'It was just physically f**king draining': Richard Madden details the strain of shooting Marvel's Eternals and confesses he's 'dying to do comedy' following legion of serious roles
Richard Madden has discussed the physical strain of shooting Chloé Zhao’s Marvel movie, Eternals, where he plays alien leader Ikaris.
The Scottish actor, 35, who is the face of Calvin Klein's new fragrance DEFY, spoke to Wonderland Magazine about the role and also admitted he is keen to explore comedy roles due to his serious typecasting.
Due to Ikaris being able to fly, he explained he was left drained, saying: 'There was a lot of time on wires because my character flies, which was just physically f**king draining', before discussing his comedy aspirations.
Alongside his chat, Richard posed for a series of smouldering snaps for the fashion bible as well as detailing his Scottish roots and wellness routine.
![Hunky: Richard Madden has discussed the physical strain of shooting Chloé Zhao¿s Marvel movie, Eternals, where he plays alien leader Ikaris](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/12/47558951-9962073-Hunky_Richard_Madden_has_discussed_the_physical_strain_of_shooti-a-12_1630929578130.jpg)
Hunky: Richard Madden has discussed the physical strain of shooting Chloé Zhao’s Marvel movie, Eternals, where he plays alien leader Ikaris
Richard joins an all-star cast on the new movie, with his co-stars including Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, Salma Hayek and Kumail Nanjiani.
The movie follows the titular race - The Eternals - a group of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have lived on Earth in secret for thousands of years and are made to reunite to battle the evil Deviants.
Speaking about the exhaustion of filming, he said: 'There was a lot of time on wires because my character flies, which was just physically f**king draining'.
'They're all very complicated people in Eternals, but hopefully that can also help us bring a lightness to some heavy subject matter in terms of the story because I think when you live that long you've got to have a bit of a smile to yourself...
![Wow! The Scottish actor, 35, who is the face of Calvin Klein's new fragrance DEFY, spoke to Wonderland Magazine about the role and also admitted he is keen to explore comedy roles due to his serious typecasting](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/12/47558917-9962073-Wow_The_Scottish_actor_35_who_is_the_face_of_Calvin_Klein_s_new_-a-13_1630929580849.jpg)
Wow! The Scottish actor, 35, who is the face of Calvin Klein's new fragrance DEFY, spoke to Wonderland Magazine about the role and also admitted he is keen to explore comedy roles due to his serious typecasting
![Ripped: Due to Ikaris being able to fly, he explained he was left drained, saying: 'There was a lot of time on wires because my character flies, which was just physically f**king draining', before discussing his comedy aspirations](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/10/47558979-9962073-image-a-2_1630920805974.jpg)
Ripped: Due to Ikaris being able to fly, he explained he was left drained, saying: 'There was a lot of time on wires because my character flies, which was just physically f**king draining', before discussing his comedy aspirations
![Hard work: The movie follows the titular race - The Eternals - a group of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have lived on Earth in secret for thousands of years and are made to reunite to battle the evil Deviants](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/12/47558943-9962073-Hard_work_The_movie_follows_the_titular_race_The_Eternals_a_grou-a-14_1630929585018.jpg)
Hard work: The movie follows the titular race - The Eternals - a group of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have lived on Earth in secret for thousands of years and are made to reunite to battle the evil Deviants
'You've got to laugh at life.'
On playing a more lighthearted role with comedy injected, following a history of serious parts, he said: 'I'm dying to do some more comedy, I want to do something fun...
'In Eternals, we tried to get moments of lightness all the way through it, being that we're dealing with the end of the world type feelings and atmospheres...
'It's hard to get that lightness but that's what's so important, to get these lighter moments when we can. I'd love to do some more comedies. I do feel like I end up playing a lot of serious things...
