Category: News

This article originally appeared on 04.25.22

What do you get when you mix artificial intelligence with editing software?

Mind-blowing images, apparently.

Brazilian digital artist Hidreley Leli Dião creates ultra realistic portraits of beloved cartoon characters as well as historical figures.

The magic is in a unique blend of Photoshop, FaceApp, Gradiente and Remini, according to his contributing article on Bored Panda. Using this formula, even The Simpsons characters feel like real people you would pass on the street.

Some of Dião’s latest works include the characters of Disney’s “Encanto,” like:

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Mirabel

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The face shape! The hair! The smile! He nailed it.

Luisa

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To no one’s surprise, Luisa was highly sought after by fans.

Bruno

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I think the song will change to “Everybody Is Talking About Bruno” after seeing this picture.

Isabela

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A portrait perfect enough for Miss Perfect herself.

Camilo

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It’s like he could hop out of the frame and start shapeshifting in real life. Wow.

Pepa

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As a fellow redhead constantly trying to keep emotions at bay, this one was my personal favorite.

Julieta

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Here is Mirabel’s mother Julieta, giving off major Aunt Voula vibes from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

And, of course,  Abuela Madrigal

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I think it’s safe to say even if Dião doesn’t have a magic door like the Madrigal family, he’s got superpower: digital wizardry.

But of course, this is not Dião’s first Disney deep dive. Feast your eyes on some of these:

Carl Fredrickson from “Up”

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Moana from “Moana”

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Ariel from “The Little Mermaid”

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Also Prince Eric

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Pocahontas from “Pocahontas”

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Joe Gardner from “Soul”

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Hans From “Frozen”

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Another long lost Hemsworth brother, rediscovered?

Are you more of a history buff than a Disney nerd? Never fear. Dião’s work has something for everyone.

One collection includes what certain celebrities that met an early death might look like today, such as:

Amy Winehouse

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Bruce Lee

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John Candy

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Janis Joplin

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Prince

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Marilyn Monroe

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Another reimagines what historical figures might have look like in modern times:

George Washington

Hidreley Diao uses AI to capture what historical figures would look like if they were modern people.

George Washington: pic.twitter.com/Wh5bi9FAgL

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Benjamin Franklin

Ben Franklin pic.twitter.com/7p5U61olrl

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Napoleon 

Napoleon pic.twitter.com/lDmWpYs5KX

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci pic.twitter.com/lpFzsZDMun

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Mozart

Mozart pic.twitter.com/rAc2wZwgYP

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Beethoven

Beethoven pic.twitter.com/A5dpNfVilV

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Sir Isaac Newton

Newton pic.twitter.com/Ah6EBBorrF

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

William Shakespeare

Shakespeare pic.twitter.com/qPKWICC1EY

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Vincent Van Gogh

Van Gogh pic.twitter.com/h0QR4Uy41y

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette pic.twitter.com/PY6SmIvJiV

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Cleopatra

Cleopatra pic.twitter.com/r21AbkRHFF

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great pic.twitter.com/DXxjbpBlXR

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

And just for fun, here’s what the Statue of Liberty might look like as a real person:

The Statue of Liberty pic.twitter.com/m9dY8VEvt0

— Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) February 20, 2022

Thank you Hidreley for giving us some genuine wonder to peruse through on the internet. If you’d like to see more of Hidreley’s work, you can follow his Instagram here.

This article originally appeared on 05.21.22

As a Gen X parent, it’s weird to try to describe my childhood to my kids. We’re the generation that didn’t grow up with the internet or cell phones, yet are raising kids who have never known a world without them. That difference alone is enough to make our 1980s childhoods feel like a completely different planet, but there are other differences too that often get overlooked.

How do you explain the transition from the brown and orange aesthetic of the ’70s to the dusty rose and forest green carpeting of the ’80s if you didn’t experience it? When I tell my kids there were smoking sections in restaurants and airplanes and ashtrays everywhere, they look horrified (and rightfully so—what were we thinking?!). The fact that we went places with our friends with no quick way to get ahold of our parents? Unbelievable.

One day I described the process of listening to the radio, waiting for my favorite song to come on so I could record it on my tape recorder, and how mad I would get when the deejay talked through the intro of the song until the lyrics started. My Spotify-spoiled kids didn’t even understand half of the words I said.

And ’80s hair? With the feathered bangs and the terrible perms and the crunchy hair spray? What, why and how?

