Alex Pettyfer went overboard bulking up to play a stripper in Magic Mike and was ordered to lose weight before shooting began.

The actor hit the gym to beef up his physique after being cast as an exotic dancer in the Hollywood movie, but after gaining 27 pounds (12 kilograms), producers decided he was too big.

Pettyfer was then forced to undo all his hard work and slim down before filming kicked off last autumn (11).

He tells Britain's Men's Health magazine, "I put on a bit of weight for this film. I started off at 169 pounds and went up to 196 pounds. They told me I was too big, so in the end I had to take it back down to 185 pounds."

After months of intense training in preparation for the role, Pettyfer admits he no longer works out.

He adds, "When you eat and train as a sportsman I found it very enjoyable. But at the same time, it was hard, particularly at the start and I still remember not wanting to be in the gym. That's why I don't want to train at the moment."