DANIEL WEBBER KNEW he couldn’t take any shortcuts to play outlaw Jesse Evans, in the Stan series Billy the Kid. “It was really important that Jesse felt dangerous,” says the 37-year-old Aussie actor. “That he was unpredictable. That the audience never knew what he might do next.”
To achieve achieve the physical manifestation of that volatile, devil-may-care attitude, Webber turned to stunt training, working every day for a year to become a qualified stuntman. “Jesse Evans is a force of nature – fast, unpredictable, shaped by a world that never let him feel safe – and I wanted to understand that physically, not just intellectually,” Webber says. “The physical prep for Jesse wasn’t about getting fit for the sake of it. It was about earning the right to play a man who lives with danger in his body every single day”.
As you might expect, stunt work invites both risk and humility, requiring you to put your body on the line and be willing to take a pounding. “It’s basically getting beaten up every day with wire work, fights, horses; just really trying to prepare my body to be able to show up as a physical force in the show,” says Webber. “You have to get really good at falling, taking the hit, staying calm and aware as everything is whipping past you. It’s humbling work. It really strips away any ego you’re carrying. It teaches you discipline and instinct in equal measure.”
A grounding in stunt work didn’t just allow Webber to absorb punishment, it helped him add layers and nuance to his character. “For season three, there was a real emphasis on creating a sense of authenticity in Jesse’s physicality,” he says. “Jesse wasn’t built to look impressive – he was built to survive. He’s got to be able to stand opposite Billy the Kid – who is notorious in the Old West – and he’s got to be the person that Billy is afraid of.”
In terms of his physical output, Webber focused on building muscular endurance rather than brawn or bulk. “It wasn’t about putting on bulk but about being dynamic and capable in any situation,” he says. “I like to do higher reps; building strength, while protecting myself. Making sure I am not going to hurt myself.”
Outside of dedicated training, Webber likes to get outside as much as he can. “My favourite way to train is in nature,” he says. “Whether it is mountaineering, horse riding, surfing, motorbikes. I would just say, get out of the gym – go explore the world, go explore your passions.”
As for the granular work he put into becoming an infamous outlaw, Webber says the experience was transformative. “The experience of Jesse Evans transformed me on a cellular level,” he says. “The training gave me a truth I could carry into the role – but also into my own life. Something instinctual, physical and grounded.”
Use Webber’s workout to build a bad man’s body.
Daniel Webber's Billy the Kid workout
WARM UP
- 20-minute run
MAIN SET
- Boxing 3 x 2 min rounds
- Bench press – high reps, low weight
- Spiderman push-ups x 100
- Shoulder-tap push-ups x 100
- Chin-ups x 40
- Abs – pikes, tucks, obliques – x 180
Billy the Kid is currently screening on Stan
