Stephan James is no stranger to the immense physical and mental demands of bringing a real-life historical figure to life on the silver screen. The award-winning Canadian actor previously put his best foot forward portraying Olympic running legend Jesse Owens in the biographical sports drama Race, giving him a deep and foundational understanding of what it takes to transform one’s body for an athletic role. However, stepping into the massive shoes of the late, great Carl Weathers for the upcoming biographical film I Play Rocky required an entirely different kind of physical strategy. Rather than following the traditional Hollywood playbook of aggressively bulking up to match a larger-than-life athlete, James told Muscle & Fitness that he actually had to cut weight to authentically capture the imposing presence of his childhood hero.
Carl Weathers, who passed away in 2024 at the age of 76, was a legendary presence both on and off the screen. Long before his massive cinematic breakthrough in Hollywood, Weathers was a formidable athlete who played in the National Football League as a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders. Once the former professional football player transitioned to acting and was cast as the charismatic, trash-talking heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed in the original 1976 classic Rocky—a career-defining role he would successfully reprise across three massive sequels—it became immediately clear to audiences and filmmakers alike that he possessed a rare blend of elite athletic physicality and undeniable big-screen charisma.
Replicating that specific, towering frame presented a unique challenge for James. Standing at six-foot-two and topping the scales at roughly 220 muscular pounds during his prime, Weathers was built like a Greek god, boasting a wide-backed, thick-chested physique that defined an entire era of cinematic toughness.
"So, that was my first thought: I had to put on a lot of weight, gotta put on a lot of muscle," James recalled of his initial preparation process when he first landed the coveted role. "I was just over 200 pounds when I found out that I was going to play him in this film. And, speaking to one of my trainers, I was telling him about this plan to just start packing on all this weight and trying to turn it into muscle. And, he was like, ‘You know what, Steph? If you just try to cut your bodyfat percentage down, then you may give yourself a better chance, giving the perspective of somebody who is even bigger than you may actually be.’"
Stephan James Cut 20 Pounds to Give the Illusion of a Bigger Apollo Creed
The tactical pivot recommended by James’s trainer proved to be a remarkably savvy professional decision rooted in the core principles of physique transformation. Competitive bodybuilders and elite physical performers have long understood that drastically decreasing levels of subcutaneous body fat creates the powerful illusion of a much larger and more intensely muscular physique. As stubborn fat stores shrink away, the skin pulls tightly against the underlying muscle tissue, maximizing the visual impact of sharp angles, deep separations, and distinct muscle bellies that create high-definition aesthetics. Furthermore, as the waistline shrinks and trims down, the upper body naturally appears significantly broader by comparison, accentuating the width of the shoulders, the fullness of the chest, and the size of the arms.
"I was able to cut down to about 180," shared James, detailing the rigorous physical regimen he maintained while continuing to train extensively for demanding fighting scenes, all while operating on a strict caloric deficit. "It really helped just emphasize and accentuate, you know, the muscles that I had. So, I was proud of what was the end result in the film."
The actor revealed that he was given a remarkably tight timeframe of just two months to completely overhaul his physique and get into peak fighting shape to portray Weathers. The legendary actor and former athlete was widely celebrated during his lifetime as Sylvester Stallone’s favorite onscreen opponent, a testament to the palpable chemistry and punishing physicality the two men shared inside the squared circle. James admitted to Muscle & Fitness that while he was previously "not big on cardio" prior to securing the role, the sheer intensity of reenacting the legendary, brutal boxing battles between Apollo Creed and "The Italian Stallion" forced him to rapidly embrace the grueling endurance work.
"I had to get very big on it during the process of making this film," James explained, noting that his daily routine during production was exceptionally demanding. Mornings consistently consisted of a grueling combination of targeted cardio and heavy weight training sessions, which were then immediately followed by hours of learning the intricate craft of boxing throughout the afternoons.
"There was so much that I didn’t know and understand," he recalled of stepping between the ropes for the first time as a cinematic fighter. "From the footwork, to the technical punches, then starting to learn the choreography. Cardio is the number one thing that you get from boxing. So, I think all of these things helped me cut the weight really fast, helping me to shred really, really, quickly."
The sheer amount of hard work and physical sacrifice has clearly paid off. Even in the lead-up to the film’s release, dedicated fans of the Rocky franchise have been quick to offer widespread praise for the meticulous casting choices made for I Play Rocky, the compelling behind-the-scenes story of how an unknown, struggling Sylvester Stallone defied seemingly impossible Hollywood odds to write, pitch, and ultimately star in one of the most culturally significant and financially successful motion pictures of all time.
While fellow rising star Anthony Ippolito has drawn considerable acclaim for nailing Sylvester Stallone’s signature vocal cadence, mumbling delivery, and physical body language down to a fine art, there is also an undeniable, striking resemblance between Stephan James and the young Carl Weathers. James, who frequently champions the elevation and representation of Black artistic talent alongside his brother, actor Shamier Anderson, through their influential nonprofit organization The Black Academy, expressed a deep and profound sense of respect for the monumental doors that pioneers like Carl Weathers successfully opened for subsequent generations of performers.
"Guys like Carl helped pave the way," he told Muscle & Fitness, reflecting on the cultural legacy of his subject. "For so many other actors, like myself, to be able to be a leading man, to be seen as layered, characters with heart, thoughts, emotions, charisma and charm. Even his comedic beats. It’s not lost on me what Carl meant for that time, just being a pioneer."
I Play Rocky is scheduled to hit theaters across the United States beginning November 20.
