Nicholas Galitzine reveals intense struggle behind dramatic He-Man transformation

Nicholas Galitzine has opened up about the intense pressure he felt while preparing to play He-Man in the upcoming live-action Masters of the Universe film, admitting he initially felt like a “complete fraud” when he first stepped into the iconic costume.

The 31-year-old actor, who portrays Prince Adam and his superhero alter ego He-Man, revealed that the physical transformation required for the role left him questioning whether he could truly embody the legendary character.

Speaking to Extra, Galitzine candidly shared that trying on the costume before completing his body transformation was a daunting experience.

“To be candid, when I first tried on the costume, when I hadn’t fully made my transformation, I felt like a complete fraud,” he said. “I felt undeserving. I felt like, ‘How am I gonna get to this point?’”

Galitzine explained that despite coming from a sporting background and being familiar with gym training, the demands of becoming He-Man were far beyond anything he had experienced before.

The actor said he had just five months to transform his physique into superhero shape, calling the timeline “not enough” to do comfortably.

He also admitted filming began while he was still in the middle of cutting weight, forcing him to maintain his demanding fitness routine during production breaks.

“We even had to start shooting while I was cutting,” he said. “You’re acting in a scene and the first AD goes, ‘Oh, we got 10 minutes. We’re going to change the setup.’ And you run outside to the assault bike and you’re just pedaling away.”

However, Galitzine said his fears eventually eased on his first full day on set as He-Man, once he saw the reaction from the filmmakers and producers behind the long-awaited adaptation.

According to the actor, seeing the emotional response from producers — who had reportedly been attached to the project for nearly two decades — reassured him that his months of hard work had paid off.

“And, you know, for our producers, they’ve been with this IP for 18 years,” he recalled. “Seeing their reaction to me, that’s when I was like, ‘Okay, you can calm down now. The last five months haven’t been in vain.’”

Galitzine also reflected on delivering He-Man’s legendary catchphrase, “By the power of Grayskull… I have the power!”, describing the moment as deeply emotional rather than purely theatrical.

The actor said he intentionally avoided over-rehearsing the line because he wanted the emotion to feel authentic when filming the transformation sequence for the first time in front of a massive crew.

“For me, it was a very emotional line,” he explained. “I just wanted it to really come from my core, like I was finding it for the first time.”

He added with a laugh that he also avoided practicing the famous line too loudly at home “out of respect for my neighbours.”