Jonathan Majors talks about demands needed to portray bodybuilder in Magazine Dreams

In the dramatic film Magazine Dreams, actor Jonathan Majors (Creed III) stars as Killian Maddox, an aspiring bodybuilder struggling to find human connection as he uncomfortably maneuvers his way toward stardom.

Although Magazine Dreams had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Searchlight Pictures for distribution, it was removed from its release schedule after the start of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike and domestic assault allegations against Majors went public.

Last April, a Manhattan jury found Majors guilty of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment against his ex-girlfriend. Studios subsequently dropped him from projects, including his role as Kang the Conqueror in future Marvel movies — a role he’d already played in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Magazine Dreams was eventually picked up for distribution by Briarcliff Entertainment, and it’s currently playing at theaters across San Antonio, including Santikos Casa Blanca, Santikos Palladium, Regal Cinemas Huebner Oaks and more.

During an interview with the Current, Majors, 35, talked about how he feels now that the film is finally hitting theaters after two years and how he confronted a character as nuanced as Killian Maddox. Full disclosure: the studio asked us to keep our questions related to the film.

How does it feel to finally know people are going to see a film that you put your entire self into, not only physically but emotionally?

I’m very appreciative. I’m humbled that the film is finally going to come out. I’m grateful to everybody that has helped us. I think the film is beautiful. I had a beautiful time making it. I think Killian is an incredible character. I’m excited about sharing it with the world.

This is a powerful performance. As an actor, has it always been all or nothing for you?

I appreciate that, man. Yeah, it’s all or nothing. I don’t do anything by halves. In the same breath, I would say some characters require more than you have. Killian is probably on a very short list of characters that fit that bill. Killian required more than my acting training and my life experience. He asked for everything and then some.

If this character required more than you had, what led you to believe you could get the job done?

Well, I didn’t. I didn’t know if I could get the job done when I began. That’s the actual gut check. It can just be one thing [in the film] you don’t know if you can do. It can be a relationship [or] it can be a skill that’s prominent in the picture. I’ll go, “Oh, I don’t know if I can do that.” But then I’ll engage.

What made you engage with this narrative then?

The thing that really caught me was the writing of the script and the world. It’s a world where it’s very difficult to be a successful bodybuilder. That’s the physical part. I looked at the script [and] the dynamics on the page [and] the dynamics of Killian. I thought [the script] was probably the most dynamic piece of writing I’ve seen on the page. That’s before [my character] even says a word.

Your character is so nuanced, so I’m assuming there was a lot of room to improvise, yes?

Yeah, I love that. When it’s all on the page, it gives it to you very clearly as an artist. You go, “I understand what this world is because it’s been laid out to me so clearly.” Then, you can improv a bit because it’s so clear what [the role] is. You can improv within the pocket, and that becomes another layer of dynamism.

What was the biggest challenge for you confronting this character? Was it the physical aspect, or was it something deeper?

I looked at the character as a whole. The physical demand was the greatest I’ve ever experienced on the page and in training and doing the work. [His emotional] circumstances were also the most challenging I’ve come across. So, I would say they were equally challenging.

If I were to ask you if there is anything in your life that you have taken as seriously as Killian does bodybuilding, would the answer be acting or would it be something else?

Yeah, it would be acting — the study of acting [and] the craft of acting. Well, “seriously” is like a cool, drama kid thing to say. I just have the drive and passion for it. I’ve never gone to work on a movie set. I may be tired and sore, but it was never work. It’s my passion and my drive and the activity I love most. So, because of that, I can work tirelessly in pursuit of that. So, very much like Killian.

Killian is shooting for perfection though. Is that something attainable in your field?

In the first two acts, Killian is focusing on perfection. He’s full-throated going for perfection. It’s the same energy onscreen and offscreen that I’m pursuing truth.

I’m a big fan of Texas actress Harriet Sansom Harris from films like Phantom Thread and Licorice Pizza. You have some great scenes with her in Magazine Dreams where she plays your counselor.

She’s a pro, man. We shot those scenes on our first day of shooting, which was gnarly. She’s such an artist, and she really moves from her spirit. I didn’t think of this until now, but she does her entire performance from a chair. She was holding the space. She’s so present, and she invites you to be present with her. That was a very comforting space to work in. She listened with the same frequency that she was speaking. I think the entire production is indebted to her for setting the tone in that way. It was really emboldening to begin the journey.

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This article appears in Mar 19 – Apr 1, 2025.