‘It’s All One Giant Charade’: Steroids and Hollywood’s Drive for Super(hero)-Perfection

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Movie stars like Hugh Jackman insist they’re not using steroids — but why does it matter so much?

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Hugh Jackman in "Deadpool & Wolverine" (Marvel Studios)

It started with the social media speculation. “Natty or Not?” people asked, questioning whether Hugh Jackman could possibly have avoided taking steroids to produce the eye-popping physique on display in “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Being “natty” — meaning, natural — seemed important to Jackman, 55, who has repeatedly denied using any chemical or hormone enhancements to create the gleaming sharp cuts in his abdomen, and the veins rippling around his muscled arms as “Wolverine.”

The Internet, as usual, was skeptical.

“Steroids. It’s steroids,” influencer Noam Blum wrote on X. “I don’t know why everyone still insists on this weird industry-wide denial. It’s fine.

Umberto Gonzalez

Umberto has been covering the fanboy beat & breaking scoops for 20 years with numerous Hollywood trade, newspaper, & magazine mentions to his credit. Umberto has been profiled in such publications as The Washington Post, Variety and Grantland.

Sharon Knolle

Sharon Knolle is an award-winning TV Reporter at TheWrap. She has covered entertainment news for more than 20 years for outlets including Moviefone, IMDb, USA Today, Variety, Us Weekly, Paste and the Sundance Institute. She can be reached at sharon.knolle@thewrap.com or on Twitter at @sknolle

Comments

5 responses to “‘It’s All One Giant Charade’: Steroids and Hollywood’s Drive for Super(hero)-Perfection”

  1. Skip Avatar
    Skip

    No mention of RFK? He looks really scary and his facial skin alone tells the story. 

    Reply
  2. RM Avatar
    RM

    Lets be fair. Even with steroids, testosterone, HGH, or any other PEDs, if you don’t put in the work, they won’t help much. They are not some magic pill, far from it. Even with the aid of performance enhancers, it takes an incredible amount of consistent work and dedication to look good, put on muscle, and be fit. There is no silver bullet.

    Reply
  3. David Rowell Avatar
    David Rowell

    As a former non-competitive bodybuilder I’ve been saying this for decades…

    Hollywood’s “hard workers” who build god-like physiches are simply using AAS, growth hormone, etc to “get swole”.

    (Just like athletes have been trying to do for 50+ years…)

    Reply
    1. Lincoln Hawk Avatar
      Lincoln Hawk

      Every last one of these guys pretending onscreen to be superheroes are taking 2,3 and probably 4 or 5 different chemicals to promote muscle gain and reduce bodyfat. It’s become so obvious to the trained eye now that it’s laughable when these actors go on the record and claim they’re just eating their Wheaties and spending 4 hours a day in the gym. Puleeeze

      Reply
  4. Dan R Avatar
    Dan R

    Yes, if the stars admit using steroid their career in Hollywood is over, but they can always cross the street to the porn industry and use their chiseled bodies properly.

    Reply

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