Sam Heughan has recalled the time he auditioned for 2006's Superman Returns – a role which ultimately went to Brandon Routh.
In a recent interview on the Just for Variety podcast, Heughan shared details about his entry-level days in show business when he visited Los Angeles for the first time, to audition for the role.
And though the Outlander star didn't get the part, the experience had a life-changing impact on his diet.
"I grew up a pescatarian or sort of vegetarian-pescatarian," Heughan began. "I didn't start eating meat until I came to America when I was 24. It was all these delicious burgers and food [...] at the time I was auditioning for Superman.
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"I had a trainer and he was like, 'You need to get bigger. You need to be able to fill out the cape.' He was like, 'Eat more protein'," he recalled.
"I remember the first time I had chicken or something and just suddenly, I was like, 'Oh my God, I have all this energy. And I don't feel hungry all the time'."
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It's not as though the star has never donned a superhero cape, however. In 2012, Heughan played the Caped Crusader in a Cirque du Soleil-esque stage show 'Batman Live' – all around the world no less.
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Fittingly, the actor also told podcast host, Marc Malkin, his thoughts on the recently released The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves.
"I'm excited about the new Batman movie. I think that looks fantastic," Heughan said.
"I think the other superhero movies kind of lost their way a bit. They've become, I think, a little too obese in a way, but anything character-based – I mean, Batman's a great one because he's not a superhero. He's just an interesting character. Something with a good backstory."
Outlander airs on Starz in the US and streams on STARZPLAY in the UK.
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