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In some ways, that era was simpler. We weren’t bombarded with information and opinions about every issue in the world 24/7 and had the freedom to just be kids. At the same time, I personally have no desire to go back. (My straight, fine hair was not made for the ’80s.)

However, one dad is bringing full-on nostalgia to millions of Gen Xers with a viral TikTok he made about sharing his ’80s childhood with his 8-year-old son. Justin H (who goes by @shadyraro on TikTok) included photos and descriptions of things all ’80s kids will recognize and it’s like hopping into a time machine.

Like, the unwound cassette tape struggle was genuinely real. Grab a pencil, start winding and pray. “The A-Team”? Totally. Streetlight curfew? Yep.

@shadyraro

The 80’s was the best decade #80s #80skid #oldschool #genx #parents #funny #family #foryou #fyp

The video has been viewed more than 10 million times this week, with commenters neck-deep in their feelings about their childhood flashbacks.

“I miss them days, technology has taken away so much,” wrote one commenter.

“Miss the 80s era but unfortunately us kids were the remote control,” wrote another. (So true. Changing the channel was exercise.)

“The 80’s cannot be explained…it was an experience…a complete vibe all its own…and if you missed it I’m so sorry for you!” wrote another.

And if you feel like there were some things missing, no worries. There’s a Part Two:

@shadyraro

The 80’s was the best decade Part 2 #80s #80skid #oldschool #genx #parents #funny #family #foryou #fyp

The ashtray in the back of the car seat! The phone booth! The Walkman! The overhead projector. So my childhood. I can practically taste the Tang and Twinkies.

Kids today will never know the ugly beauty of growing up in the ’80s, but someday they’ll have their own tales to tell their kids that they’ll look on with fondness and nostalgia. “We used to spend hours building things with little digital blocks in Minecraft…”

There’s never been anything like the ’80s and there never will be again. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Justin H.

Neil Gaiman knows a few things about adapting epic fantasy works for streaming. That’s especially the case since The Sandman launched as (against plenty of odds, like the elaborate, unimaginably complex process of translating epic fantasy to the screen) a stunning success, all after Gaiman made it known that he gave “zero f*cks” about complaints that Netflix’s The Sandman cast prominently starred Black and non-binary actors. Subsequently, The Sandman transformed into a streaming hit with Gaiman pushing back on the minuscule “backlash” over diverse casting.

So when Neil Gaiman received an inquiry on Elon Musk’s anti-woke complaints about Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the comic book legend didn’t hesitate to let people know what he really thought. Musk had already been dragged for complaining about Galadriel being the strongest, bravest character on board while also hyperbolically declaring, “Tolkien is turning in his grave.”

When a Twitter user remarked upon this “crazy” development, Gaiman made it clear that he didn’t give Elon Musk’s opinion much weight when it comes to TV adaptations of legendary works. In response, the Black Orchid author (who was instrumental in inspiring legions of female fans to join the comic book world) alluded to Elon’s buy-or-not-buy Twitter endeavor. To that end, Gaiman suggests that Elon say in his lane: “Elon Musk doesn’t come to me for advice on how to fail to buy Twitter, and I don’t go to him for film, TV or literature criticism.”

Short and sweet and effective. Meanwhile, The Sandman still awaits a Season 2 renewal, but that has everything to do with the cost of the wildly popular show and not quality (because it is an exquisite production). Fingers crossed that we’ll hear some good news soon.

There was a lot going on in the pop world this past week. There were some Ls — like The Weeknd losing his voice during his show in Los Angeles, or Matty Healy’s debunked rumors of a collaboration with Taylor Swift. But to balance that out, we got more information about Björk’s forthcoming album Fossora and we got a ton of great new songs from artists such as Charlie Puth, Dodie, Justin Bieber, and more.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Ava Max — “Million Dollar Baby”

Ava Max’s “Million Dollar Baby” is a relentlessly catchy anthem made for the club. With otherworldly synths and a pulsating rhythm, it has the atmosphere of late nights and dancing with friends until the sun is up. About the song, she said, “I titled it ‘Million Dollar Baby’ to remind myself of my self-worth and wrote the lyrics to show that you can overcome and achieve anything when you put your mind to it.” This confidence shines through in her powerful vocals, imbuing the listener with a sense of invincibility.

Charlie Puth — “Smells Like Me”

On, “Smells Like Me” Charlie Puth sings vulnerably, “Baby, don’t forget about me ever.” The track is steeped in the pain of heartbreak and full of questions: “Do you ever miss me when I’m gone? / Wondering what body I’ll be on?” It captures the chaotic days following a breakup, and it’s made more emotional with the texture of an ’80s pop song in the vein of Tears For Fears.

