Nicholas Galitzine Reveals His Hard Transformation to Play He-Man (Exclusive)

Nicholas Galitzine is opening up about the physical toll it took to transform his body for his role as He-Man in the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Masters of the Universe.

The British actor takes over from Dolph Lundgren, who last played the superhero in a live-action 1987 film of the same name.

To embody the beloved comic book character, Galitzine had to bulk up long before he got to set. As he tells PEOPLE, that meant training for the project as he filmed the fantasy romance 100 Nights of Hero (now in theaters), which he describes as a “really interesting experience.”

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done; it was a daily challenge,” he says of the long, arduous process. “But there is something incredibly empowering about committing to something so heavily. I’ve never had a challenge like that before, which really every single day you have to wake up and you can see the peak of the mountain vaguely, but especially when you’re bulking. I think it would be insincere for me to say that it was easy.”

The Red, White & Royal Blue actor, 31, admits he felt “body dysmorphia” as he transformed: “You don’t recognize yourself, you don’t fit in any of your clothes anymore.”

He got so big, in fact, that he says he left a “definite dent” on the side of the bed he slept on.

“But really,” he adds, “I’m so gratified that I got to experience it and trying to fit this very larger-than-life character.”

Galitzine is quick to emphasize, however, “It’s not something I’d be keen to do or maintain all year round.”

The actor shared a first glimpse of his He-Man in a post on Instagram on June 15. In the photo, Galitzine stood with his back to the camera, flexing his arm muscles while in costume: an ensemble of arm gear, tall combat boots and a longsword.

In the post’s caption, he paid tribute to his character, Adam, Prince of Eternia (and his alter ego, He-Man) as he shared that filming for the action movie had finished.

“Well, that’s a wrap on Masters of the Universe. It has been an honour shouldering the responsibility of playing Adam and He Man,” he wrote. “It’s been the role of a lifetime and I put everything into it.”

Galitzine first announced that he had been cast in the film in May 2024, sharing on Instagram a side-by-side comparison of himself and the beloved character. In the comments, he said it’s been “a dream for so long to play someone of his heart, humour and heroism.”

Masters of the Universe will also see Jared Leto as the tale’s villain, Skeletor, joined by his three henchmen: Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Kojo Attah as Tri-Klops, and Hafthor Bjornsson (best known for his Game of Thrones role as Gregor Clegane) as Goat Man. Camila Mendes will also star as Teela, Adam’s love interest.

The movie is expected to be in theaters June 5, 2026.