Jason Momoa Opens Up About His Diet to Prepare for “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”: 'I Just Shovel It in'

"Work hard, eat hard, play hard, just do it," he said of his routine while filming the physically demanding role of Aquaman

Jason Momoa kept things balanced when it came to preparing for his latest movie role.

The actor, 44, said he didn't need to go to any extremes to get into fighting shape for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which hits theaters on Dec. 22.

"I don't do calories. I just eat," Momoa told E! News.

His food plan was completely flexible as well — not much was off-limits, he said. When asked what he ate in the lead-up to and during filming, he replied, "Everything. Because you're burning so many calories, I just eat and consume. I'm constantly moving and work long days."

"I just shovel it in, and then work hard," he added. "Work hard, eat hard, play hard, just do it."

While portraying the half-Atlantean/half-human superhero means showing off his muscular physique, Momoa said his diet and fitness regimen is more about keeping his body healthy to film physically demanding scenes.

"I don't really do it for vanity," he told the outlet. "It's more so I don't get hurt. You've got to be prepared. You're putting on a suit that's going to weigh 40 pounds. You've got to be able to move. That kind of action just puts a lot of weight on your knees. So, you just do it so you don't get hurt."

Momoa also opened up about how fans will get to see a new side of Aquaman in the upcoming film, as the character is now a husband (Amber Heard plays wife Mera) and a father.

"It's all things I never got to play in the last four films that I've done," the actor told E! News, adding, "I'm like, 'People need to see this side of him.' So that was my request, and I think people are going to really love it."

Related: Jason Momoa Flexes in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Behind-the-Scenes Video: 'Good to Be Back' (Exclusive)

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In a behind-the-scenes clip from the movie released last month, Momoa declared, "Feels good to be back," as he's seen holding the character's golden trident on set.

The sequel to the 2018 original follows Aquaman as Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) returns to once again try to take revenge on Atlantis. Aquaman and his half-brother (Patrick Wilson) join forces to stop Black Manta from destroying the kingdom.

In the clip, Mateen II, 37, praised Momoa for bringing a unique point of view to his portrayal of the famous comic book character. "Jason's brought his own self and his style, his taste and his culture. He introduced the world to that side of Aquaman," he said.

Related: 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' Trailer: See Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson Team Up in Sequel

Wilson, 50 agreed, noting that the character "is so much of Jason."

"He's able to bring out [all] sides of himself onscreen," Wilson added.

Momoa teased that the stakes for Aquaman are higher than ever now that he has a family to protect. "The bar is set so high — Arthur could lose his son and his wife," he explained of the new movie.

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