Fletcher — “Sting”

Fletcher has mastered the art of making clubby earworms with tear-jerking lyrics. “Sting” is perfect to either dance or cry to (or both) as she sings about a lingering lovesickness against an infectious beat: “But maybe I like the way it sting / It’s all I got left of you and me.”

Imagine Dragons — “Love Of Mine”

To celebrate 10 years of their crashing debut Night Visions, world-dominating band Imagine Dragons, who aren’t as bad as everyone says they are, unveiled this demo from their early days. It’s catchy but it doesn’t sound like it was engineered to be overplayed on radio stations; it feels honest and invigorating, like many tracks from that first record.

Dodie — “Hot Mess”

Dodie’s “Hot Mess” is a stunning song about a never-ending on-and-off relationship. The lyrics are poetic and unforgettable: “I’m a hot mess / Wake up, do the same thing / Break up, then we’re dancing / Why am I so alright / To do it again and again?” she sings, her voice haunting.

Shygirl — “Nike”

Shygirl never holds back, especially on this new track “Nike” with the genius hook: “He told me Nike / Just do it.” Her Billie Eilish-esque style of whisper-rap is hypnotic as she maintains a clever flow: “Perri perri / Too hot to handle / Better get a piece / I’m a real hand full,” she drawls.

Justin Bieber — “Beautiful Love (Free Fire)”

“Beautiful Love (Free Fire)” is a wholesome love ballad by Justin Bieber that was originally an exclusive song for the video game Garena Free Fire. The lyrics are sprawling and his voice is passionate: “Like the blue skies / We don’t appreciate the sun until it rains / Try to see it like a child / The innocence in everything we do.”

Alex Warren – “Headlights”

The opening lyric to Alex Warren’s new song “Headlights” is startling: “I’m in the backseat of my own life / Someone else is driving.” The entire track is painfully relatable, detailing the struggles of loneliness and trying to find motivation in one’s own life. It has the texture of hope, buoyed by colorful guitar chords and his ambitious vocals.

Louis Tomlinson — “Bigger Than Me”

Louis Tomlinson’s “Bigger Than Me” is about trying to stay optimistic and strong. He sings, “So, come on, call me liar / Yeah, you’re so quick to judge / ‘Cause yeah, I might have changed / But everybody does.” Despite these obstacles, he declares in a powerful voice: “I’ve woken up from my sleep.”

Jessia — “One Of The Guys”

Off the bat, Jessia’s new song “One Of The Guys” hooks the listener in with her bewitching isolated vocals, which are full of attitude: “This might come off a little unromantic / But I guess that’s how you see me / I’m sorry If I’m sounding too pathetic / But I’m tired of believing.” The entire track bursts with her unrestrained personality, and it’s great.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Last week, Rihanna and her friends went for a girls’ night out in New York City. At one of her favorites, Caviar Russe, she was spotted enjoying caviar, champagne, and sashimi bites until 2 am, according to a report by Page Six.

As the restaurant closed up shop for the night, Rihanna was seen helping the staff, cleaning up, and pushing in bar stools.

It should come as no surprise that Rihanna extended kindness to Caviar Russe’s wait staff. In 2016, TMZ reported that Rihanna once tipped $200 on an $82.25 tab at an Austin bar. Three years earlier, she reportedly tipped a waiter at Laugh Factory $200 on an $80 tab, according to TMZ.

Also during the night, Rih debuted her new curtain bangs hairstyle, while wearing baggy jeans and a large No Limit jersey.

This past weekend, choreographer Parris Goebel, who choreographed Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Fashion Show, Vol. 3 last year, won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography For Variety Or Reality Programming.

“We won a mf EMMY!!,” read a tweet from the official Savage X Fenty Twitter account. “And it’s like Muva KNEW it would happen. Congrats to [Parris Goebel] for the sickest choreo & to the insanely talented team behind the #SAVAGEXFENTYSHOW VOL. 3⁣! Now, we celebrate.”

Now, about that album…

Earlier this year, a great many music and pop culture fans breathed a shared sigh of relief as Kanye West cleared his Instagram after weeks of lashing out at his ex Kim Kardashian and her then-boyfriend Pete Davidson, as well as anyone who tried to defend either of them. For a while, it seemed as though he’d calmed down enough to take rational stock of his behavior, realize he was wrong, and turn over his password to someone else.

