Jesse Metcalfe Was ‘Working Out 3 Times a Day’ and Not Eating During ‘John Tucker Must Die’

Jesse Metcalfe opened up about his health while filming John Tucker Must Die.

“You guys have no idea,” Metcalfe, 45, said during a panel at Epic Cons Chicago on Sunday, March 24. “I was not eating, and I was working out three times a day.”

Metcalfe noted that he was at the gym anytime he wasn’t on the movie set. He added that his role involved “working out and eating salmon every night,” saying, “I was taking it pretty darn seriously.”

Metcalfe admitted that he “had a lot of anxiety” about taking on the lead role and noted “it was a lot of pressure.” Costars Sophia Bush and Arielle Kebbel agreed that the set was “rough in terms of body image” for everyone.

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Metcalfe, who played the titular character, starred in the 2006 film alongside Brittany Snow, Bush, 41, and Kebbel, 39. The film followed John Tucker, who dated three girls from different high school cliques at the same time. When John broke up with them, the girls recruited Kate (Snow) to create chaos in his life.

In one of the movie’s “iconic scenes,” Metcalfe’s character donned a lace thong. He reflected on the moment during the panel, saying, “Running around in women's underwear in front of the entire cast and about 40 extras was humbling, to say the least.”

He noted that another one of his favorite scenes included “scaling the building in a towel and dropping the towel and setting myself up on the bed” in the undergarment. “And the women's volleyball coach comes in and grabs me by the ear, pulls me into the hallway — amazing,” he said. “That was a hilarious scene … but also one that was terrifying.”

During the panel, Metcalfe, Bush and Kebbel shared the news with the audience that a John Tucker Must Die sequel was in the works nearly 18 years after the original premiered.

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“I’ve heard rumors of this script — there’s a script. Apparently, it’s amazing,” Metcalfe said, noting that he hasn’t seen the screenplay but would “definitely love to be a part of it” and “can’t wait to read it.”

Kebbel revealed that she’s involved in the script, noting that it includes all of the OG cast. She added that Metcalfe’s character “may or may not get a chance to change” his ways.

“Do I get a chance to wear a thong again?” Metcalfe quipped, to which Kebbel replied, “We wanted to talk to you about that. We were thinking you’d actually, like, make your own brand, endorse it. It’d be a whole thing.”

Metcalfe said that he’s “here for it.” He added, “I can’t wait to unleash this dad bod on the big screen.”