![Changing: On playing a more lighthearted role with comedy injected, following a history of serious parts, he said: 'I'm dying to do some more comedy, I want to do something fun'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/12/47558945-9962073-Changing_On_playing_a_more_lighthearted_role_with_comedy_injecte-a-15_1630929588704.jpg)
Changing: On playing a more lighthearted role with comedy injected, following a history of serious parts, he said: 'I'm dying to do some more comedy, I want to do something fun'
'I think it's not representative of me but you get affected with what you do, what you spend all your day doing, so that's why I'd love to do something lighter so my day is affected with lighter things rather than the end of the world stuff.'
Speaking about Marvel humanising superheroes, he continued: 'Yeah, that's the whole thing. That's what we want. In this, you get to see me in these huge costumes and in this kind of mad, superhero detached way..,
'Then we get to play with the element of just being people who have known each other for a long time, who, when you've experienced everything in the world, what is it they can learn? That's what we found interesting and humanising...
'Then we got dress up in there, the fun, which is real life isn't it?'
![New look: Speaking about Marvel humanising superheroes, he continued: 'Yeah, that's the whole thing. That's what we want. In this, you get to see me in these huge costumes and in this kind of mad, superhero detached way'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/12/47558927-9962073-New_look_Speaking_about_Marvel_humanising_superheroes_he_continu-a-16_1630929591354.jpg)
New look: Speaking about Marvel humanising superheroes, he continued: 'Yeah, that's the whole thing. That's what we want. In this, you get to see me in these huge costumes and in this kind of mad, superhero detached way'
![Changes: Speaking about life grinding to a halt when the pandemic hit 18 months ago, Richard said: 'If I'm not doing stuff, I always feel like I should be'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/12/47558935-9962073-Changes_Speaking_about_life_grinding_to_a_halt_when_the_pandemic-a-17_1630929595089.jpg)
Changes: Speaking about life grinding to a halt when the pandemic hit 18 months ago, Richard said: 'If I'm not doing stuff, I always feel like I should be'
On loving his career and work, he went on: 'I'm very lucky to be doing different things. My whole thing is just entertainment, whether it's amazing action, drama or a mad superhero movie that my nieces and nephews can have costumes of...
'In fact, maybe I'll make everyone dress up as me for Christmas this year.'
Speaking about life grinding to a halt when the pandemic hit 18 months ago, Richard said: 'If I'm not doing stuff, I always feel like I should be...
'I'd just finished shooting Eternals when lockdown happened so it was like, "Oh OK, I'm forced to not do anything"...
![Thrills: As a comic book fan, he confessed to being as excited as others, saying: 'I've always loved the Marvel universe and superhero movies so to be able to do it in the way that we did with this script and this film is really exciting'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/12/47558923-9962073-Thrills_As_a_comic_book_fan_he_confessed_to_being_as_excited_as_-a-18_1630929598319.jpg)
Thrills: As a comic book fan, he confessed to being as excited as others, saying: 'I've always loved the Marvel universe and superhero movies so to be able to do it in the way that we did with this script and this film is really exciting'
'I really needed that because I'm so used to surviving but here I didn't feel guilty about not doing something because no one was doing anything.'
As a comic book fan, he confessed to being as excited as others, saying: 'I've always loved the Marvel universe and superhero movies so to be able to do it in the way that we did with this script and this film is really exciting...
'It isn't just pixels versus pixels, we went on location so much and really tried to find a depth to these characters and the joy of them....
'They're all thousands of years old so rather than just being like, "Hey, I'm a comic book hero and that's the thing", the film has a story and delves into the complexity of what happens if you're alive for thousands of years.'
He detailed moving into a different universe following the roaring success of Game Of Thrones saying: 'I'm excited by it and I also know I have a huge responsibility because a lot of these fans have owned the characters before you have...
![Working hard: He detailed moving into a different universe following the roaring success of Game Of Thrones saying: 'I'm excited by it and I also know I have a huge responsibility because a lot of these fans have owned the characters before you have'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/13/47558919-9962073-Working_hard_He_detailed_moving_into_a_different_universe_follow-a-19_1630929604804.jpg)
Working hard: He detailed moving into a different universe following the roaring success of Game Of Thrones saying: 'I'm excited by it and I also know I have a huge responsibility because a lot of these fans have owned the characters before you have'
'They're theirs before they're yours so you don't want to fuck it up for them. But also you want to do your own interpretation...
