Former Grange Hill and EastEnders actor Sean Maguire managed to carve out a career in the US with parts in sitcoms such as Eve starring the female rapper.
His graft paid off when he landed the lead role in current spoof movie Meet The Spartans. He plays Leonidas, a parody of Gerard Butler's 300's character, but his beefed up frame makes him almost unrecognisable from his soap days.
"I had to eat seven times a day and work out for four hours every day for a month," Maguire told Metro. "My life as I knew it ended. There was no alcohol, fat or sugar."
However, Maguire returned to his regular size, and habits, very quickly: "I came back to Britain and I was on my second pint in the pub when I fell over and broke my arm. I couldn't exercise, so I was back to my normal size almost as soon as we finished. It was so annoying."
Some might remember Maguire's brief post-EastEnders pop career which he recalls with much embarrassment: "I was on stage singing 'I want to hold your hand and kiss you, woo woo woo' I felt like an idiot. People would come up to me on the street everyday and say 'you're crap.'"
Meet The Spartans is in cinemas now.