Tough action heroes ‘Strike Back’ anew

Already busy with physical activities during his 14-hour work days, US actor Philip Winchester admits that getting in shape for the action-drama series “Strike Back” is a challenge.

“I probably put on about 15 pounds of muscle for the show,” said Winchester, who plays British Sgt. Michael Stonebridge in the Cinemax series.

“More than the workout and the running, it’s the eating,” he revealed to the Inquirer and other Asian publications in a recent phone interview. “It’s hard to eat that much food all the time. My wife helps out; she packs my lunch. I need 5,000 calories a day when we shoot!”

Winchester, 31, previously appeared on the short-lived “Camelot” series, and a few episodes of the hit sci-fi show “Fringe.”

The actor, whose mom is English, grew up in Montana but frequently visited England, and later studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Easier this year

Currently playing “Strike Back’s” tough sergeant and mentor figure, Winchester co-stars with Aussie actor Sullivan Stapleton, who plays US soldier Damien Scott. Both characters are operatives of a covert British antiterrorism group. Winchester admitted that it took time to get used to his role. “This year, it’s much easier to step into the show, the relationships and the military work,” he said.

The addition of Brit actress Rhona Mitra as Capt. Rachel Dalton changed the show’s dynamic, according to the actor. “I came into the season thinking that [Scott and Stonebridge] are the guys in the field and right away in the first episode, Rhona was out there with us, doing her military stuff,” he said. “It was great because we have this dynamic again that immediately challenged [us]. It was kind of lovely … these characters develop, over time, a respect for her as our leader, but there was also a lot of banter behind her back!”

Winchester is thankful for the physically demanding role, and the opportunity to follow in his action heroes’ footsteps. “I was a big fan of Bruce Willis’ ‘Die Hard,’ growing up,” he related. “I really enjoyed westerns with John Wayne; I would watch them with my father. I like Steven Seagal’s earlier movies … really cool and brutal. In terms of stuff coming out now, Tom Hardy is such an amazing actor but he can also do action. It’s an encouraging time to be an actor who wants to be involved in the action genre!”

(“Strike Back” season two will air on Fridays, 10 p.m. on Cinemax, starting Friday.)

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