'Hopefully what you're bringing to life is going to be something that they enjoy. I mean, everyone has got their own idea on it and I'm an interpreter just like the director is. Everyone is an interpreter, It's all a collaborative thing.
Speaking about his work with Calvin Klein, he went on: 'The whole thing with Calvin Klein started when we met in New York five years ago and we were just like, 'We want to work together!'...
![Hunky! Speaking about his work with Calvin Klein, he went on: 'The whole thing with Calvin Klein started when we met in New York five years ago and we were just like, 'We want to work together!'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/13/47558921-9962073-Hunky_Speaking_about_his_work_with_Calvin_Klein_he_went_on_The_w-a-20_1630929608952.jpg)
Hunky! Speaking about his work with Calvin Klein, he went on: 'The whole thing with Calvin Klein started when we met in New York five years ago and we were just like, 'We want to work together!'
'We don't know how we're going to do it or what we're going to do but we want to do something together and that was how Defy [fragrance] was born....
'This kind of concept of striving to be better, to exceed your own expectations of yourself is something I've always had from being younger...
'I must do better, I must risk failing, pushing myself. That's what's behind this fragrance and campaign, the idea of pushing yourself to be better than you think you can be, defying your own expectations of yourself.'
![The issue is available now at wonderlandshop.com](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/13/47558913-9962073-The_issue_is_available_now_at_wonderlandshop_com-a-21_1630929613670.jpg)
The issue is available now at wonderlandshop.com
He expanded: '[I always feel like that]. Just constantly feeling this might be the last time you're doing anything. You're always wondering if this is your last job, trying to be better and just only doing things that I feel I can fail in, like the fragrance campaign...
'Can I pull this off? I'm a working class guy from Scotland in double denim doing a very American brand. Can I pull this off? Can we make something together that's honest despite where you would normally put me in a box...
'I suppose you'd probably put me in a whiskey commercial and not in a Calvin Klein fragrance thing. So it's about how I can live up to that? How can I achieve that?'
Discussing representing Scotland and visiting his home country, he said: 'Yeah it's good, it's again this character thing...
'That's where you straddle the lines. It's something new for me is straddling the line between… modelling and stuff is not my strong point, to manipulate my face and my body without a character objective...
![Chilled out: On how he relaxes, Richard said: 'A lot of the time it's when I'm hiking especially in LA, where I'm based now. I love that in 30 minutes I'm up top of a hill and in the middle of nowhere'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/13/47558925-9962073-Chilled_out_On_how_he_relaxes_Richard_said_A_lot_of_the_time_it_-a-22_1630929616540.jpg)
Chilled out: On how he relaxes, Richard said: 'A lot of the time it's when I'm hiking especially in LA, where I'm based now. I love that in 30 minutes I'm up top of a hill and in the middle of nowhere'
'I can do that but when it's stills I become hyper-self conscious. So again, I suppose that's part of me challenging myself. Today, I had to pull off these looks. How do I pull these off to get the best out of their vision when it goes against all my instincts, which is like ' You're a little guy from Scotland who's not good enough to do this.'
'I managed to get up and just hide out in the middle of nowhere in the countryside with some friends and be up there in the best month of the year when the sun doesn't go down til midnight. It's stunning up there. It really kind of fucks with your head because it's so out of this world. I love it.'
On how he relaxes, Richard said: 'A lot of the time it's when I'm hiking especially in LA, where I'm based now. I love that in 30 minutes I'm up top of a hill and in the middle of nowhere...
'Then I can come back in the city and get a green juice in five minutes. That's where I'm at my happiest, I think. Or when I'm up in Scotland and hiking around up there, I like to be out in nature. It can be part of my whole prep for a job but it's also like a meditation.
The issue is available now at wonderlandshop.com
![Smouldering: He looked hunky in the shoot](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/06/13/47558939-9962073-Smouldering_He_looked_hunky_in_the_shoot-a-23_1630929619884.jpg)
Smouldering: He looked hunky in the shoot
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