Kwon
2005-08-23, 07:37
It didn't take long for Mr. Levrone, a four-time Mr. Olympia runner-up himself, to catch the acting bug. Following the governor's advice, he changed his diet and dropped 55 pounds from his massive frame, topping out at 215 pounds, which Mr. Schwarzenegger suggested as a suitable "acting weight."
Soon afterward, Mr. Levrone landed his first starring role in the movie "Backlash," in which he plays a hired assassin with a penchant for wine and poetry. His character, Turk, is the movie's lead villain.
"Backlash" is being filmed in California and is expected to wrap at the end of the month, with a planned release in January. Mr. Levrone was able to travel to Trinidad while shooting the film and hopes to parlay his experience into a full-blown acting career.
Starring in the female lead is Danielle Burgio, known in Hollywood for her stunt work in movies like "The Matrix" and "Pearl Harbor."
Ken Shamrock, known for his skill in the popular hand-to-hand combat Ultimate Fighting Championships, which gave him his nickname "The World's Most Dangerous Man," takes part in a major fight scene with Mr. Levrone.
"We have some confrontation and I've got to take some guys out," Mr. Levrone kidded about the fight scene.
But he's serious about his acting and his fighting techniques. Mr. Levrone spent weeks with a professional stunt choreographer in preparation for the movie. He also honed his acting skills with drama coach Milton Katselas, who has helped people like George Clooney, Alec Baldwin, Tom Selleck and Michelle Pfeiffer become household names.
Mr. Levrone said acting helps him deal with his troubled past. He lost his parents at a young age and says he feeds off such memories when playing a role.
"Everything that I grew up around, that I saw, I apply it to my acting," Mr. Levrone said. "It's a very deep thing. I enjoy it. It's a way to express yourself."
In bodybuilding, Mr. Levrone said, audiences only saw his outward appearances.
"Everything was on the outside," he said, adding acting "lets them feel you come across."
Asked if he plans to follow his mentor's lead later in life and run for governor, Mr. Levrone said no way.
He'll run for president.
Soon afterward, Mr. Levrone landed his first starring role in the movie "Backlash," in which he plays a hired assassin with a penchant for wine and poetry. His character, Turk, is the movie's lead villain.
"Backlash" is being filmed in California and is expected to wrap at the end of the month, with a planned release in January. Mr. Levrone was able to travel to Trinidad while shooting the film and hopes to parlay his experience into a full-blown acting career.
Starring in the female lead is Danielle Burgio, known in Hollywood for her stunt work in movies like "The Matrix" and "Pearl Harbor."
Ken Shamrock, known for his skill in the popular hand-to-hand combat Ultimate Fighting Championships, which gave him his nickname "The World's Most Dangerous Man," takes part in a major fight scene with Mr. Levrone.
"We have some confrontation and I've got to take some guys out," Mr. Levrone kidded about the fight scene.
But he's serious about his acting and his fighting techniques. Mr. Levrone spent weeks with a professional stunt choreographer in preparation for the movie. He also honed his acting skills with drama coach Milton Katselas, who has helped people like George Clooney, Alec Baldwin, Tom Selleck and Michelle Pfeiffer become household names.
Mr. Levrone said acting helps him deal with his troubled past. He lost his parents at a young age and says he feeds off such memories when playing a role.
"Everything that I grew up around, that I saw, I apply it to my acting," Mr. Levrone said. "It's a very deep thing. I enjoy it. It's a way to express yourself."
In bodybuilding, Mr. Levrone said, audiences only saw his outward appearances.
"Everything was on the outside," he said, adding acting "lets them feel you come across."
Asked if he plans to follow his mentor's lead later in life and run for governor, Mr. Levrone said no way.
He'll run for president.