Paul Rudd says he had a 'horrible' diet for the 'Ant-Man' movies: 'My reward was sparkling water'

• Paul Rudd said that his diet while preparing for the "Ant-Man" movies was "horrible."
• He said that his diet was so restrictive that he drank sparkling water as a reward.

Paul Rudd has said that his diet while preparing to play Ant-Man was so restrictive, he drank sparkling water as a reward.

"When I was having to train for the 'Ant-Man' movie, I was on a very restrictive diet. My reward was sparkling water," Rudd said on Wednesday's episode of the "Off Menu" podcast.

"That's how horrible that diet was. I was like, 'Ugh alright. I'm going to have some sparkling water now. I've earned it,'" continued the actor.

Rudd said that his favorite sparkling water brand is San Pellegrino, and that it wasn't difficult acclimating to the diet because he is okay with eating bland food.

Rudd also said that despite his strict diet and training for "Avengers: Endgame," he felt that he wasn't physically up to par with his Marvel costars.

"I think I worked out harder than anyone, I would eat better than everyone, and I looked worse than all of them," Rudd said. "I had to work out all the time, eat perfectly, just to look kind of bad. Not even great."

In particular, Rudd compared himself to Thor actor Chris Hemsworth.

"You stand next to a guy like that, and I just think, 'Well, what's the point of any of this? Why am I killing myself when that can exist, and then I look at myself and this exists.' I can never achieve that," Rudd said.

He added: "But I tried to work out like Thor, and it didn't work."

Rudd has starred in numerous Marvel movies as the shape-shifting superhero Ant-Man, including this year's "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."

During an appearance on "The Graham Norton Show" in February, Rudd said that he tried to get as muscular as his costar, Jonathan Majors, who plays the movie's villain.

"I tried to bulk up and get in shape, but it was pointless compared to Jon, and why do it when Ant-Man never takes his shirt off," he said.

Rudd also told Men's Health that it was harder to get into shape for "Quantumania" than previous Marvel movies.

"I was irritable and self-conscious. I just wasn't in a good mood. I really beat myself up," said the actor.