Alexander Skarsgard had to eat a whopping 7,000 calories a day to play Tarzan

That's a lot

Actors have taken on some crazy diets to get in certain shape for a role. Matthew McConaughey lost some serious weight for The Dallas Buyer’s Club. Kirsten Dunst gained some for Fargo. And when you hit the theater this weekend to see The Legend of Tarzan, you’ll be wondering just how Alexander Skarsgard got his perfectly chiselled eight-pack abs.

To play the title character, Skarsgard adopted a strict regimen of working out and eating — a lot. For three months prior to filming, he lifted heavy weights and consumed 7,000 calories a day. For reference, that’s three times his normal intake, or seven pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Then, once he was on set, he also eliminated sugar, gluten, wheat, dairy, and alcohol from his diet. For six. Whole. Months.

http://storify.com/marieclaireuk/legend-of-tarzan

After filming was over, Skarsgard says he binged on the foods he missed, like carbs.

'I spent four days just in bed, being fed by Dad' he told Entertainment Weekly. 'He cooked these pastas with rich sauces and bone marrow and fried mozzarella and tons of beer and wine. It was the most incredible weekend of my life.'

No doubt. From here on out, we’re calling this the Tarzan Diet!

From the editors of Hello Giggles