Unfortunately, it looks like he didn’t do that last bit and he’s ramped up again, this time setting his sights on business partners like Adidas and Gap. He’s accused Adidas of “stealing” his designs — which are actually teardowns of his hero kicks like the Yeezy Boost and Yeezy Slide — and specifically called out soon-to-be former CEO Kasper Rørsted, celebrating Rørsted’s impending departure with a bad joke on Instagram. Now, he’s got a new target: Rørsted’s apparent successor, Adidas Senior Vice President, and General Manager, Daniel Cherry.

And, as with so many of his outlandish posts in the past, there’s a collateral recipient of his abuse in Kid Cudi, who Kanye can’t seem to stop pulling into his various feuds despite over a decade’s worth of collaborations between the two. This time, he’s appropriated a photo of Kid Cudi wearing a wedding dress at the CFDA Fashion Awards in late 2021, doing a poor cut-and-paste job to attach Cherry’s head to Cudi’s designer Eli Russell Linnetz, with whom he held hands on the event’s red carpet. West asked his fans to photoshop an Adidas logo onto Cudi’s dress, and they were only too happy to oblige.

The suggestion is clear and about as trashy as we’ve seen Kanye get lately. It’s kind of sad to see a guy who once confronted his internalized homophobia in a 2005 interview with MTV News dive headfirst into that homophobia because he didn’t read his contract (again). Let’s just hope he manages to get the help he needs when he inevitably implodes again, and this time, someone please, change the man’s passwords.

Burning Man is back, baby! After two years of pandemic living, which resulted in an unofficial pop-up Burn, this year’s Burning Man finally looks like the epic festivals of old — even after a dust storm threatened to derail the whole thing and an unrelenting heat wave sent playa temperatures into the triple digits. Despite the harsh conditions, Burners rejoiced in the dusty sunshine in the sort of wild post-apocalyptic costumes we’ve come to expect from Burning Man, erecting fantastical art exhibits, including some of the craziest mutant vehicles in recent memory.

This year’s Burning Man theme was Waking Dreams, and Burners took that as an opportunity to reflect the transformative, surreal, and sometimes psychedelic aspects of dreams — resulting in some of the coolest Burning Man art we’ve seen in a long while. Maybe that has a lot to do with the fact that we haven’t had a proper Burn since 2019, but without a doubt, Burners went hard in 2022, making up for lost time.

We’ve rounded up some of the best Instagram photos from this year’s gathering so you could see what you missed out on. Trust us, the sights will have you itching for 2023’s Burn, so if you start making travel arrangements a year in advance, we don’t blame you. Here are the best Instagram images from Burning Man 2022.

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Wait wait wait. You’re telling me Don’t Worry Darling is a real movie and not just a series of increasingly bizarre rumors and conflicts? Huh.

First, there was director Olivia Wilde replacing Shia LaBeouf with Harry Styles as the film’s male lead to “protect” star Florence Pugh (unless he quit before he was fired). Then there was the custody papers, and the lack of sex in the trailer, and Chris Pine zoning out during a press conference, and, of course, #Spitgate. Did Styles spit at / on Pine at the film’s premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival? It looks like it! But only one woman (who is not dating a singer from One Direction) knows for sure.

New evidence is now being rumored — in the form of a “mystery woman” who was sitting behind both actors and may have caught the entire exchange on her phone. Now, fans are taking to social media to demand the unknown woman come forward with her “conclusive” footage. According to photos taken at the event, the woman — who is seated two rows behind the “Watermelon Sugar” singer and Pine — was the closest person to the altercation except Wilde, who was looking the other way at the time.

Here she is:

In 1994, the Zapruder film, footage taken by Abraham Zapruder on the day that President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas, was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” That random lady’s blurry cell photo video had better be next.

(Via the New York Post)

At this point Don’t Worry Darling is best known for a seemingly endless parade of off-screen drama that started with director Olivia Wilde entering into a relationship with Harry Styles (while possibly still with Jason Sudeikis) and culminated in a messy display at the Venice Film Festival where Styles may or may not have spit on Chris Pine while Florence Pugh did not comment upon a rumored feud between herself and Olivia Wilde, which may or not have to do with Shia LaBeouf unveiling a ton of receipts that prove he was never fired. And that’s just the highlights!

But setting aside the heaping mountain of drama, is the movie actually good? Does Don’t Worry Darling transcend everything that’s happening with its stars and directors? The answer: Not so much.

