Josh Murray

You’re stepping into a very complex psychological space with your character Lonnie Milsap in Gym Rat. What was the emotional entry point for you when building this character?

Lonnie is battling this monster inside of rage and hurt and he does it in a very physical way, in the gym. He makes the physical pain of weight-lifting louder than the noise inside. That was my focus while prepping the character. The literally hundreds of thousands of reps I did preparing and maintaining for the role wasn’t so much about putting on the 20+ pounds of mass for the role as it was about getting into the headspace of grappling with the emotions through the ritual of pumping iron.

Lonnie’s struggle is deeply tied to bullying and alienation. How did you approach portraying their internal world in a way that felt authentic and respectful?

It was a combination of personal experiences, research on others and my knowledge of certain friends who together shared the composite experiences of Lonnie’s background. I didn’t want any of it to be showy or call attention to itself. So, hearing people discussing some of those internal things they noticed subtly reflected in the film but not explicitly on the page in the script has been the best validation of those preparations.

The film explores obsession, especially through fitness culture and the dream of becoming Mr. Olympia. What conversations did you have with the director, Korstiaan Vandiver, about balancing ambition versus self-destruction?

I have and will continue to be a great proponent of fitness, competition and drive. There’s a great deal of good that can come from it. But we wanted to focus on the darker side of it and Korstiaan and I talked a lot about identity. Who you believe you are and thus what motivates you to pursue those things makes all the difference for how you engage with those ambitions. Our story highlights how having a broken sense of identity can make those pursuits unbalanced and destructive. Lonnie’s journey of transformation uncovers his need for a new identity within his passion for fitness.

Lonnie’s journey strongly emphasizes loyalty toward marginalized people. What does that say about him as a person, and how did you connect with that aspect personally?

Something really interesting Kors (Korstiaan) told me just before we started filming was that Lonnie doesn’t judge anyone. Having been ostracized, misunderstood and isolated all his life, the moments he sees someone else suffering those kinds of things are the few times he can look outside himself and champion others. That care for others is also a seed for his turning point towards health and healing. 

Gym Rat also touches on incarceration, recidivism, and rehabilitation. From your perspective, what message do you hope audiences take away regarding redemption and second chances?

It’s easy to see the results of the life someone has lived and not the reasons for where they are today. While people need to take responsibility for their actions, no excuses, our aim is to challenge people’s thinking on whether they know who is beyond saving and give people hope that it’s not too late for them to change.

Your character gets involved in steroid distribution within a toxic gym environment. How did you prepare for that world, both physically and psychologically?

Primarily I relied on studying documentaries to familiarize myself with that aspect of the world we were creating. I also spent time around the bodybuilding scene in Venice getting acclimated to the culture.

You share the screen with actors like Mariana Paola Vicente and Greg Orvis. How did those relationships shape your performance, especially in such an intense narrative?

We were very fortunate to have Mariana as our female lead. She brought so much heart and sensitivity. Her character Lena is one of the only people Lonnie has ever known that sees him clearly (better than he can see himself) and also believes in who he could be. She made it easy to sink into that reality and really believe in the moment which is something I always aspire to do. Greg as our antagonist is the one person who really intimidates Lonnie and at 6 ‘6 he carries a presence that really embodies the kind nemesis needed to provoke all the anger and fears I was holding as Lonnie. Greg came all the way from Switzerland and has been a stalwart ally throughout the entire process and continues to champion me and the film today.

Lou Ferrigno appears in the film as a symbolic figure tied to Lonnie’s obsession with The Incredible Hulk. What was it like integrating that iconic presence into the story?

Lou was always woven through the story line of Gym Rat but wasn’t originally supposed to be appearing in it himself. When Lou signed on to do the film at the final stage of production I had already been in this headspace for years of seeing him as the representation of the character’s hopes and dreams. Seeing Lou through that lense as this truly larger than life character. Having him on set, face to face at last was appropriately surreal. As a collaborator though Lou exceeded all our expectations and with Korstiaan’s rewrites, his role really tied the whole film together beautifully. He was so committed, humble and dedicated to getting our scenes right. I think fans of Lou Ferrigno will really get a thrill out of seeing him in this capacity. I had really hoped this film would be a suitable credit to his legacy and I was touched to get his approval of the final product at our first screening of Gym Rat!

Looking at your broader career, from The Reliant to Inheritance and General Hospital, how does this role represent a shift or evolution in your acting choices?

The bigger roles I had played up until this point were playing to my type. With Gym Rat, Kors gave me the challenge of making a dramatic physical and psychological transformation and really stepping outside the lines of anything I had done before. It also marked my first time taking point as a producer on a feature film which was a huge evolution in and of itself. Due to the production challenges (including weathering COVID) we faced, this project turned into a 7-year journey and truly changed who I am as a person inside and out in the process. After winning Best Actor at the Beverly Hills Film Festival last week, I’ve already seen this role expanding the horizons of parts I’m being considered for.

Your personal journey into acting came after health challenges changed your path. How has that life experience influenced the way you approach characters who are dealing with inner conflict and adversity?

I battled chronic pain for almost a decade before embarking on Gym Rat. When you’re pouring time, money and energy into trying to escape suffering year after year and don’t see progress you have to develop an unshakeable resolve to keep going. As a result, I am certainly drawn to characters that have an implacable determination in the face of adversity. It’s so important though when you survive the climb up the mountain that you don’t just thank God and pat yourself on the back but ask who else? How can I send a lifeline back down? It’s a big part of why we tell stories. And it’s a big part of my “why” as an actor and film maker.