Thanks to veggies, a ripped Paul Rudd plays Ant-Man

By Cindy Pearlman | Big Picture News Inc.

LOS ANGELES — The actor being described isn’t Pratt or Pitt.

“He’s really ripped,” said his co-star Michael Douglas. “He’s been training and working out for this picture for a long time. He’s cut in a way that many younger actors wish they looked.”

He is Paul Rudd? And this is … 46?

The comic actor best known for movies like “This Is 40” is in amazing shape for Marvel’s “Ant-Man” (opening Friday). He also comes with a disclaimer. “I didn’t want to get too jacked,” he said. “That didn’t make sense for an ant. I wanted to look like the best version of me.”

At the Disney lot on a cool Saturday morning, Rudd looks like the transformed version of himself. In a black shirt and grey suit he’s the picture of superhero health. His skin glows, any hint of a tummy is gone. He’s sinewy, lean and energetic.

Of course, when Thrive asked how he leaned his body out, he went for the joke.

“I took the Chris Pratt approach to doing a summer movie,” he said. “Basically, you eliminate anything fun for a year and then you can play a superhero.”

A particular scene where he knew he’d have to flash a six-pack was a reason to hit the gym, even on the days when he didn’t feel like it.

“I am very self-conscious,” he admitted, letting his head drop. “There is a scene in this movie where I’m supposed to be ripped and I show the audience the extent of my ripped-ness.”

Audiences have been amazed so far. Rudd is actually ripped … and that’s not a special effect.

He can remember exactly what he ate for lunch the day of that shot when he flashed his six-pack.

“That would be one almond,” he said with a grin. “And I still felt so … bloated!”

Rudd actually said that he did what anyone in his age bracket would need to do to lean down. First, he cut out all junk food and watched his carbs. Gone were his trademark burgers. “Veggies became my friend,” he said.

“I had a pretty restricted diet,” he said of his protein and veggie meal plan. “I also really hit the gym. You can’t do one without the other. You can watch your food intake, but you have to really commit to the gym in order to see any real progress.”

In “Ant-Man,” Rudd plays Scott Lang, a petty thief and con man who must find his inner hero and help his mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas) plot a heist to save the world. Soon, Scott finds the ability to shrink while also growing in strength as he struggles with his mission and tries to protect his daughter.

Wearing the suit was a big part of Rudd’s motivation to get muscular and lean. “It’s a cool-looking piece of art,” he said. “I loved every minute of wearing it.

“I even wore it on my day off,” he joked. “I wore it home. You should see me do karaoke in the Ant-Man suit.”

As time has ticked away, Rudd has looked pretty much the same from decade to decade. Consider that his film “Clueless” just hit the 20^th anniversary mark.

“I know you’re thinking, ‘Why hasn’t he aged?’ ” he offered. “I don’t know that answer.

“I just know I was so dreamy in ‘Clueless.’ I even fell in love with me.”