Desmond Tan gained 10kg for new movie

He added: “I told my wife, ‘I’m not sexy anymore’. My pants no longer fit, and even walking leaves me breathless.”

To better understand his role, Tan also visited Changi Prison to get a first-hand experience of the environment. “My character has been imprisoned and went through rehabilitation, so i requested a visit. I spent only 10 minutes alone in a cell, but the oppressive loneliness was very real,” he said. 

On the flipside, while Tan had to pile on the pounds, co-star Joel Choo, who plays a marathon runner, lost 10kg in two months.

He said: “I don’t run at all, so I had to learn. Now, I’ve fallen in love with it. Initially, I couldn’t even run 1km, but now I can run 10km. I follow a plan to run thrice a week, and I hope to continue even after filming, and maybe even challenge myself to run a half or full marathon in the future.”