Dan Stevens almost passed out every day while filming ‘Beauty and the Beast’.
The 34-year-old actor had to don a heavy, hairy, bulky suit for the role in the live-action movie, while also tackling the "very athletic" challenge of being on stilts throughout the shoot, and he admits staying hydrated enough to complete his scenes was tough.
He told the Metro newspaper: "It was a very athletic workout, being on stilts for 12 hours a day. The challenge was getting enough fluids onboard so I didn’t pass out."
Dan stars opposite Emma Watson, who plays leading lady Belle – a character which she revealed she jumped at the chance of playing because she saw certain similarities between herself and her on-screen character.
She explained: "I didn’t know they were going to make ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at the time I turned down ‘Cinderella’.
"But when they offered me Belle, I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did. She remains curious, compassionate and open-minded. And that’s the kind of woman I would want to embody as a role model, given the choice."
Emma was initially reluctant to accept the part, but agreed to do so after she was afforded the opportunity to shape Belle in her own way and she previously admitted to changing her character’s backstory to make her a more empowering figure.
The actress – who is a vocal campaigner for equal rights for women – said: "We created a backstory for her, which was that she had invented a kind of washing machine, so that, instead of doing laundry, she could sit and use that time to read instead."
Joining the pair in the Bill Condon-directed movie, are Emma Thompson, Luke Evans and Josh Gad.
Dan Stevens’ Beastly struggle
