Breaking Bad Star Carmen Serano in Workout Gear Shares "Magical Moments"

The dead are alive! Here we delve into the fitness and lifestyle secrets of the beloved cast from the iconic show. From Andrew Lincoln's stamina-focused training for his role as Rick Grimes to Norman Reedus's relaxed approach for Darryl Dixon, each star brings a unique perspective to maintaining their health under the demanding conditions of filming. Lauren Cohan champions exercise variety, while Danai Gurira emphasizes wellbeing through varied workouts. Jeffery Dean Morgan finds fitness in farm life, and Melissa McBride reflects on the show's impact.

1. Andrew Lincoln

Shutterstock

Andrew Lincoln played Rick Grimes on the show. In a 2012 interview with Men’s Health, he shared his approach for training for the series. Lincoln revealed that stamina is the main thing he values. "Of course, I want to be in good shape and be fit, but I want to have stamina. It's not an exercise in vanity. It's about being able to do stuff.”

2. Norman Reedus

Shutterstock

Norman Reedus plays fan-favorite character Darryl Dixon, which lead to him getting a spin-off. He shared his fitness secrets with Men’s Journal. “I have a trainer in New York I use every so often when I’m getting ready to go back on the show. Nothing too specific. I just try to shed any holiday pounds and get my mind right. When I’m down there [in Atlanta], I have a gym in my house, so I try to work out when I can, but sometimes when you work so many hours all you can do is get home and fall on your face. I’m also running through the woods in 103° heat and my crossbow weighs a ton, and I’m always riding bikes and building things, so the pounds melt off.”

3. Lauren Cohan

Shutterstock

Lauren Cohan played Maggie Greene on the show. She shared her fitness routine with Shape Magazine. "I am the queen of exercise variety. This week I was in L.A. and I took a Pure Barre class, went to Burn 60 [an interval workout class] twice, ran the track at UCLA, made it to the gym, and took a yoga class. I also really love to dance. I dance through workouts that aren't even about dancing! At home, all my furniture is pushed to the edges of my living room so that I can dance around the room.”

4. Danai Gurira

Shutterstock

Danai Gurira played the fan-favorite character, Michonne, on the show. She shared her approach to fitness with Women’s Health. “If I haven’t worked out, if I haven’t exercised and connected with my body in some way, it chips away at my feeling of well-being,” she says. “It might be lifting weights, it might be boxing, it might be something a little less intense. There’s no need to break records tomorrow. It’s just about slowly finding what feels good and what feels rewarding.”

5. Jeffery Dean Morgan

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Jeffery Dean Morgan played the villainous Negan on the show. He and his wife, Hilarie Burton, live on a farm. Morgan tells Men’s Journal that he likes to chop wood. “I’m a little bit obsessed with it. I love an ax, but I recently got a log splitter, which has changed my life as I near 55.”

6. Melissa McBride

Shutterstock

Melissa McBride plays Carol Peletier on the show. She talked about the impact the show has had to AMC.com. “I think being a part of something that sort of just took over, it still has not quite settled in my mind. I understand how big the show is. I experienced how big it got and that's maybe why it's hard to fathom that I’m a part of it. It's bigger and more unexpected than I ever could have imagined, and I still have not quite grasped that I am indeed a part of this massive thing. I think one of these days, maybe even years from now, I will look back with a different perspective. You know, see the whole of it.”

7. Jon Bernthal

Shutterstock

Jon Bernthal plays Shane Walsh on the show. He also stars on The Punisher and shared his workout secrets for the show with Men’s Journal. “Today we got up at 4 in the morning. Usually we’ll start with a little strength work, whether it is taking on squats or the bench press, doing five sets of three at the maximum weight. There’s a lot of supersetting, and bodybuilding weight practices. Then we work on a lot of MetCon [metabolic conditioning], doing as many rounds as we can, trying to get each movement just right. It will usually be about five or six full-body moves, like pull-ups or cleans. We’ll do that for somewhere around 20 minutes or so. Then in the afternoon we’ll do boxing or jiu jitsu workouts between scenes. I always want to box, but they really try to keep me working my whole body as much as possible. On top of that, learning the fights for the show or weapons training is almost a whole other workout on top of that. So it probably works out to three separate big, different workouts a day. It’s pretty gnarly.”