Don’t Worry Darling is receiving tepid reviews, but all with a common theme: Pugh and Pine are stellar in what’s otherwise a pretty mediocre film. Also, it’s nearly impossible to read a single review that doesn’t mention the off-screen chaos, but we did our best to zero in on what the critics are saying about the film itself:

Kate Erbland, IndieWire:

[The plot twist is] disingenuous, easy, cheeky — much like the film itself, which starts off strong before crumbling into baffling storytelling choices made worse by the revolting intentions behind them. More frustrating is that the film also offers stunning craft work, a wonderfully immersive quality, and one of star Florence Pugh’s best performances yet. Too bad about the rest of it.

Pete Hammond, Deadline:

On its own terms Don’t Worry Darling is actually quite entertaining if you’re in the mood, even if Wilde’s candy-coated psychological thriller doesn’t rewrite the rules of the genre in any significant way. It is sort of a cross between Get Out, The Stepford Wives and Rosemary’s Baby with a ’50s swinging Rat Pack vibe thrown in for good measure.

Steph Green, BBC:

Olivia Wilde’s second stint in the director’s chair holds a stiletto to the throat of 1950s optimism, taking the plastic off the metaphorical sofa to expose the dangers of deifying an era where women are second-class citizens. The issue with Don’t Worry Darling, however, is that it is frequently rudimentary and repetitious – hammering home the same basic point about gender politics while a dulled supporting cast fails to add much colour to the story’s margins.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety:

Between the pop ambition, the tasty dream visuals, and the presence of Harry Styles in his first lead role, “Don’t Worry Darling” should have no trouble finding an audience. But the movie takes you on a ride that gets progressively less scintillating as it goes along.

Brian Truitt, USA Today:

Pugh, like she’s done with “Black Widow,” “Midsommar” and others, continues to make everything she’s in better – and, boy howdy, it’s needed here as the plot grows more convoluted. She takes Alice from ever-doting to paranoid conspiracy theorist and back again, making both happiness and terror feel impressively authentic in a waxwork world.

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter:

The high-concept, low-satisfaction psychological thriller marks an ambitious upgrade in scope for Wilde from the character-driven coming-of-age comedy of Booksmart, and she handles the physical aspects of the project with assurance. It’s just a shame all the effort has gone into a script without much of that 2019 debut’s disarming freshness.

Marlow Stern, The Daily Beast:

Don’t Worry Darling is more than anything a showcase for Pugh who, as in her previous Midsommar, has mastered the art of embodying gaslit women who slowly unravel. She captures Alice’s torment and rebellion with gusto, as in a scene—arguably the best in the film—where she goes toe-to-toe with Pine at a dinner party. It is unfortunate, then, that Styles struggles to match her go-for-broke intensity.

Brian Formo, Collider:

Don’t Worry Darling is best as a surface-level matinée thriller with a few follow-up ahas. But it doesn’t sting like it should in the end. Darling chooses to girlboss when it could’ve sucker punched. But it’s still way more watchable than many terminally online people already believe it to be.

Don’t Worry Darling opens in theaters on September 23.

Daniel Dae Kim walked away from his now-defunct series Hawaii Five-0 five years ago unsure of what was to come. But by trusting his path and maintaining his work ethic, his star has only shown brighter over the past half-decade. These days, he’s in the enviable position of being in demand in Hollywood, currently starring in the AMC+ animated series Pantheon in which he voices the recently-deceased father of main character Maddie. The show is just one of a diverse line-up of projects that Kim has knocked out over the past few years, including the television series The Hot Zone, Joe Penna’s space thriller Stowaway, and the upcoming live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender in which he plays, Firelord OzaiLuckily.

Kim has plenty of energy for all of his endeavors — thanks, in part, to a strict dedication to health and wellness throughout the years.

“I am driven to tell stories that I am going to be proud of,” says Kim.”And there are plenty more that I want to tell.”

More action movies and shows are sure to be in Kim’s mix of projects. Which doesn’t intimidate the 54-year-old even a little bit. His commitment to healthy practices on the road and at home in Hawaii prepares him for whatever the future holds.

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How do you manage to keep yourself operating at your best for all these new opportunities? And more travel than ever?

I do a number of things, over the years. One important one is that I always eat breakfast no matter where I am in the world. If I am getting up from a sleep I am eating something, because it helps my body regulate. And it keeps me in a routine. I find it important to having energy throughout the day, because your body needs something to burn.

What’s a typical breakfast?

I know there is a whole thing about avoiding carbs, but I need carbs in the morning. I will do some granola with milk or yogurt and fruit. I don’t want a lot of heavy protein in my body at the very beginning of a busy day. That is not to say that I won’t indulge in a little bacon and eggs from time to time. I don’t drink any caffeine. I don’t really have an addictive personality, and I started to see all of my friends chugging coffee that never really had an appeal to me, which makes it even more important to have food in my stomach. I even love the smell of coffee, but I never felt like the taste lived up to the smell.

What other things do you do to keep a strong foundation?

I am big on taking my vitamins, which I make sure are sourced as organically as possible. I have a weekly vitamin container. I will do a multivitamin, antioxidants. I am also a big fan of vitamin D3. Because everything is natural, the pills are absolutely massive. My wife likes to call them my horse pills. I find that if I do those kinds of things at the same point of the day, no matter where I am and no matter what timezone I am in, it gets my body a better chance to get acclimated.

I use them as an indicator to when the morning is beginning.

How do you make sure to get enough sleep?

I am a big fan of the power nap. If I can grab 25 or 35 minutes somewhere it really helps get me through a long day or night.

Did you always have the ability to crash in the middle of the day?

I had to teach myself but I found it difficult in the beginning. One thing that helped me get there was to start meditating. The intro to meditation wasn’t some kind of grand zen thing, I just shut off all of my machines, put everything on do not disturb, and just tried to empty my mind for a while. I visualized my mind emptying, and before long I was feeling myself releasing things. It feels like you are emptying the cache on your laptop or website. Things just move faster after.

When did you start that practice?

I started to do that about four or five years ago when I was starting to do more international travel in this phase of my career. Of course when I was starting out, and I was a lot younger, I could take red eyes around the world and take a meeting right after getting off the plane. Now that I am a bit older, it takes a little bit longer to get the synapses firing again.

How often are you in the gym?

Getting into the gym has always been a part of my lifestyle, even before people started saying that training needs to be a lifestyle to be effective. That has just always been how I planned my weeks, making sure that I did something. That is not to say that there isn’t some sort of vanity aspect, but more than anything it is about the benefits that it has to me mentally.

Do you work with a trainer or develop your own routines?

I have never worked out with a personal trainer on a consistent basis. I will go to one when I want to change something up. I started working out in high school when I played football, there are elements of that programming that I still use, but there are methods that have changed since then. I am constantly trying to adapt. There are times that I work out for maintenance, and there are times that I am working to change my physique.

How often do you decide to change things up?

I do it often. I don’t just train to train, I am usually working to get better at something. I also play tennis regularly. Living in Hawaii also comes with the huge benefit of being able to run outside almost every day of the year, which is another favorite pastime. I started taking these classes in Honolulu which are based in functional training. There a lot of athletes who work out there in the off-season, like MMA fighters and NFL players.

What do you like about that kind of training?

I find those kinds of workouts really great because they are based in purpose. I am not going to lie to you, they destroyed me. It is easy to workout the show muscles, and the more traditional targets, like the biceps. But these workouts target those secondary and supporting muscle groups that don’t get that same kind of love. Back when I was doing more sports, I was working more on my fast twitch muscles. I have been running a lot more the past few years, so I decided that it was time to address another aspect of those muscles.

Do you find it difficult to keep up with your training when on the road?

There is no doubt it is more difficult, not just because of your internal clock, but because most hotel gyms aren’t all that. For that reason, I always have a jump rope on me, because it is an effective workout wherever I go and a great way to get a sweat happening.

How does working out make you feel these days?

I don’t know a world without training. I honestly think the key is to keep doing it, once you stop you are setting yourself up for a losing battle. I think you age faster if you aren’t taking care of yourself on that level. I just feel better after I work out. The one thing that I am addicted to is endorphins, and there is no quicker way to experience those than getting a workout in or doing some sort of outdoor activity. I have often regretted not working out, but I have never regretted working out.

There were some great stunts you were a part of in Hellboy, do you still want to do more action flicks like that?

I will always be as physical as they will allow me to be. Even on Hawaii Five-0 I wanted to do everything that I was allowed to do. But there is no mistaking that I am a step or two slower than I used to be and my strikes aren’t necessarily as crisp as they used to be. [Laughs] For a guy my age, to be able to do what I am still able to do, I feel very lucky. I have heard that I don’t look my age, but I know that I don’t feel my age.