Photo courtesy of Starz
Fortunately for the 43-year-old Bennett, the bloody passing of the slave warrior has paved the way to even bolder success: In Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, he plays the dastardly, genocidal Azog; and on CW’s hit show Arrow, he portrays Slade Wilson, whom fanboys know becomes the hazardous Deathstroke.
So how does a guy build the body of a gladiator, goblin, and supervillain? Here, Bennett shares his secrets. (And if you want to get in the best shape of your life, try The Spartacus Workout!)
Men’s Health: With big roles in Spartacus, Arrow, and The Hobbit, how much fun are you having right now?
Manu Bennett: You hope to get somewhere as an actor, and I’m sort of here. [Laughs] But “here” involves a lot of flying around and meeting people and signing autographs. The one thing that’s extraordinary is the passion of the people. It’s not just being on set and doing the work; there’s a whole branding aspect to things now. I’m shooting 5 days a week and then doing conventions every weekend. It means people are responding to the work I’m being allowed to do, which is very nice. But it’s also very busy. I’ve become a consumable. [Laughs] I wrote on my Twitter page a few years ago, ‘Think about how big the world is, and all the people you’ll never meet.’ Well, I’m getting to meet them now! All of them. [Laughs]
MH: So what’s the key to keeping it all together?
Bennett: The big thing today is the challenge of getting up the energy to perform at the level that people expect and require. I have to stay at the top of my game. All of my fitness and the journeys I’ve taken—a lot of the adversity, as well—have led me to the point where I compete on my own terms. I don’t compete against other people; I compete against myself. That’s a powerful mindset. I go from one benchmark to the next, on my terms. What’s required to get this done? Now what’s required to get to the next place?
MH: You’ve kind of cornered the market on playing these intensely physical roles. That’s got to be demanding.
Bennett: I’m a physical actor. Those are the roles I’m prominently known for. I’ve had to put myself into a physical state that is super competitive so I can look right wielding a sword or taking on WWE wrestlers. But I’ve really enjoyed playing the emotional aspects of characters, too, which is something I really got to do with Crixus. It’s definitely a part of what I’m doing on Arrow, too, where there are acting requirements on top of the physical duties.
MH: With all the production and promotion, how do you find time to hit the gym?
Bennett: Well, my time in the gym is not what it used to be! I usually try to hit the gym at 5 in the morning or at 7:30 at night, which are not my favorite times to work out, but it’s all the schedule allows right now. So I’m really trying to focus on my diet at the moment. Right now, I’m sitting in an airport, having a discussion with the waitress about whether or not I should get cheese on my omelet. [Laughs] It’s tricky sometimes.
MH: How does your workout differ from a project like Spartacus, where all the actors participated in the notorious Gladiator Boot Camp, to something like Arrow?
Bennett: Coming out of Spartacus, I had some shoulder injuries from the repetitive strain of wielding all of those swords. Gladiators must have all shredded their rotator cuffs, because it’s rather grueling work! [Laughs] So keeping in mind the injuries and the fact that the character I’m playing on Arrow right now does not really require an enormous amount of bulk, I’m doing a lot of swimming. I also do a lot of rowing to strengthen the back muscles and support the rest of my body. But I swim to elongate my muscles and softly work the shoulders. I once was told by a very experienced physiotherapist that he never, ever treated swimmers. That’s because they don’t get hurt! [Laughs]
MH: What else do you do to stay in shape?
Bennett: I’m also doing a lot of hot yoga, which helps lengthen the muscles and really centers me. I’m not worried about building a lot of muscle just yet. But soon, my character on Arrow will require a big physical transformation. I’m not going to say the word “Deathstroke,” but there’s a big change coming very soon.
MH: Okay, fanboy question: Who wins the fight between Crixus, Azog, or Slade Wilson?
Bennett: I do. Because I’m all three of them! [Laughs]
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