Actors know that to take on a character – particularly one revered in pop culture – you have to do all you can to play the part with conviction. Casting announcements are less a cause for celebration these days as they are fuel for Internet trolls to let the world know the wrong decision was made, putting forth their own ideal for the character even despite the fact directors are unlikely to listen. For Kevin Hart, securing the role of Roland in the upcoming sci-fi adventure movie Borderlands meant stepping up his training to look as jacked as possible.
The video game series has been hugely popular and with the film adaptation in the works, Hart will be playing the soldier who is known for his impressive size and bulked physique. While most actors might have crumbled under the pressure, Hart has embraced it and if his arms are anything to go by, he’s more than prepared for the role. “So ready to take on the role of Roland in ‘Borderlands’,” he wrote in the caption on Instagram. “It’s go time people!!!!! Hard work brings great results.”
Hart has long been an advocate for fitness and hard work. He regularly shares updates of his training sessions on social media and even hosts the web-series What the Fit, where he teams up with celebrities to try different sports and workouts. As he explained in an interview with Men’s Health in 2020, “I’m addicted to the fucking work. I’d much rather that be my addiction than be strung out on crack, but now I have to struggle to find balance. That hustle is not going anywhere, but I want it suppressed and balanced so I can put the same kind of work into my family.”
In terms of his own training, Hart is known to work with trainer Ron “Boss” Everline and loves to focus on functional movements and full-body workouts. Typical exercises include the bench press, pushups, a sled row or dumbbell row, incline dumbbell bench press, dumbbell curls, and bench dips that target his upper body.
Currently, the Borderlands film does not have a release date but with Cate Blanchett and Hart cast in the main roles, it looks poised to be the next big blockbuster that might just lure everyone back into the cinema after a year-long hiatus thanks to the global pandemic.