Jack Schumacher earned his big acting break in Top Gun: Maverick, joining the boys on the beach for that iconic shirtless football scene, but now he’s now packed on more muscle to play Yancy Grey, a mysterious drifter in the new Netflix drama, Ransom Canyon.
The motivated movie star sat down with M&F to explain how he gets in shape for the screen, how fitness has helped with issues around addiction, and why this actor never skips leg day in order to maintain his chiseled upper body.
Jack Shumacher is 6-feet tall and played lacrosse in high school, but it would be an individual goal that would determine his fate during the shoot of one of the biggest movies of all time. “It was such an incredible experience and that was the first movie that I ever did,” he tells M&F of joining Tom Cruise’s 2022 box-office smash, Top Gun: Maverick. And the goal? To get in the kind of shape that justifies an iconic shirtless football scene on the sand, no less!
Why Jack Schumacher Got Lean For ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
“I was looking at the other cast members and I’m like, alright, if I want to stand out, I know I’m not going to be the most jacked dude here, but I can be the most cut,” explains the star, who played Lt. Neil ‘Omaha’ Vikander in the smash hit movie. “I surprised myself with how far I could take it,” reflects the actor. “On the days that we shot the football scenes I’d cut to around 152 pounds, which for me is absolutely not sustainable.”
Still the star appreciates that his temporary calorific sacrifice will live forever on screen. “You know, I would probably be in the gym for three to four hours a day,” he says of his prep at that time. The brave star also opens-up and explains that having fitness and bodybuilding goals during his now soaring career has helped take his mind off addiction. The first time that Schumacher says he had to get sober was at just 17 years of age.
No doubt, an actor’s life can be a difficult one, full of uncertainties and insecurities. Schumacher shares that long periods without work can lead to boredom, leading positive people down negative paths. “I have a little over three-and-a-half years sober now,” he says, noting that exercising has proven to pull him out of some seriously dark times. And it’s a blessing that the talented actor has his life on track, because this star’s latest project, Ransom Canyon, has been even more physically demanding than Top Gun: Maverick.
Why Jack Schumacher Bulked Up For ‘Ransom Canyon’
“Ransom Canyon ended up being more grueling than Top Gun: Maverick for me, because it was over a longer period of time,” explains Schumacher. “It took over six months to shoot rather thanthe two-week window of shooting on the beach.”
In Ransom Canyon, a romance fueled Western drama series, the actor explains that he wanted to put on some mass to do justice to the part of a rugged cowboy. “I kind of wanted to have a beefier look,” he explains. “My lifts went much heavier with less reps and I went very high protein, high fat. Deadlifts and squats are the cornerstones. I try to hit my legs more than I hit upper body. I was really focused on building up my legs, which has a massive impact on the rest of your body.”
Why Jack Schumacher Trains Legs For Shirtless Scenes
“When you work out your legs, you produce more testosterone,” explains the smart star. He’s right, of course. Studies show that lower body resistance training is a great way to naturally increase testosterone levels, helping to build the rest of the body bigger. “My upper body has changed completely. It’s astounding to me,” explains Schumacher of the benefits of focusing on leg day. “You can tell the difference between those who do full-body workouts and someone who’s just kind of hitting those glamour muscles.” Not only did Schumacher get his sweat on in the gym, but he also got physical on set. “My character is a bull rider,” shares the star. “So, that that’s one of the fun things about acting: you learn a new skill.”
Having found the secret to shirtless scenes and enjoying peace within the process of getting in shape for each role, Jack Schumacher is on a mission to maintain the lessons he has learned through fitness. Ransom Canyon streams on Netflix from April 17.
