Aidan Turner has to fast to fit into his costumes for 'Poldark'.

Aidan Turner

Aidan Turner

The 35-year-old actor has attracted countless female fans due to his chest-baring scenes as Captain Ross Poldark in the BBC period drama - which is based on 'The Poldark Novels' by Winston Graham.

Aidan hasn't been shy to disrobe in the latest series and admits that without coupling his exercise regime with intermittent fasting he wouldn't feel confident to strip off on screen.

Speaking about how he stays in shape for the show, he said: "I'm always ticking away on that (exercise). Intermittent fasting is good for energy levels, and those costumes are quite tight!"

Aidan's flesh-flashing scenes as Poldark have attracted some complaints that he is being unfairly objectified by women, but the Irish heartthrob isn't interested in the argument.

Referring to the controversy, he said: "I am sick of it now. I've commented on it so many times. The more I talk, the more it snowballs."

Aidan's next role is away from the screen as he is playing Mad Padraic in a revival of Martin McDonagh's 2001 play 'The Lieutenant of Inishmore'.

Mad Padraic is a member of the Irish National Liberation Army and a man considered too unhinged for the IRA, and although he is extremely violent Aidan says the character is actually a man of principle.

Discussing his new role, he said: "Padraic sees his struggle as a cause worth fighting for. When we first see him, he is in a warehouse in the middle of torturing a young lad for selling weed in a local school. He pulls out a couple of his toenails but he's giving him good advice. He tells him he needs to go to hospital because his toes might go sceptic. He asks whether he has got the money to get there. He doesn't see himself as a cruel person. So walking into a rehearsal room trying to play this idea of a bad person would derail it."


Tagged in