Nathan Hartono shows off hot bod in When Ghost Meets Zombie
Wholesome singer embarrassed about stripping off for local comedy movie
With his boyish good looks and wholesome image, local singer Nathan Hartono has always been a heart-throb in the eyes of his female fans.
But he shows off more than just acting chops in the new local comedy When Ghost Meets Zombie, where he also reveals a hunkier side.
His washboard abs feature many times in the Mandarin movie, which opens here tomorrow and sees him play a good-hearted zombie.
In one scene, he is covered from head to toe in gold paint, looking like a Greek god. In another, he is clad only in gold hot pants for a male beauty pageant. He also appears in a bath scene where co-stars Jesseca Liu and Jeremy Chan scrub him down.
Hartono, who is also bare-bodied on the cover of the film's soundtrack album, admitted to The New Paper at a media session yesterday: "I was quite embarrassed to be the only one walking around the set topless, in underwear or covered in gold paint."
To achieve his chiselled physique, the 27-year-old started on an exercise regimen and healthy meals three months before filming began.
"I had to bulk up, so it was mostly watching my salt and sugar intake," Hartono said.
He added that he worked out whenever he could and that it was important to maintain a healthy diet as he wanted to "stay 100 per cent focused", especially since he was "very used to a musician's lifestyle of late nights and having supper at 3am".
Co-star Ferlyn G, who plays his ghostly love interest, shared in the same interview that Hartono was always eating chicken breast on set.
"Yes, I was that guy," he said with a laugh. "But I have now let go completely and lost it all."
Hot bod aside, Hartono explained it was crucial for him to maintain his fitness for his feature film debut.
A scene featuring Hartono tap dancing appeared effortless, as he practised the sequence eight to nine times on set, and many more times by himself at home.
"Which was why I had to eat healthily - I needed the energy for the fighting and dance scenes," he said.
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