The actor says he trained for six weeks for the scene and was "the most in shape" he’s ever been!
Though the Duffer Brothers -- the sibling team behind Netflix’s Stranger Things -- have gifted the world with some true ‘80s greatness, they aren’t necessarily merciful TV lords.
Sure, they may have given fans Steve Harrington and his epic evolution from jerky teen jock to world’s best babysitter, but actor Joe Keery, who brings Steve and his luscious locks to life, recently revealed that viewers could have seen a lot more of his character.
It turns out, when he wasn’t battling a Demogorgon (and no, we don’t mean Jonathan), Steve was supposed to be swimming laps in a Speedo!
“At the beginning of the first season, I got the part and I talked to the Duffer Brothers and they were saying, ‘Yeah, he’s going to be kind of this jock character and he’s a swimmer,’” Keery recalled on Wednesday's Late Night With Seth Meyers. “They had that incorporated in the thing. So, for the first six weeks prior to shooting, I was training, doing all this swimming prep. Also, I thought I was going to be in a Speedo -- it was a TV show. The first thing I ever did I was going to be in a Speedo.”
The 25-year-old actor trained hard so as not to be referred to as “Chunky Steve,” but it turns out his efforts were in vain. “Then we showed up the first day and they were like, ‘Oh no we cut that,’” he said. “It’s the most in shape I’ve ever been.”
After hearing this, fans may want to stick the Mind Flayer on the Duffers.
The creators did try to make up for the lack of abs with Steve’s extremely fitted ‘80s jeans. “They don’t tell you about that when they cast you – those jeans and how tight they’ll be,” Keery quipped. “The material’s like stretchy that they have for jeans now. It’s like nothing [back then]. It’s like you’re wearing a baseball glove. You’re having to duck and run around, but you’re trapped.”
Keery also opened up about his iconic mane, saying that he had his thick tresses long before signing on to the sci-fi series. “For a long time my dad was always on me about cutting my hair," he admitted. "‘Get a haircut, gel your hair. You’ve got to do something to get your hair to stay down. It’s too big, get it down! It’s too crazy.'"
For more from the Stranger Things cast, check out ET's exclusive interviews:
