Aaron Taylor-Johnson Says He 'Didn't Drink a Drop of Alcohol for 2 Years' to Stay in Shape forKraven the Hunter

Mar. 15, 2025

Aaron Taylor-Johnson in ‘Kraven the Hunter’, and at the premiere on Dec. 10, 2024, in New York City.Photo:Jay Maidment; Cindy Ord/Getty

Jay Maidment; Cindy Ord/Getty

Aaron Taylor-Johnsonknows how to commit to a character.The star ofKraven the Huntershared the rigorous regimen he followed to prepare for the action film on the Dec. 11 episode ofStars on Sirius XM.Taylor-Johnson said he was very selective about what he consumed in the years leading up to the film — which comes out Dec. 13 — to maintain the protagonist’s muscular physique.“I didn’t drink a drop of alcohol for two years,” he said. “I stayed off of rubbish and crap food, stuff like that. I was in the best shape possible.“Taylor-Johnson said his “insane” and “disciplined” training regime lasted roughly six months. But the process behind the movie lasted years — and during that time he worked on other films likeFall Guyand28 Years Later.Those projects required a different look, he said, and transitioning between the films meant he had to be flexible with his appearance.Aaron Taylor Johnson in ‘Kraven the Hunter’.Jay Maidment"I have to naturally slim down, for playing more … more normal roles,” he said, referring to characters who were not as ripped as Kraven. He added, “No one needs to see those arms all the time.“He continued, “I had to be kind of ready and conditioned in a way where I could then quickly put on muscle mass again and train hard between [projects].“His rigorous training and diet forKraven the Hunterended up altering his habits in real life, Taylor-Johnson said.Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“Funnily enough, my craving for candy kind of disappeared, in a weird way,” he said. “I think I’ve sort of reconditioned … you know, bag of chips, stuff like that — I just don’t actually gravitate to anymore.“But indulgences like pizza, pasta and beer are definitely still appealing to him, he said. They’re “life’s pleasures, I think.”

Aaron Taylor-Johnsonknows how to commit to a character.

The star ofKraven the Huntershared the rigorous regimen he followed to prepare for the action film on the Dec. 11 episode ofStars on Sirius XM.

Taylor-Johnson said he was very selective about what he consumed in the years leading up to the film — which comes out Dec. 13 — to maintain the protagonist’s muscular physique.

“I didn’t drink a drop of alcohol for two years,” he said. “I stayed off of rubbish and crap food, stuff like that. I was in the best shape possible.”

Taylor-Johnson said his “insane” and “disciplined” training regime lasted roughly six months. But the process behind the movie lasted years — and during that time he worked on other films likeFall Guyand28 Years Later.

Those projects required a different look, he said, and transitioning between the films meant he had to be flexible with his appearance.

Aaron Taylor Johnson in ‘Kraven the Hunter’.Jay Maidment

Jay Maidment

“I have to naturally slim down, for playing more … more normal roles,” he said, referring to characters who were not as ripped as Kraven. He added, “No one needs to see those arms all the time.”

He continued, “I had to be kind of ready and conditioned in a way where I could then quickly put on muscle mass again and train hard between [projects].”

His rigorous training and diet forKraven the Hunterended up altering his habits in real life, Taylor-Johnson said.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“Funnily enough, my craving for candy kind of disappeared, in a weird way,” he said. “I think I’ve sort of reconditioned … you know, bag of chips, stuff like that — I just don’t actually gravitate to anymore.”

But indulgences like pizza, pasta and beer are definitely still appealing to him, he said. They’re “life’s pleasures, I think.”

source: people.com