Paul Rudd has said he would drink sparkling water as a “reward” at the height of his restrictive diet while playing Ant-Man in the Marvel films. The Clueless star joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2015, most recently starring in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania earlier this year. Over the years, many Marvel stars have opened up about the grueling training regimens they undertake when cast in the superhero franchise. Rudd described the strict measures he went to while appearing on the comedy food podcast Off Menu, which sees guests asked to recall their multi-course “dream menu” by hosts Ed Gamble and James Acaster. When asked what kind of water he preferred, the 54 year-old, told the comedians he was still a fan of the sparkling stuff. “When I was having to train for the Ant-Man movie, and I was on a very restrictive diet, my reward was sparkling water,” he said, with an incredulous laugh. “That’s how horrible that diet was. I was like, ‘Alright, I can have some sparkling water now, I’ve earned it.’” Rudd said that as he was training and “working out” so much, he would have “a lot of sparkling water” and joked that he would go for certain brands on a “cheat day”. “Did it feel like a treat?” Acaster asked, with Rudd replying: “Yeah, it was great. It wasn’t flavoured, I wasn’t gonna go crazy.” He added that he “kind of did it” for all the Marvel films, and that it was sometimes easier than expected. “Once you’re in it, it’s not too hard,” he said, particularly as he was “OK with having really boring food” continuously. The diet, Rudd said, actually gave him “tons of energy”. Acaster then asked Rudd if the other Marvel stars would “compare notes” when working together on ensemble films such as Avengers: Infinity War or its follow-up Endgame. “I mean, I think people kind of are,” he responded, “but I also think I worked out harder than anyone, I would eat better than everyone, and I looked worse than all of them. I had to work out all the time, eat perfectly, just to look kind of bad. Not even great.” “Was everyone snapping at each other though? Was everyone hangry?” Gamble asked. Rudd replied: “I don’t know… I remember on Endgame, Chris Hemsworth would always have these Tupperware containers and he’s eating this gruel, just a mash of stuff. “He’s working out, and then you stand next to a guy like that, and I just think, well what’s the point of any of this? Why am I killing myself when that can exist, and then I look at myself and this exists. I can never achieve that… That was the good thing at least – Ant-Man, it isn’t Thor. But I tried to work out, and it didn’t work.” Back in 2021, Hemsworth’s body double on the Marvel films, Bobby Holland Hanton, said that he was struggling to keep up with the size of the Australian “man mountain”. Over the years, however, a number of Marvel stars have spoken more critically about the body transformation expected for superhero movies. In an interview with The Independent, Guardians of the Galaxy 3 star Will Poulter said that actors needed to prioritise mental and physical health over “aesthetic goals”, “otherwise you end up promoting something that is unhealthy and unrealistic if you don’t have the financial backing of a studio paying for your meals and training”. “I’m in a very privileged position in that respect, and I wouldn’t recommend anyone do what I did to get ready for that job,” he added. Of the preparation, Poulter said that he had done “a lot of gym work and a very, very specific diet”. “It means not particularly civilised at times,” he explained. “Quantities of food you wouldn’t necessarily want to ingest. “And other times not enough food… I’ve gone through periods of looking at food and feeling like I can’t face it, and then you blink and the next minute you’re ready to eat furniture because you’re so hungry.” Read More Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire official teaser trailer first look as Billy Murry returns New Superman movie might have just found its Lex Luthor Susan Sarandon dropped by agents following comments at pro-Palestine rally New Superman movie might have just found its Lex Luthor Susan Sarandon dropped by agents following comments at pro-Palestine rally Scream 7 actor ‘fired’ over Israel-Palestine comments

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Ukraine may not be able to meet domestic and export demand for wheat in the years to come if Russia’s attacks on its export routes and facilities continue, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned. “If attacks on food infrastructure and the blockage of sea export routes continue, it will dramatically impact the agricultural production outlook over years to come, and may, in a worst-case scenario, lead to wheat production being unable to meet domestic and export demand,” said the WFP’s Ukraine director Matthew Hollingworth on Tuesday. Since mid-July this year, there have been 31 documented attacks on Ukraine’s grain production and export facilities, according to an upcoming report by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), said Mr Hollingworth. Of these, “28 of these attacks were in Odesa oblast alone”. The province has critical Black Sea and the Danube River terminals essential for global trade, the top official told the UN Security Council (UNSC). Countering the charges, Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia told the UNSC that Moscow only targets military infrastructure and not civilian facilities – a claim that has been questioned by Kyiv, its allies and independent experts monitoring Russia’s full-scale invasion. Before the war, Ukraine comprised nine per cent of global wheat exports, 15 per cent of maize and 44 per cent of sunflower oil, said Mr Hollingworth. The UN has blamed Russia’s invasion for sparking a worsening global food crisis that has trickled on to a domino effect on Asian and African nations reeling after the Covid-19 pandemic. Russia was actively preparing to steal grain supplies and starve the Ukrainian population of food for months before Vladimir Putin ordered last year’s invasion, according to new evidence compiled by human rights experts. When Russian tanks did roll across the border on 24 February 2022, they deliberately targeted grain-rich areas and food production infrastructure first, found the recent report by international human rights law firm Global Rights Compliance. UN officials are trying to revive the Black Sea grain deal, which Russia quit in July, a year after it was brokered by the UN and Turkey. Moscow complained that its own food and fertiliser exports faced obstacles and said not enough Ukrainian grain was going to countries in need. However, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned earlier this month that it will be difficult to revive the Black Sea deal, under which nearly 33 million metric tons of Ukraine grain were exported. This comes as Russian forces hit port infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa on Tuesday evening, the regional governor said. “The invaders hit the port infrastructure of Odesa. People were not injured,” Odesa governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram. Russia used Ð¥-31 missiles, the southern military command said on Telegram. It also reported strikes on the Belgorod-Dniester district in the region, with missiles hitting open surface and administrative buildings. Read More The US and the Philippines conduct joint air, sea patrols in South China Sea not far from Taiwan Britain's Conservative government set to start cutting taxes ahead of likely election next year The White House says it's concerned Iran may provide ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine Germany's defense minister unveils more help for Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion Poland set to get more than 5 billion euros in EU money after commission approves recovery plan NATO head says violence in Kosovo unacceptable while calling for constructive dialogue with Serbia

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