Alex Pettyfer: I Gained 27 Pounds for Magic Mike

Alex Pettyfer worked hard to get his body in shape for Magic Mike. Too hard.

In the August issue of Men's Health UK, the 22-year-old actor reveals he went overboard after being asked to "put on a bit of weight" for his role as a newbie stripper. "I started off at 169 lbs. and went up to 196 lbs. They told me I was too big, so in the end I had to take it back down to 185 lbs."

Sticking to a diet and exercise routine wasn't easy, Pettyfer recalls. "It was hard, particularly at the start, and I still remember not wanting to be in the gym. That's why I don't want to train at the moment."

VIDEO: Alex Pettyfer shows off his sexy body

Instead, the British actor -- who is currently engaged to Elvis Presley's granddaughter, Riley Keough, 23 -- is focused on furthering his film career. "I'm very ambitious. I live in reality but I have drea ms I want to fulfill. I want to be a director, and I've already started my own production company. But I also have a measure of success that I keep to myself. It's something very personal to me."

Calling his father "one of my biggest heroes," Pettyfer hopes to have a career similar to Paul Newman's. "I know a lot of people say that, but I love that he's a great role model and a humanitarian. I admire people who don't necessarily want to change the world, but try to make it a better environment."

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