6AM WITH... ELI ROTH
Hollywood’s hottest slasher director, Eli Roth, kicks and ball-slams his way to strength, stamina –and some of his most creative on-screen ideas
15 HIT MAKER
16 FIGHTING FIT
In the shaded cool of his Los Angeles pool deck, Eli Roth is skipping – warming up his body for the work ahead. Today’s session, like most of his workouts, is about building energy – these days, that’s what matters most to the veteran director, producer, actor and screenwriter.
Fifteen years ago, he was pumping iron to layer on 40lb of muscle to play Sergeant Donny Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. But rigorous exercise is a habit he’s maintained since he made his first featurelength film, Cabin Fever, in 2002. The 51-year-old’s fitness regime forges the stamina and sparks the creativity he needs to excel in his craft, whether he’s in front of the camera or behind it – as he was when directing the November horror movie Thanksgiving.
‘I’m not just sitting in a chair all day,’ Roth says. ‘People who can keep working into their eighties or nineties – like Clint Eastwood or Martin Scorsese – are brilliant directors, but they also have endless energy.’ Between shoots, Roth will run, skip or lift weights, even if it means rising at 5am. ‘I could sleep through it every morning,’ he says, ‘but then Iknow my energy on set is going to drop.’
Though he allowed himself to snooze until 6am today, he’s now working out with trainer Jose Navarro in one of three sessions they’ll complete this week. The director dons boxing gloves while Navarro grabs mitts and starts calling out combos. Roth slams a jab, then an uppercut, each hit landing with precision. He takes these workouts seriously. ‘I always joke I want to be in better shape than the actors,’ he says.
It’s not just to show up his cast. Roth also believes in setting a positive example of the power of discipline. ‘When you have a really strong exercise regimen, it helps you in ways you wouldn’t even believe,’ he says. ‘Repetition and routine are the keys to success and creativity.’ He admits that when he hasn’t worked out, he struggles to write. ‘I think creative ideas are locked in your muscles.’
He’s unlocking them right now with some rainbow med-ball slams. He hoists amed ball overhead, then slams it into the concrete by his right foot. He lifts the ball again and slams it to his left. Back and forth he goes for 60 seconds. Then he’s lying on his back, attac
