Bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest has watched physiques in Hollywood change over time. On January 23, 2025, he compared actors’ physiques from the 1960s and 70s to today, noting that entertainers used to focus more on their health.
There’s no denying that the health standards in the acting industry have undergone adaptations. Decades ago, fans marveled at the bodies of their favorite action heroes, such as former seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Lou Ferrigno.
While burly and built physiques once dominated the limelight, some believe that to be no longer the case. Actors in Hollywood today, for the most part, boast lean looks, as evidenced by the bodies of popular names in the industry like Tobey Maguire, who played Spider-Man, and Robert Pattinson–the actor responsible for portraying Edward Cullen in Twilight. Given the changes that have taken place, Priest decided to compare the physiques of popular actors from different eras.
Lee Priest Breaks Down Top Actor Physiques from the 60s-70s: ‘They Took More Pride in Themselves’
In a recent YouTube video, Priest discussed the physiques of top actors from the 1960s-70s and argued that they used to care more about fitness back then.
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“Arnold. Stallone. But even back in the day, Clint Eastwood used to train a bit. He was pretty good. Charles Bronson, he was pretty muscular back in the day. Even Kirk Douglas back in the day, he had a good physique.”
“If you go back even further, Johnny Weissmuller who played Tarzan,” shared Priest. “Draper. Steve Reeves back in Hercules and Ferrigno then if we go back to the Hercules movies. Actually, I saw a couple early shows, he had okay arms back in the day, it was a different actor. Yul Brynner. Actually, a lot of them were into fitness back then.”
He adds that actors used to appear more manly versus those of today.
“Carl Weathers, Dolph Lundgren, any of those, Mr. T,” adds Priest. “It seemed like more actors back then, I don’t want to say manly men, but they pretty much were weren’t they? If you look at them back then compared to Pattinson from Twilight–I like Tom Cruise movies but he’s not really a menacing figure is he, so.”
He also credited William Smith and John Travolta for their physiques. As for the present day, Priest praised Alan Ritchson for his impressive build.
“William Smith who played Conan’s dad, he used to come to World gym all the time and he was always drinking before. Great guy, funny guy, he’d always be flexing his arms. He was still pretty solid at his age before he passed away. There was quite a few back then even.”
“John Travolta was in pretty good shape. It seemed to be even though you got that new guy, [Alan] Ritchson, so you do have a few now but I think back then, there’s more shit food now and people are eating more shit food but it seemed like people were more into their health.”
He believes actors used to dress better and took more pride in their appearances.
“People would dress better. It seemed like they took more pride in themselves. You ever seen sporting events here in Australia, like back in the 60s and 70s, the crowd, the women had nice dresses on, the men were all dressed in suits or pants and a nice top, now you have bogans and shorts, and singlets, not shirts on.”
“It’s different now how society has changed,” he said. “I’m sure some people still respect themselves.”
Lee Priest is adamant that actors no longer prioritize health and fitness like they once did. While the days of muscular action stars may be behind us, Priest remains nostalgic for a time when actors took more pride in their health and appearances, leaving a legacy that continues to influence the fitness culture of today.
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