Bradley Cooper had to ingest 8,000 calories per day for his portrayal of Navy Seal Chris Kyle in “American Sniper”, gaining 40 pounds in order to accurately portray the fallen soldier.

Cooper was under a strict diet and workout regimen to build the muscle mass and get his wish of doing right by Kyle and his family.

“I had to do right by him and his family, there was really no choice. You’re sitting across the dining-room table talking to this person’s father and mother. And his children and wife are there. And he’s passed away. Knowing that they are putting all of their stories in your hands and the responsibility of that, it’s actually unique,” said Cooper.

The 40-year-old actor, who scored an Oscar nomination for his role in “American Sniper”, had to eat 4 times the recommended daily food intake to prepare for his character. Cooper also ate every 55 minutes and worked out for 4 hours every day to achieve the desired shape.

The accurate portrayal of Kyle didn’t stop at gaining weight. Cooper also worked on his moves with Navy SEALs, in particular Kevin “Dauber” Lacz, who was Kyle’s sniper partner on his last two tours of duty.

Cooper obviously went through great lengths for the film, and we can’t wait to see if it all pays off on Hollywood’s biggest night, the Oscars, set for Feb 22, 2015.