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Nicholas Galitzine 'felt like a fraud' on first trying on He-Man costume, adopted 5000-calorie diet for transformation

Nicholas Galitzine plays He-Man in the new Masters of the Universe film, playing in theatres currently.

Updated on: Jun 07, 2026 04:32 PM IST
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He may be earning rave reviews for his transformation into He-Man now, but British actor Nicholas Galitzine was not convinced of his own casting. In a recent interview, the actor said he ‘felt like a fraud’ when he first tried on the costume, even asking director Travis Knight if he was sure about the casting choice.

Nicholas Galitzine on self-doubt

Nicholas Galitzine's insane physical transormation to play He-Man.
Nicholas Galitzine's insane physical transormation to play He-Man.

In a conversation with People magazine, Nicholas said, “When I first tried on the costume, I felt like a fraud. I said to Travis Knight, 'Are you sure you don't want anyone else?,'”

The actor portrays the legendary character previously played by Dolph Lundgren in the 1987 live-action film. But he was certain that he did not want to let the self-doubt consume him. In an earlier interview with Hindustan Times, Nicholas said, “I know Travis trusted me, our producers, Mattel, and Amazon trusted me. They cast the guy who was not He-Man shape just yet. But they believed I embodied his essence and his soul. For me, it was figuring that part out. When I read it, I just knew that I could play him. The rest follows.”

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Nicholas Galitzine stars as the titular character.

When Nicholas first felt like He-Man

“Luckily, they gave me enough time to eat a lot of food and lift a lot of weights. I knew that the physical transformation was going to be a challenge. Nothing of that magnitude was ever going to be easy,” he told People.

In his interview with HT ahead of the film's release, Nicholas had said that he only truly ‘felt like’ He-Man when he saw others' reactions to his transformation on set. actions from others on set, particularly the makers. “It was the first day on set when I had the costume on, I had the tan, my hair was done. This is a character and a film our director and producers have been working on for a really long time. It was seeing other people's reactions to me as He-Man that solidified it, really,” said the actor.

About Masters of the Universe

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is currently running in theatres. The film, directed by Travis Knight, also stars Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Kristen Wiig, Morena Baccarin, and Idris Elba.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur

Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.

Stay connected with all the glitz and glam from the world of entertainment, right from Hollywood gossip to Bollywood chit chat. Also don't miss out on music buzz, anime scoops and OTT action.
Stay connected with all the glitz and glam from the world of entertainment, right from Hollywood gossip to Bollywood chit chat. Also don't miss out on music buzz, anime scoops and OTT action.
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