Warner Bros.' latest DC Comics movieShazam!just kicked off its production; forZachary Levi, who stars in the title role, the opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time. Best known for his lead role on the action-comedy TV seriesChuck, Levi didn’t find his career going to the next level after the NBC show wrapped in 2012, despite landing numerous roles over the years and, presumably, doing everything right. Now, after years of self-discovery and self-improvement, Levi admits thatShazam!is the first time in his career he feels like he’s reached solid ground. He said as much during an in-depth and very personal interview withMichael Rosenbaumon arecent episodeofthe host’s podcast, “Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum.”
While the bulk of the 83-minute conversation focuses on the actors' relationship and some really deep reveals about their childhoods and personal struggles with self-confidence, there’s a bit of conversation aboutShazam!Not only does Levi reveal how the role came about at the exact right time for him, he also talks about his crazy diet plan and workout routine, and confirms the movie’s shooting schedule. (But if you’re a fan of Levi’s you should really be listening to the whole thing; it’s very insightful.)
Here’s your link to the full episode, but we’ve provided some relevant quotes below:
Around the 20-minute mark, Levi talks about his career followingChuckand howShazam!came at the perfect time:
Levi: Honestly,Shazam!is the first time in my nearly 20 years of doing this that I feel like I can relax a little bit. It’s been therapeutic and definitely made me think about a lot of things and reflect on the things I was reflecting on before I got the job, but it’s also so sad that I had to accomplish so much before that and I still felt like I was on the outside, like I was not a part of the cool kids' table, ever.
Much later in the conversation, Levi revealed just what it takes to get into superhero shape:
Levi: I’m working out like 5, 6 days a week … Depends. Sometimes we’ll do two-a-days and then more off days, but typically we’ll do an hour-and-fifteen-minute sessions every day.
You’re about 215 now?
Levi: 220. Before I got the role, I was about 200 pounds. I’ve hovered around 200 pounds most of my adult life.
You’ve gained 20 pounds in a month?
Levi: Yeah, about a month and a half.
How many calories a day?
Levi: 3,700 calories, then with a bunch of other supplements like fish oil, Omega-3s …
What are you eating?
Levi: It’s pretty clean and lean.
Does someone make your food?
Levi: Oh yeah, I do meal delivery. It’s part of the job. They [DC / Warner Bros.] have been very good to me when it comes to taking care of this.
In the closing moments, Levi confirmed the shooting schedule forShazam!, which he’s currently in the middle of. (This podcast episode was obviously recorded earlier this year.):
When do you start?
Levi: I moved up to Toronto. I’m going to start working, doing rehearsal and stuff all through January, and then we start filming in February, and go through May, and then the movie comes out April 2019. Right now, I’m just enjoying all of this and the calm before the storm. It’s very freeing. And because of the job itself, I just feel a lot of peace.
We’re still waiting to see how Levi’s hard work paid off, but in the meantime, get caught up with more of our coverage onShazam!using the following links:
