Michael Ealy Used Power Lifting To Prepare For ‘About Last Night’ Nude Scenes

Michael Ealy put a lot of work into his role in About Last Night — especially the nude scenes.

The actor said he had a lot of pressure going into his role in the remake of the 1986 film starring Demi Moore and Rob Lowe. For one, the studio wanted the 40-year-old Ealy to play a 28-year-old, and the script also called for him to be shirtless and occasionally nude.

Michael Ealy said he took the role as a personal challenge.

“I personally feel like I do look 28 — I never have seen anyone who told me I looked over 35. So OK, I had three months,” he said.

Ealy was quite busy during those three months. The actor said he took up a strict diet and regimen of Olympic power lifting.

“The weight lifting was easy. The diet — no sugar, no salt, no carbs, way too much breast of chicken with no seasoning — that was the hardest,” Ealy said.

The regiment actually worked a little too well. Michael Ealy said he lost 25 pounds, prompting director Steve Pink to warn that actor that he was starting to look “a little gaunt.” Pink’s advice to Ealy: Eat a pizza.

The movie is something of an update of the 1986 version, though Ealy said this one is a bit more raw.

Ealy compared the move to Bridesmaids, which was able to be funny while “not worrying about it being safe for little kids to see it.”

“By not being afraid of the nudity or the language we made it more authentic — and we don’t see anything here that only happens in the movies,” he said.

Opening up about his About Last Night role — and especially the nude scenes — is a bit out of character for Michael Ealy. In 2012 he married longtime girlfriend Khatira Rafiqzada, but did not publicly announce the nuptials for close to two months.

“Michael has always been a private guy, and he wanted to enjoy his time as a newlywed with his wife privately,” his rep said at the time. “Now that some time has passed and the holidays are here, he wanted to share the news with his fans that he is married and very happy.”

Khatira Rafiqzada may be even happier after Michael Ealy beefed up for his About Last Night nude scenes.