Netflix’s Rebel Ridge, released September 6, starts like the classic Western archetype: A man with no name, played by the actor Aaron Pierre, rides into a remote town, only to be drawn into an army-of-one war with its crooked lawman. Pierre, 30, is himself a bit of an unknown—the classically trained Londoner’s largest role previously was as a minor cast member in the miniseries drama The Underground Railroad. But after Rebel Ridge’s grenade smoke clears and the sound of shattering glass has faded, it's immediately clear: Pierre could be the action genre’s next big thing.

When GQ caught up with Pierre, he was hard at work filming season four of Apple’s The Morning Show in Los Angeles. With Rebel Ridge in the rearview, Pierre seems unsure what the movie’s runaway success will mean for his future—with 31.2 million views in its first week, Netflix says it's the number-one movie on the platform. But regardless of in what genre his future lies, it’s certain that Hollywood honchos—and America—are taking note of their future leading man.

For Real-Life Diet, GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and other high performers about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

GQ: Rebel Ridge opens with your character, Terry Richmond, riding his bike into town, and the audience immediately sees that, dude, you are jacked. What was the physical preparation like ahead of the film and how did that compare to what you’d done previously?

Aaron Pierre: Firstly, thank you, that’s very kind. Day to day, I train at the gym, and I’m a student of martial arts, specifically boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. So I’m training. For Rebel Ridge, everything that I do on a daily basis rocketed up. We increased the intensity of all those respective physical engagement activities by a considerable amount. We were based in New Orleans, and Jeremy [Saulnier, Rebel Ridge’s writer, director, and producer] had set up a warehouse with the stunt team and everyone involved in realizing the final version of Terry Richmond. And there we would do pedal bike training, boxing, wrestling, sparring. We would do all of the things to help create, as a team, this character.

Your character is former United States Marine and a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) instructor. Did you guys consult with the Corps or just the skills off your own personal background?

We absolutely consulted with the Marines and a whole group of individuals who have that particular life experience. My personal experience is not a fraction of Terry’s experience, so I leaned heavily on the knowledge and the expertise of those who have really lived that life, and without them, I wouldn’t have been able to create him.

How did your increased fitness in preparation for the role feed into the mindset required for Terry’s character?

I’m always a student, always learning, always being a sponge. Yes, it did contribute to my development and my contribution to the final version of Terry Richmond, but a lot of him is also in the team that Jeremy assembled. It’s more than just martial arts experience. It’s the mental fortitude that comes with being a Marine, from being a MCMAP instructor. The mental fortitude that comes with that world is something that I don’t have, so I needed to learn what that is and how I can try as best I can to authentically implement that into a character that I’m trying to convincing and authentically portray.

The way the movie starts, with a skilled military veteran picked on by small-town cops, it immediately calls to mind Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo in First Blood. But there are tons of other examples of the story structure, from Ryan Gosling in Drive to Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse and Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter. What roles, if any, did you look to to inform your performance?

The truth is, I didn’t look to any other characters. I looked solely to Jeremy’s script, which I believe is undeniable, and I believe Jeremy is a phenomenal writer and director. I looked to Jeremy’s script, I looked to Jeremy, I looked to our stunt team, I looked to all of the individuals that Jeremy assembled in creating the team for this project. Those are the places I looked. I wanted to keep my focus in that place, you know?

Have you at least seen First Blood?

Oh, yes, sir. [Laughs.]

Over the past couple of decades there’s been an invasion of muscular action Brits—Jason Statham, Daniel Craig, Gerald Butler. Your name’s among them now. What’s that camaraderie like between roped Englishmen?

Honestly, on my personal journey, I haven’t ever made it an objective to portray characters on screen who have a certain physicality. I’m a really big believer that what’s meant for you won’t miss you. This script crossed my desk, it felt like the right next step, and for me, it was undeniable. There’s no world or parallel universe where I wouldn’t do a Jeremy Saulnier film. I’ve said many times, and I’ll continue to say, he’s one of the greatest living filmmakers we have. So this script came along, and it was Jeremy Saulnier, and that’s why I embarked on the journey.

Kind of remarkable for the genre: We never get a shot of your abs in the picture. Still, it’s clear you’re lean, so what was your diet like during production?

It was a very intentional way of eating. I have to shout out the catering department, who were always so kind as to feed me and nourish me during the entirety of the shoot with the foods that were necessary. Everything was beautifully prepared, everything was tremendously clean and nutritious. Whole foods. And I’m grateful to them, because without the correct nutrition, you can’t sustain the intensity of the training that I was doing during that time.

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What’s one thing in your normal diet that you forwent during the shooting of the movie?

I think the thing the thing that I found most challenging was my love for cookies and doughnuts and cake. It was challenging at first. But after a while, in my experience, I found a rhythm of what my life and my dietary journey looked like without it. And once I found that rhythm, I didn’t miss it so much.

Any changes you made for the movie that you’ve just continued with?

I’ve always been somebody who does my utmost to operate with intentionality and specificity. I’m arguably too meticulous in some aspects of my life. But I think that something that I learned during Rebel Ridge is just how to increase that intentionality even more. So I try to operate on a day-to-day basis in a way that is thoughtful, mindful, and connected in all departments: mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically. That’s a zone I frequented during shooting, and I wanted desperately to hold onto that. So I do my best and try and preserve that today.

Any great Southern food while you were in the region?

I’ve been very fortunate to spend extended periods of time in America and specially in the South, and I’ve always been welcomed and embraced and guided by locals. I really loved the food. I couldn’t indulge as much as I wanted to during the time of filming, but after I did enjoy the seafood and the shellfish in Louisiana. I had my first seafood boil, which was amazing, and I definitely ate way too much.

You seemed excellent in the action role, and early reviews mark you as a man to watch in the genre. Any interest working further within it?

I would love explore the action space while I am able to engage physically in the roles in the way I am today. I have so much fun doing it; it’s so rewarding. There wasn’t a day during Rebel Ridge that I didn’t have a cut or a bruise, but I loved it. I absolutely loved it. And I want to utilize this opportunity going forward.

Beyond your own role, the other standout was Don Johnson.

I love Don. Love Don.

The two of you couldn’t be more different, as far as age, height, build. It’s quite remarkable how he balances his menace with your own despite being a fraction of your size. What was your experience working with him, and what did you learn from him?

I learned a tremendous amount from Don. One of the things Jeremy does is protect the moment between cut and action. That allows his actors to be able to engage with one another outside of the context of their characters in an additional way. So Don and I would discuss what we wanted to achieve in the scene, how we wanted to achieve it, why it was important to achieve it. What the most conducive route to achieving it was. We would laugh, we would joke, we would talk about things outside of the work. We would talk about life. [Johnson] was so generous to me not only in imparting knowledge in regards to his artistry and his journey, but also in regards to life. As a young man, I soaked it up, and I absorbed it. He’s a dear friend of mine and I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity and the privilege to collaborate with him.

GQ: Of the action movies you've seen, which would you point to as roles or stories that explore the boundaries of the action genre?

I’m a huge fan of the action genre and as I’ve highlighted before, I would absolutely love to continue to be a part of that world and community. Two of my favorite films that I feel explore elements of action in a dynamic way are The Equalizer and Inception. I love how Inception highlights action but pairs it with a psychological component. The Equalizer does this as well, and it gives the viewer an insight to the motivation behind action.

Rapid fire last question: Your favorite action move. Three, two, one.

Ah—Safe House!

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