8. Christian Serratos

Shutterstock

Christian Serratos plays Rosita Espinosa on the show. She shared some of her skincare secrets with The Cut. “I started double-cleansing probably around the time my daughter was born, because I noticed that when I would wipe my face dry on a towel after cleansing, I still had makeup around my hairline or the edges of my face. And I was mostly annoyed with the fact that the makeup was getting on my towels.”

9. Michael Rooker

Shutterstock

In addition to playing Merle Dixon on The Walking Dead, Michael Rooker also plays Yondu in the Guardians of The Galaxy franchise. He talked about doing his own stunts with Smashing Interviews. “I didn’t do a lot of major action stuff in this one. I like doing physical stuff, but this was easy enough for me. I really didn’t have many major fights. Yondu is just … you don’t want to mess with this cat. His weapon of choice is pretty powerful, so you don’t want to screw around with the guy. He’s a tough old boy.”

10. Alanna Masterson

Shutterstock

Alanna Masterson plays Tara Chambler on the show. After having her daughter, Masterson was subjected to body-shaming. However, she hit back on Instagram. “Dear Instagram trolls, body shamers, and the men and woman who think it's ok to comment on my weight: I hope that you don't have children. And if you do, I hope you teach them about kindness and acceptance. I hope they learn that it isn't ok to make fun of people or call people names.”

11. Khary Payton

Shutterstock

Khary Payton played Ezekiel on the show. He shared how he stayed in shape on the show to Muscle and Fitness. “We film in Atlanta where it’s hot and humid, and I lose weight if I’m not doing something. So I have this CrossFit-style regimen that’s just 20 minutes. I do five pullups, 10 pushups, and 15 body-weight squats. I do as many rounds as I can in 20 minutes. By the time I get halfway through, I’ve got to cheat on the pullups. By the time I’m done, I’m in a pool of sweat on the floor. My best is nine rounds.”

12. Austin Amelio

Shutterstock

Austin Amelio played Dwight on the show. In an interview, he revealed that he has adopted a vegan diet. “I watched that documentary ‘What the Health’ ten days ago, and the next day I was like, ‘I’m done.’ It’s been 10 days, completely vegan the whole entire time, and I feel better than I felt like in years.”

13. Tom Payne

Shutterstock

Tom Payne, who played Jesus, works with trainer Tom Fitzgerald on his diet and exercise. Fitzgerald told The Hollywood Reporter that Payne eats a lot of protein. “Most people would need a period of ‘cutting in’ after a program like this,” Fitzgerald explains. “However, Tom has such a fast metabolism that just keeping up the calories is the main challenge; losing fat in order to show muscular definition happens almost automatically.”

14. Lauren Ridloff

Shutterstock

Lauren Ridloff played Connie on the show. She revealed to Shape that she is training to run the New York City Marathon, and shared her reasons for doing so. "It was more about meditation," she says. "It was about reentering myself and problem solving, troubleshooting, all of those things...You know, my mind just wanders [when I run]. I never know where it's gonna go, which is quite nice."

15. Steven Yuen

Shutterstock

Steven Yuen played fan-favorite character, Glenn Rhee. He told The Guardian that he wants to represent the Asian community through his work. “Where I try and speak from as an actor is always feeling, I guess, isolated. I warred with that for a lot of my life – of feeling disconnected from a system, a majority, or a group. I deeply wanted to connect, so I would bend and twist and break myself to try and conform.”

The White Lotus cast is steaming up social media in their swimsuits. Meghann Fahy shared a photo of some of the actors and actresses from the show’s second season, lounging on the beaches of Italy in their bathing suits. “Sizzley Sicily,” she captioned the photo, which included Simona Tabasco, Aubrey Plaza, Leo Woodall, Adam DiMarco, Haley Lu Richardson, and Beatrice Granno. How do the cast members stay so fit? Read on to see 7 ways the cast of The White Lotus stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

1. Meghann Fahy Hydrates

Meghann Fahy’s top tip? Hydration. “I down a massive Yeti water bottle, pre-coffee. Hydrating myself is key. I drink so much more water than I even care to drink because I think that it really really helps me get through those 14-, 15-, 16-hour days that we pull sometimes. It helps mentally and physically, and it’s great for my skin,” she told Women’s Health. “On days I can sleep till 7:00, I go to Orangetheory or run. I live in [Brooklyn], so I run by the water a lot,”

2. Simona Tabasco Loves Outdoor Exercise

True to her last name, Simona Tabasco likes to keep things spicy and even has a [chili-pepper tattoo on her forearm]. “Yes! I love it,” she told Vulture about being named after hot sauce. “I love that it’s in my name and part of me. But specifically, it reflects my personality — or at least half of it. There’s a side to me that’s quite quirky and spicy.” She also enjoys outdoor exercise. Two of her favorite forms of fitness? Swimming and hiking.

