Thad Luckinbill has been a star of the screen since his teens. He’s made a name for himself as an enduring character in The Young and the Restless while appearing in countless movies. He’s also worked as a producer alongside his twin brother, Trent. While Thad has always stayed lean in order to be ready for those “shirt off” scenes, the actor says that his role in the Paramount + series, Special Ops: Lioness, has given him the chance to experience life with a more muscular physique in order to emulate his country serving heroes—and he’s loving his more muscular physique. M&F sat down with the star to find out more.
“I started acting when I was 13, and I never stopped,” says Luckinbill who has made appearances in movies like Boys to Men and Just Married. “Because I live and work in this business, I know that at any time you could be on a show, and they’re like; ‘all right, take your shirt off,’ or ‘go on for a swim,’ or whatever they decide to do that day in the in the show. It does keep you disciplined, and it does keep you motivated. I love fitness so much. It’s one of my favorite things about acting, it has kept me motivated to stay in shape. I always have a reason to work out and that is sort of an unintended benefit being an actor.”
Thad Luckinbill Bulked Up for ‘Special Ops: Lioness’
Luckinbill’s always active lifestyle includes a love of surfing and running on the Santa Monica beach where he lives. The star also torches calories through boxing training. “If you want to get cut, there’s nothing better than boxing or a long run,” he says. In order to stay lean, the Oklahoman native says that the Stairmaster machine has been a lifelong mainstay. But his recent turn in the spy thriller Special Ops: Lioness has dictated that he focusses on weights over cardio.
In the show, Luckinbill started out with a reoccurring role as Kyle McManus, a CIA officer who finds himself in a number of highly physical situations. In season two, he has been elevated to the main cast. The series boasts an all-star lineup including his childhood acting hero, Morgan Freeman as well as Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña among other huge names.
In order to look less like a soap star heartthrob and more like a grizzled CIA agent, Luckinbill has been working with the Hollywood “Hero Maker,” Duffy Gaver (he’s trained everyone from Brad Pitt to Chris Pratt). “I put on eight pounds of muscle for the first series, and that weight took some serious work because my body is typically lean,” explains. “So, it took a lot of eating.”
With Lioness being shot in Texas, Luckinbill devoured plenty of steak. “I also had to do a little less cardio than I normally do,” he shares. “It was a lot of heavy weights; squats, bench press, deadlift. Obviously, I’m going heavier sets with less reps than usual. And then, I’m increasing the weight when I can, aiming for failure.”
The talented performer enjoyed the process of training for increased size. “I think it has given me some freedom,” he says. “Like I said, I’m naturally a pretty thin guy, so I’ve always had to work at keeping the muscle on, and this has allowed me to take it a step further, and I love it. I actually really like the way I feel. I like the performance I’ve been getting in the gym, so I plan to keep this size until something, or some role, requires it.”
Thad Luckinbill’s Military Training For ‘Special Ops: Lioness’
Thad Luckinbill tells M&F that he’s also enjoyed the military training aspect of Lioness: Special Ops.
“Training was intense,” says the actor. “We had a Navy SEAL who did a lot of the training with us. I’ve done a lot of military stuff in my career and a lot of gun work but something new that we did is what’s called close quarters battle. Basically, you go in and you clear rooms. There’s a methodology and quite honestly, a big trust component to how you clear a room. You’re trusting the guy in front of you that he’s got his corner, and then you’re assigned a specific corner. The next guy’s assigned another corner, so that everybody covers the room and that was interesting.”
He adds: “So, we did a lot of that tactical training. Some of it feels counterintuitive at first. That’s probably one of the things that stood out the most for me is how much the team collectively gets the win, not just one individual. It’s really neat to watch that that unfold when you’re doing the training.”
Luckinbill has also been able to carry his welcomed extra weight during intense scenes with iconic co-stars like Nicole Kidman. “When she’s acting, she brings the heat,” he shares. “But at the same time, she’s a really lovely person, so she’ll make you feel comfortable before she makes you feel uncomfortable.”
The actor also traded blows with Zoe Saldaña. “We shot in Texas, in the summer, its’ super-hot, over a hundred degrees, and the humidity! And the day of that scene in particular was a physically demanding day. I mean, the sun was pounding us. We were in and out of the river all day long, never changed clothes. We’re swimming and we are set to have our falling out in very last scene that we shot that day. So, we were exhausted. But what’s great about that, is that’s the way the scene needed us to feel. It was written for us to be at the end of the mission, exhausted with tempers flaring. We used the exhaustion to pull that scene, and she’s so great.”
Thad Luckinbill says that fitness is a big influencer on his performance. Whether he’s acting his boots off or producing behind the scenes, the star understands that being physically capable of long days is essential to his success. “You know as an actor, you do your part to represent these guys, right?” says Luckinbill of his admiration for those that serve his country. “I mean, they’re literally putting their lives on the line on a daily basis. That’s their job. As actors, we need to do right by them and part of that is: Get your butt in shape and make sure you can physically look the part.”
Special Ops: Lioness is streaming now on Paramount +
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