Kevin Zegers, Bench Pressing 285 lbs!

Kevin added 15 lbs of muscle for Mrs. Ritchie (2002)
Teen actor gives a surprising answer to a curious fan

by cpps90
June 27, 2005

(edited July 2009)

Kevin Zegers has lifted 285 lbs in bench press as recorded in www.IMDb.com.

While attending the presentation of Transamerica at the conclusion of the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival on June 26, Kevin Zegers met a fan who was interested in how much he could lift in bench press.

"Oh, I don't know," he shrugged. "285..."

This was in sync with an Aug 2002, report on E! Entertainment TV where a reporter stated that Kevin was bench pressing close to 300 lbs.

Normally 145 lbs, Kevin was preparing for his role in The Incredible Mrs Ritchie which involved several fight scenes. Through weight training, the teen actor (17 at the time) boosted his body weight to 160 lbs. Fans could see his progress in the films Fear of the Dark and Wrong Turn. His buffer look was also on display during his appearances with the Hollywood Knights basketball team in Los Angeles.

Kevin is a lifelong athlete who has played many sports, including basketball, football, ice hockey, track , golf and lacrosse. He has often been cast as athletes in his films.

Kevin took up serious weightlifting early in his early teens and gained strength quickly, bench pressing 200 lbs when he was still 14. At 15, he continued his workouts while filming Time Share and the TV show Titans in 2000.

Kevin's newly buffed look caused considerable excitement among the fans. For subsequent films like Fear of the Dark (filmed summer 2002), Kevin developed an even greater level of muscularity. A fan attending one of Kevin's games with the Hollywood Knights celebrity basketball team informed The Kevin Zegers Gallery that the then 17-year-old actor was every bit as buff in person as he was in his films.

It was very obvious from Kevin's appearance that he was lifting more. But how much more?

During the Titans run, a fan received a written reply in which the actor confirmed that he was bench pressing 205 lbs at a body weight of 145 lbs. But after that, there were only rumors. And while none of the rumors could be confirmed, they revealed a common theme: Kevin was clearly bench pressing a lot more than 205 lbs. Given the young actor's heightened muscularity in his films at 17, the 205 lbs figure was sorely in need of updating.

The definitive answer finally came from Kevin himself on Sunday, June 26, 2005. A fan had heard that Kevin might be in San Francisco that day attending the presentation of Transamerica at the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. The 11-day festival had given the film special prominence by presenting it on its closing day at the Castro Theatre.

In Transamerica, Kevin plays the lead role of Toby, a gay prostitute who wants to go to California to be a porn actor. He co-stars with Felicity Huffmann (Desperate Housewives).

The fan got to speak with Kevin shortly after the film. It was during their talk when Kevin mentioned the 285 lb bench press.

Kevin shed most of the added weight by the time of Dawn of the Dead and Some Things That Stay (filmed simultaneously in summer 2003). But key scenes in Some Things That Stay show that the then 18-year-old Kevin had, in fact, retained much of his muscularity.

By the time he turned 19 (Sept 19, 2003), Kevin Zegers had added running and ice hockey to his physical work. His star role in Transamerica was made in the summer of 2004 at the age of 19, the last film he made as a teenager. This film displays Kevin's body at several stages of undress, reveals a level of muscularity (and undoubtedly strength) that belies his 145 lb body weight. Kevin's considerable physical attributes are displayed at their finest.

Kevin has continued to maintain his incredibly muscular look. In addition to weight training, Kevin also runs and plays ice hockey. His recent appearances in films like The Narrows and The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll display ample proof of his intense dedication and training.