Sacha Baron Cohen, known for his iconic comedic roles as Borat Sagdiyev and Ali G, has recently revealed his impressive body transformation.
The 53-year-old actor showcased his newly sculpted physique in Men’s Fitness UK, catching many by surprise.
In a humorous post on his Instagram Stories, Cohen wrote, “Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, some use personal trainers. I did all three.”
“This is not AI,” he clarified amid skepticism over the images. “I really am egotistical enough to do this. Debuting my new character. Middle-aged man who replaced beer with protein shakes.
“Thanks @theangrytrainer for doing the unthinkable – putting up with me for 25 minutes a day.”
So, what spurred Cohen’s dramatic physical change?
As it turns out, his transformation was primarily motivated by his upcoming role as the villain Mephisto in the Disney+ series Ironheart, produced by Marvel Studios.
For the role, Cohen, who recently announced his separation from Isla Fisher, enlisted the expertise of famous trainer Alfonso Moretti, known as The Angry Trainer, who had only three weeks to achieve the desired results.
“I called Matthew [McConaughey] and asked for help. After asking who I was and how I’d gotten his number, he finally gave me Alfonso’s contact,” Cohen humorously shared with Men’s Fitness UK.
Moretti required unwavering dedication, with 25-minute workouts each day, even during the filming of the MCU series.
“Fitness is like saving money,” Moretti told the publication. “It’s not about dropping a grand all at once – it’s about putting in a dollar every single day.”
Cohen expressed his thoughts on the process, saying, “In the past, I would’ve thought you needed hour-long sessions. But the short sessions made it so much easier to stay consistent – even with the demands of being on set.”
The actor’s quick-fix regimen included 100 daily push-ups, a diet high in fiber and protein with low sugar, along with guidance from Moretti through FaceTime and the Beverly Hills Workout app.
“To be fair to Sacha, he wasn’t out of shape,” Moretti explained. “But visually, he didn’t have that ‘in-shape’ look. He looked more like a ruler – straight up and down. The studio was even thinking about fitting him with prosthetic muscles.
“I’m not going to take ultimate credit for this. Sacha had a good base to start with. He has good muscularity: the shape of his muscles, his insertions (where the muscle fibers attach to the bones via tendons), the length of his attachments – he was like an athlete in hiding,” Moretti added.
“But we had a very short timeframe to achieve the look the studio wanted.”
Moretti’s rigorous fitness regime, which yields remarkable results quickly, has significantly changed Cohen’s perspective on fitness.
“My favorite exercise is X-ups. I’ve always found core workouts challenging, as I’m blessed with the core strength of an arthritic jellyfish, so being able to do them now is a reminder of how far I’ve come,” Cohen shared.
“I now believe that just 20 to 30 minutes of movement a day can make a real difference – and it’s something anyone can fit into their routine, especially celebrities with personal assistants to do all the boring stuff like shopping and attending friends’ funerals. So, no excuses!”
Based on comments from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige during a recent press conference, Mephisto seems to have a promising future in the MCU, implying Cohen must maintain his commitment.
“He’s another character that, pre-MCU, would have been hard to do,” noted Feige. “He’s a devil. How do you do that character? But he’s a formative character. He was a big part of Thanos’ storyline in the comics.
“So again, now that he’s here, the potential is clear.”