Dan Stevens gets in shape for The Guest

Dan Stevens has got himself in shape to play a former American soldier in ‘The Guest’.

The 31-year-old actor is almost physically unrecognisable from the character of Matthew Crawley, who he played in the popular costume drama series ‘Downton Abbey’.

Dan – who has been preparing for the role alongside a US special ops team – told the Daily Mirror newspaper: ”For a month, I was training about four hours a day. I was quite grateful they weren’t all built like brick s**thouses.

”They were very lean and athletic, which people wouldn’t necessarily associate with me. I put in some hard work at the gym and I got myself there or thereabouts.”

‘Downton Abbey’ creator Julian Fellowes recently admitted the stars of the show have asked for a reduction in the amount of on-set food supplies because they fear outgrowing their costumes.

Julian told The Sun newspaper: ”The feeling is there’s not a better egg sandwich in England.

”But the cast have asked to cut down on supplies so they can’t be tempted. Between takes and reshoots some actors were munching through a loaf’s worth of sarnies.”