Sacha Baron Cohen has stirred up some buzz lately as he reassesses his earlier statements regarding his physique. The 53-year-old actor unveiled his toned body in stunning shots from his cover story with Men’s Fitness UK, set to drop this Friday. When he shared the cover photo on his Instagram Story, he cited three key factors contributing to his transformation: a private chef, a personal trainer, and Ozempic.
Yet, it seems he has since reconsidered his comments about Ozempic. On Thursday, he tweeted: “Despite reports, I did not take Ozempic. I got this body the honorable way. Paying a personal trainer a lot of money.”
Initially, he had said, “Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers,” referring to the diabetes medication sometimes used off-label for weight loss. “I did all three,” he had noted.
Cover images shared by Men’s Fitness UK on Instagram showed Cohen proudly posing shirtless, flexing his muscles.
Reaction to the cover was electric, with comedian Chelsea Handler questioning if the images were artificially generated in the comments section.
However, Cohen, who beefed up for his portrayal of Mephisto in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), assured fans that this transformation was genuine. “This is not AI,” he clarified on his Instagram Story as he promoted Men’s Fitness UK on Wednesday, declaring, “I really am egotistical enough to do this.”
In an additional Story shared from the magazine’s photoshoot, he humorously confessed: “Hard launching my mid-life crisis.” He took another snapshot in the gym for the magazine cover, quipping: “Debuting my new character: Middle-aged man who replaced beer with protein shakes.”
Cohen took a moment to credit his trainer, Alfonso Moretti, for the immense patience involved in training the actor just 25 minutes a day.
Moretti echoed his partner’s achievement on his own Instagram, expressing immense pride in their results. “Sacha trusted my process and followed the plan exactly. Not only did he earn better health and fitness with incredible aesthetics, but also… the COVER of Men’s Fitness!!!” he posted, adding, “From Borat to Buff—full article coming this Friday! For now, enjoy the pictures. Tell me he doesn’t look absolutely incredible!”
As per Deadline, which received a sneak peek of the Men’s Fitness UK coverage, Cohen sought advice from Matthew McConaughey in his quest to buff up fast. McConaughey recommended Moretti to him.
When they met, Moretti requested Cohen to show up in just his underwear. The trainer noted, “He looked like a ruler, straight up and down,” though he ultimately believed that Cohen had the potential of a hidden athlete.
Cohen stepped into the role of Mephisto in the finale of Ironheart, which premiered earlier this month. In that climactic episode, the ingenious MIT student Riri Williams (played by Dominique Thorne) faces off against the tricky Parker Robbins (played by Anthony Ramos), who aims to clash the realms of magic and technology.
Right after that showdown, Cohen’s character appears—mistaken initially by Williams for Dormammu but later revealing himself as Mephisto. He tantalizes the hero with the promise to revive her late friend, Natalie, transformed into AI.
Earlier this week, Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige confirmed Cohen’s return as Mephisto in future projects, but he kept the details under wraps.
“He’s another character that pre-MCU, would have been tough to bring to life. He’s a devil. How do you approach portraying that?” Feige discussed during a press conference on July 21, as reported by GamesRader. “But he’s truly a foundational character.”
Notably, Cohen unveiled his muscular new appearance a year after publicly separating from his ex-wife, Isla Fisher, after a 13-year marriage. In April 2024, they released a joint statement saying, “After a prolonged tennis match lasting over 20 years, we are finally putting down our rackets. In 2023, we filed together to conclude our marriage. Our privacy has always been paramount, and we have quietly been navigating this transition.”
