Kevin Hart Says He Dropped Down to 4% Body Fat Filming “Lift” Action Movie

The comedian stars as a seasoned jewel thief in Netflix film — and he put in the work to do it

Kevin Hart is keeping it fit on-screen.

The actor, 44, revealed that for his role in the new Netflix action film Lift, he may have been in some of the best shape of his life.

“I probably was at 4% body fat through the course of this movie,” Hart told Entertainment Tonight of his preparation for the stunt-filled role.

He also took the opportunity to bond with some of his more experienced action-star friends as he got lean for the role, jokingly telling the outlet that he has a “group chat” with some of the A-list “action guys” called, “Action Star Guys.”

In Lift, Hart plays seasoned thief Cyrus Whitaker, the ringleader of a heist team who attempts to steal $500 million of gold from a passenger plane — all while 40,000 feet in the air. It’s to be his final heist, and one the government coaxed him into doing, per Netflix’s Tudum.

The film, which is available to stream starting Jan. 12, also stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D'Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno, Sam Worthington, Viveik Kalra, Yun Jee Kim, Burn Gorman and Paul Anderson.

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While Hart got into impressive shape to film the action flick, over the summer he found himself in a less-than-ideal situation as he was using a wheelchair after a friendly foot race went wrong.

The comedian shared on Instagram that a 40-yard dash against Stevan Ridley led to his injury, as he joked that he had “tried to jump out there and do some young stuff” in a competition with the former NFL running back.

The friends got into a debate about who was faster, with Ridley egging Hart on and them competing in a 40-yard dash to settle the argument.

The race, though, resulted in him blowing "all my s---,” the actor said in the video — and then he couldn’t walk. He was also suffering from a  torn lower abdomen and tears to his hip abductors. “I don't know what that is but I tore them, I tore those, too. I can't walk,” he explained.

Hart joked that the injuries were entirely due to his advancing age, before warning his followers: "To all my men and women out there that are 40 years old and above. It's not a game, respect that age."

"Respect that age, or that age will make you respect it. I was just forced to respect it. This is just a public service announcement because I know people may see me out. And I don't want you to be alarmed, but I'm in a wheelchair," he continued.

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Despite his recent setback, health has always been a top priority for the Jumanji star. He previously told PEOPLE that “being healthy is important to me because you only get one life.”

“You can either take advantage of that life and maximize it, or you can increase your chances of shortening up that lifespan,” Hart said, sharing that he works out six to seven times a week.

He added, “The go-to is just the foot out the door. Just taking that step in the direction of being active and productive, that’s what’s best.”

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Hart also sticks to a clean diet. “I’m a healthy eater — brown rice, baked chicken, vegetables, salads,” he shared. “I’m not a foodie, so it’s not hard for me to stay in the healthy diet area. I’m a structure guy, so as long as it fits the structure, then I’m happy.”

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