Richard Madden became an absolute sensation among fans after the hunk was spotted in BBC One drama Bodyguard.
And it appears the actor is not at all shy about his good looks after being dubbed a "heartthrob" by crushing fans.
But for Richard, who is now 33, it hasn't always been this way as he described himself as "fat and crushingly shy" when he was a youngster.
However it seems since his school days, the ripped star has been putting in the work over the years to look as good as he does now.
The Game Of Thrones actor confessed he wasn't always considered a hunk at his "fairly tough high school" in the town of Paisley in his native Scotland.
"I was fat and shy.Crushingly shy, going to what was a fairly tough high school. Aggressive, masculine," he previously told The Sun.
Richard admitted he couldn't fit into his jeans at the time, adding: "I was a 38in waist when I was 12. I didn't wear denim until I was 19 because denim is hard to take up. My mum couldn't take my jeans up."
He's previously told Flaunt he'd be a "shy, fat kid living in Scotland with no girlfriend," if it weren't for his acting career.
But fast-forward to 2020, and the award-winning star looks totally different to his teenager self.
The actor now has a very sporty and gym-honed physique, as well as a chiselled torso.
He has turned his life around completely, as he uses running and a clean diet to keep him in tip-top shape.
The star often shares snaps of himself on Instagram after his rather long and sweaty runs, including up mountains and in the rain.
One of his captions read: "This time last year I could barely walk, was on crutches and miserable. Today I ran 22km (half marathon) and am feeling happy and grateful to be where I am doing what I love (and to be back on my feet).#RunningNotRaving"
And he's previously explained he had to lose weight for his acting job, which is likely to have spurred on his incredible weight loss journey.
Despite looking amazing, Richard has criticised the "unrealistic" demands that are put on actors and actresses to lose weight.
Richard said being told to shed weight for jobs "doesn't just happen to women".
In a 2019 interview with Vogue, he explained: "We're projecting a very unrealistic body image.
"I find myself with actor friends, after we've done a kind of barely eating, working out twice a day, no-carbing thing for these scenes, looking at each other going, 'We're just feeding this same s**t that we're against.'
"I've done numerous jobs where you're told to lose weight and get to the gym."
He also touched on having his "fat rolls pinched" and having to wear costumes "so tight they feel like a corset".
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@trinitymirror.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033
Read this article:
Inside Richard Madden's epic weight loss journey from 'fat and shy' teen to ripped hunk - Mirror Online