3. Haley Lu Richardson Dances

Fun fact: Haley Lu Richardson was a competitive dancer before she became famous, and it is still her go-to fitness form. “I danced for like eight or nine years. I was super focused and committed to that; all I did was go to school and then dance and get no sleep. That’s when I learned about self-motivation and committing to something, and also about how much I love entertaining and telling stories. And I think dance and acting have those things in common,” she told The Last Magazine.

4. Leo Woodall Hikes

Leo Woodall enjoys hiking. “Still sore from getting that Uber to the tippy top,” he joked about his Runyon Canyon hike in Los Angeles. Physical benefits of taking a hike include building stronger muscles and bones, improving your sense of balance, improving your heart health, and decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems. It also offers many mental health benefits, according to a Stanford University study.

5. Aubrey Plaza Loves Yoga

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Aubrey Plaza explained to The Cut that she believes wellness is “being conscious of what you’re putting into your body and on your body, and taking care of yourself.” She starts her day with water, followed by a smoothie, coffee, and ginger tea. As for her workouts, she loves yoga and basketball. “I’ve been playing since I was a kid,” she said.

6. Adam DiMarco Plays Basketball

Aubrey isn’t the only White Lotus star who shoots hoops. Adam DiMarco also stays in shape with the help of basketball.

7. Beatrice Granno Walks

Beatrice Granno loves to go for walks, a great way to stay in shape according to science. One study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.

Go behind the scenes of the popular series Narcos and delves into the physical transformations and personal journeys of its talented cast. From Diego Luna's reflections on life after Star Wars to Alyssa Diaz's immersive experiences researching her role as an LAPD officer, this glimpse into the lives of the stars reveals the dedication they bring to their characters. Pedro Pascal's mental and physical transformation for his role in The Last Of Us, Stephanie Sigman's balanced approach to diet, and Boyd Holbrook's dramatic fitness regimen showcase the lengths these actors go to embody their roles.

1. Diego Luna

Shutterstock

Diego Luna plays Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo on Narcos: Mexico. He has also appeared in Star Wars: Rogue One, and talked about taking roles after that to The Guardian. “I was naive at the beginning. I thought: ‘Of course, after Rogue One I can do whatever I want and put it out there.’ No. You can do another Rogue One, or something of that scale, but it doesn’t mean you can go back and do a tiny film and have it released in the same way, or given the same sort of push.”

2. Alyssa Diaz

Presley Ann/Getty Images

In addition to playing Mika Camarena on Narcos: Mexico, Alyssa Diaz also appeared on The Rookie. She talked about training for the latter role to BriefTake.com. “Because I’m playing an officer, I did a few ride-alongs with the LAPD. I did a couple of those and I got to talk to some female sergeants and female officers and really got their take on being female in a male dominated work force. I asked them what it’s like to date, and what it’s like being a Mom, when you’re managing being an officer. What surprised me, in talking with the female officers, was learning how much is at stake at any given moment. Your life can change in a moment. Whether you’re training as a rookie or you’re a regular officer with a partner, the people that you work with become your family. Those people have a deep understanding of your life that an outsider just wouldn’t. We also did training, so all of that helped me get into character. Plus the uniform also helps because you feel the weight of the belt and the gun and the pepper spray and the baton. Every character is a little different in how I find my way in, but really getting to their base in terms of what makes them who they are, and then I just keep building from there.”

3. Pedro Pascal

Shutterstock

Pedro Pascal played Javier Pena on Narcos. He also stars on The Last Of Us. To get in shape for the latter role, Pascal worked with trainer David Higgins. “It was about being mobile and strong and and efficient with his movements,” Higgins told GQ. “It was grounded in the character more than anything else. He was playing a sort of tough, hard man so it was more of a mental transformation.”

