Richard Gadd Discusses Dramatic Physical Overhaul for HBO's 'Half Man'

Richard Gadd is diving into details about his transformation for his latest HBO project, Half Man.

The 36-year-old Emmy-winning actor stars in, created, wrote, and executive produced the series alongside Jamie Bell. To embody Ruben, a hot-tempered character at the show's center, Gadd made sweeping changes to his appearance—adding muscle mass, altering his hair and facial hair, and adjusting his physicality.

"I knew I needed to change everything about myself," Gadd shared during an appearance on Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast. "I knew, in a way, I had to do the exact opposite of Donny Dunn [his Baby Reindeer character]."

He elaborated on the scope of his reinvention: "In order for people to buy this, I needed to change physically, hair, beard, voice, everything I knew in order to do Ruben. I needed to almost become unrecognizable."

The series centers on two brothers connected by something deeper than blood—one fierce and protective, the other quiet and reserved. Gadd portrays Ruben as an adult, while Stuart Campbell takes on the younger version of the role.

Initially hesitant about taking on the part, Gadd acknowledged the stark contrast between this character and his breakthrough role. "After Baby Reindeer, being in every single scene and everything, I just remember thinking, 'I need to take one of these things off my plate, so acting felt like the thing that I could take off,'" he explained. It was Bell who first encouraged him to reconsider, proposing he play Ruben.

"At that point I had started to be like, 'Oh, that would be interesting.' And then around that time, HBO also said it on a call," Gadd recalled. "Even just from marketing point of view, me being in it sort of helped the show. I remember going home and it really rattled me. Because it was so out from my comfort zone. And so far from who I was. I had this existential sort of evening of thinking whether I should do it. Will I regret it if I say no?"

New installments of Half Man air on HBO and HBO Max each Thursday at 9pm ET.