Actors and other celebrities put in hard work at the gym, but sometimes it takes more than grilled chicken and steamed vegetables to build their desired physiques. Some have admitted they’ve turned to other performance-enhancing methods including steroids at times, too. Other celebrities use prescribed hormone therapies as anti-aging tools. Here are seven celebrities who have openly talked about using performance-enhancing drugs, spanning the gamut from anabolic steroids to testosterone replacement therapy.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Known for his, well, huge physique, former pro wrestler and A-list actor Dwayne Johnson insists he’s all-natural, though he’s honest about experimenting with steroids as a young adult. “I tried it,” Johnson said in an interview with MTV. “Me and my buddies tried it back in the day when I was 18 or 19. Didn’t know what we were doing.” Johnson is a firm believer that “there is no replacement for hard work.” He stands by his claim that he hasn’t touched the stuff since, even though people have accused him of doping. “Sure, you get a lot of people out there who will suspect, and say sh–,” he told Fortune. “They want to negate the hard work you put in.”
Nick Nolte
Three-time Academy Award nominee Nick Nolte told Women’s Wear Daily in 2005 he was taking human growth hormone and testosterone as an antiaging treatment, and he’s not ashamed to admit it. “I’m not talking about taking large amounts of testosterone to increase muscle mass,” Nolte said. “I’m just talking about putting yourself back into the normal range because your testosterone levels start dropping at the age of 20.”
Joe Rogan
Popular podcaster Joe Rogan is one of those who has accused muscled celebs like Dwayne Johnson and Chris Hemsworth of secretly using steroids. But he’s been open about taking hormones himself. “There’s a responsibility you have to people who are listening to you. If you don’t want to talk about it that’s one thing but if you do talk about it… you have to be honest,” Rogan said on his podcast. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking hormone replacement, I think it’s actually wise.” The UFC commentator said he started using hormones in his late thirties. “I feel healthier, I feel way better,” he said. “I don’t think it’s wrong, but you gotta be honest.”
Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke hinted at using performance-enhancing drugs for his 2008 film The Wrestler. When asked in an interview if he took steroids to bulk up for the film, the former pro boxer gave a cryptic answer, saying “When I’m a wrestler, I behave like a wrestler.” However, he’s since doubled down that he’s never used steroids, clarifying, “I did some stuff. You wouldn’t classify it as steroids, but I did some heavy-duty supplements… but not the regular stuff.” Whatever he did, it helped him win a Golden Globe for his role as pro wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the most famous bodybuilder of all time (he even has a shoulder press workout named after him), and he doesn’t deny trying performance-enhancing drugs early on in his career. “I have no regrets about it, because at that time, it was something new that came on the market, and we went to the doctor and did it under the doctor’s supervision,” the former California governor told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “We were experimenting with it. It was a new thing. So you can’t roll the clock back and say, ‘Now I would change my mind on this.’ ” However, he still doesn’t condone steroid use. “People should take food supplements, people should be able to take the vitamins and all of the nutritious stuff that is available, but stay away from drugs,” he said.
Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen is no stranger to drugs, and that includes steroids. The actor admits to taking them for “six or eight weeks” in preparation for his 1989 film Major League. “Let’s just say that I was enhancing my performance a little bit,” Sheen said. “It was the only time I ever did steroids.” The Two and a Half Men actor says his fastball went “from 79 [miles-per-hour] to like 85,” but he quit the drugs due to some bad side effects including not being able to control his temper.
Sylvester Stallone
In 2007, Rocky star Sylvester Stallone was convicted of importing banned human growth hormone Jintropin into Australia in 2007. Stallone was found with 48 vials of the drug in his luggage at customs. He also had vials of testosterone in his possession without a prescription. “As you get older, the pituitary gland slows and you feel older, your bones narrow. This stuff gives your body a boost and you feel and look good,” he told customs agents. “Doing Rambo is hard work.” Stallone says he gained 41 pounds for his Rambo role using prescription testosterone. “Everyone over 40 years old would be wise to investigate it because it increases the quality of your life,” he told Time in 2008. “Mark my words. In 10 years it will be over the counter.”