4. Stephanie Sigman

Shutterstock

Stephanie Sigman played Valeria Velez on Narcos. She opened up about her diet in an interview with The Standard. “There’s nothing I don’t eat,” Sigman said. “I can cook, but I keep it simple. When I’m at home, I eat healthy food like fish and salad, but I have a sweet tooth and I love dark chocolate.”

5. Kerry Bishe

Shutterstock

Kerry Bishe played Christina Jurado on Narcos. She talked about her approach to playing a character to Backstage.com. “One of the ways that I think about my being an artist and an actor is…it’s an experiment. I want to find out why you are this way, why you behave that way, why I feel the way I feel, and what does it mean?”

6. Boyd Holbrook

Shutterstock

Boyd Holbrook played Steve Murphy on Narcos: Mexico. He also appeared in the film Logan, and talked about training for the role with Men’s Journal. “I started getting 4,000 calories a day and stopped eating carbs and sugar, which is the devil. I also cut out smoking and drinking. I ended up putting on 25 pounds of muscle.”

7. Martina Garcia

Shutterstock

Martina Garcia had a recurring role as Maritza on Narcos. She talked about wanting to see a variety of roles for Latina actresses with E! News. “I know it wasn't easy for any of them. Sofía Vergara is another actress that is also smart, funny and beautiful. I admire them all because they're all so different. I think it's important to have different Latinas in Hollywood. There are a lot of ways of being Latina and I believe the world is starting to see that.”

8. Ana de la Reguera

Shutterstock

Ana de la Reguera played the recurring role of Elisa Alvarez on Narcos. She shared her skincare tips in an interview with The Bare Magazine. “I go to the dermatologist a lot. I’ve been going for 14 years. I go two or three times a year and do facials, lasers, and radiofrequency. I spend a lot of money with my dermatologist and maintain with whatever he gives me. I use eye cream, toner, serum and, obviously, sunblock. My dermatologist gave me a good tip: Always refresh your skin with cold water, because heat can cause dark spots.”

9. Beau Mirchoff

Shutterstock

Beau Mirchoff played Steve Sheridan on Narcos: Mexico. He talked about getting in shape for Now Apocalypse to AOL. “I wasn’t in the best of shape,” Mirchoff admitted. “I mean, I was in fine shape, but the script says that this character is ‘a statue of David in impeccable shape.’ I had been traveling around a lot at the time, and Gregg was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to get in shape. I was like, "How much time do we have? Six weeks? Perfect, don’t worry about it." So, I lived at the gym. I was doing two-a-days and a diet of basically high protein and counting my calories. Eating clean.”

10. Sosie Bacon

Shutterstock

Sosie Bacon plays Mimi Webb Miller on Narcos: Mexico. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Bacon talked about her career, and what advice her parents, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, gave her. “I think it's more a general encouragement to trust my own instincts, more than anything. I think that we are the only people that know what we should do. That's been from probably, namely, my mom. That's the best advice that you can get—check in, talk, listen, take your own kind of advice.”

11. Wagner Moura

Shutterstock

Wagner Moura played Pablo Escobar on Narcos. He talked about the diet he was on while working on the show to NPR. Moura says that he turned to a vegan diet to lose weight for the show’s second season. “Doing the vegan diet wasn’t only about losing weight, but getting rid of that character, you know, getting rid of that energy that I was having to live with for two years.”

1. Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar played the title character. In an interview with Shape, she talked about how her approach to fitness has changed. "I think it's become more emotional. [Exercise] used to be, sort of, 'I have to do this, this is my job, this is work.' But I think there's an emotional component too, which is, it's what clears my mind. When I work out for an hour, I can sort of let everything else go, and I just focus on whatever the movement is and making sure it's correct.”

2. Alyson Hannigan

Alyson Hannigan played one of the main characters, Willow Rosenberg. She recently appeared on Dancing With The Stars, making it to the finale with partner Sasha Farber. Hannigan opened up about her weight loss from the show on Instagram. She captioned the post, “The before and after says it all. I lost 20 pounds of both weight and emotional baggage during my time on @dancingwiththestars. I can’t thank @sashafarber1 enough for helping me shed my insecurities and getting me to the confident and strong place I am today!”

