me it was more about how I felt being ripped, rather than looking as muscular as the rest of them. I knew I had to be able to stand up to their characters. One day I had to repeatedly kick Vin Diesel in the head, and I had to know I could do that, take after take.
It’s safe to say he’s come a long way since then.