3. Charisma Carpenter

Charisma Carpenter played Cordelia Chase on both Buffy and Angel. She shared some of her fitness secrets in an interview with OK! Magazine. “I train with a trainer regularly. I love my trainer Mark Monroe. He mixes it up. We did some boxing the other day. I brought my son to work out because he’s out of school and we had a lapse between summer camp and school. Sometimes we do that together. We’ll do an outdoor workout when he comes along.”

4. David Boreanaz

Shutterstock

David Boreanaz played Angel on the show, and his own spinoff. His most recent role was on the CBS show Seal Team. Boreanaz shared how he got in shape for the show to Men’s Journal. He revealed that the crew has special forces members that help the cast train. “I can’t explain how crucial they have been to the character,” Boreanaz said. “During these operations they can’t go below 100 percent, they are always going and burning. I get so much out of being around those guys, and it pushes me to work harder.”

5. Michelle Trachtenberg

Getty Images

Michelle Trachtenberg joined the show as Dawn Summers in season five. In an Instagram post, she revealed that she was bullied as a child due to her acting career. Trachtenberg gave her advice to others in similar situations in the post. “I write this to every child, teen, person out there who is bullied. You are something. Do not put your value in someone else. Not letting them win, is your win.”

6. James Marsters

Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

James Marsters, who played Spike on the show and on Angel, talked about what he wants people to take from the series to The AV Club. “It began just as the story of an adolescent who’s going through a period in her life where she realizes that the world is messed up, her parents don’t always know what they’re talking about, her teachers don’t always know the subject matter they’re teaching, and we’re going to watch to see if she gives up. If she’s going to continue to try to find answers and engage with the world or just going to cocoon and give up. I think it’s well done enough that someone who’s older or younger than that can still identify with that and say, ‘Oh, I know what that feels like.’ It’s hard to wake up every morning and not give up and [instead] say, ‘I’m going to try to help out today.’ I think that’s very important right now.”

7. Seth Green

Seth Green played Oz on the show. He talked about his long career and how grateful he is in an interview with Looper. “I've been really lucky to have consistently gotten to work with people that I'm inspired by and been able to collaborate with friends of mine. And I got to a point where I made enough money where I could be far more specific about the choices I was making and only work on things that I could predict would be a positive experience or would be something I was truly passionate about. To that end, I love it all. Like, I can't even believe looking back that I've gotten to do the work that I have, and I am eternally grateful for that.”

8. Bianca Lawson

Bianca Lawson played the role of Kendra in season two. She shared her secrets for getting good sleep with Glamour. “I’m someone that loves to feel like I’m sleeping on a cloud, so a very soft mattress, very soft pillows, a weighted blanket, has been really helpful to me. Sometimes I play a rain app since there’s something that feels very cozy about listening to rain or the sound of waves. I need to have blackout curtains. I can’t have any lights on.”

9. Emma Caulfield

Emma Caulfield joined the show in season three, playing Anya Jenkins. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she revealed that she has MS, and talked about why she wanted to talk about this. "I’m so tired of not being honest. And beyond that, my daughter has changed my perspective, as I think anybody who is a parent can attest…Truthfully, my attitude is not crumbling under the fear of ‘what if’ or ‘what can,’ or ‘what has’ for other people. I just have to keep going.”

10. Julie Benz

Julie Benz played the recurring character Darla on the show. During the pandemic, she made sure to work out from home. Benz revealed in this Instagram video that she uses workout apps, captioning it, “Working out from home using the @bodybysimone app!! Dogs not included! Stay healthy, stay strong, be kind and WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!” In the video, Benz is seen jumping on a treadmill and doing plank walks.

11. Eliza Dushku

Jim Spellman/WireImage

Eliza Dushku played the fan-favorite character, Faith Lehane, in season three. She notably spoke out about being sexually harassed by a co-star, Michael Weatherly. This led to her testifying in front of the House Judiciary Committee. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she talked about what she took away from the experience. “With mandatory arbitration clauses, there's no accountability, no transparency. And so it continues. And that affects the culture both at specific workplaces and as a whole. If you keep harassment shrouded, that allows harassment to continue. We can heal from this, but the healing will come from action—from, hopefully, Congress choosing to act and protect future victims.”