September 3, 2025, 1:57 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Taylor Kitsch returns to the role he played alongside Chris Pratt in the first season of “The Terminal List”: CIA agent Ben Edwards. The origin series “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf” focuses on Edwards’ past as a Navy SEAL. Naturally, this meant the actor had to bring a certain look and fitness level. No problem for Kitsch–the 44-year-old has had a real Navy SEAL by his side for training for the past twelve years.
“When it comes to training [for Ben Edwards; Ed. note], I’m very lucky. A Navy SEAL trained me from ‘Lone Survivor’ to ‘True Detective’–and further to this series,” the 44-year-old revealed in an interview with “The Hollywood Reporter.” The Navy SEAL by Kitsch’s side is Ray Mendoza, a veteran who fought in Iraq, now advises Hollywood productions, and has taken his first steps as a director. Taylor Kitsch first worked with him for the 2013 war film “Lone Survivor.” Now, twelve years later, the duo, who have been friends and apparently train together, collaborate again on “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.”
The Fitness of Navy SEALs
Taylor Kitsch hasn’t revealed details about his Navy SEAL training. However, it’s assumed that it involves more than just credible weapon handling. For the preparation of “Lone Survivor,” he reportedly completed eight-mile runs (13 kilometers) with a 75-pound (34 kilograms) backpack, according to “GQ.” And as Mendoza recently emphasized in media reports, Kitsch has maintained “his high physical performance” since then.
Navy SEAL elite soldiers must meet high fitness standards and pass tests–in five disciplines: swimming, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and running (FITBOOK reported). It’s safe to say that Taylor Kitsch is well-versed in these disciplines. In a teaser interview for “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf,” Chris Pratt jokingly claimed Kitsch could do a million push-ups. “At least,” Kitsch replied–though he didn’t reveal the actual number. But if Mendoza, an ex-Navy SEAL himself, is impressed by Kitsch’s fitness, we can assume we’d be impressed by the actor’s push-up skills.
Also interesting: Would you pass the Navy SEAL fitness test?
Taylor Kitsch Feels Comfortable in Military Roles
His consistent high-level fitness and great respect for the achievements and lives of the military have led to Taylor Kitsch being frequently cast in military roles in Hollywood. He now finds it difficult to recall them all immediately. “There were ‘Lone Survivor,’ ‘Savages,’ ‘Terminal List.’ In ‘American Assassin,’ I played a pretty crazy fictional guy. Does a cop count as military? Then ‘True Detective,’ season 2. So about five,” the 44-year-old attempted to list according to a “Yahoo” report. He forgot his roles in “Battleship” and “John Carter.” The 126-day shoot for “John Carter” was apparently so exhausting that Taylor Kitsch reportedly collapsed from exhaustion.
He Became Famous with a Football Series
He began his Hollywood career with a sports role, as football player Tim Riggins in the series “Friday Night Lights.” For this, the Canadian-born Kitsch apparently already had the desired physique. He played hockey in his childhood and youth, starting at the tender age of three, and was on his way to a professional hockey career when an injury stopped him and forced him to take a new path.
Thus, Kitsch landed in acting and eventually in “Friday Night Lights.” The series’ director, Peter Berg, introduced Taylor Kitsch to boxing and sparked a new sports passion in the young star.
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Passion for Boxing
In 2012, Taylor Kitsch gave the magazine “Men’s Health” insights into his boxing training, which not only got him fit for the role of Gambit in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” but also became part of his personal fitness routine. “If I keep up this pace, my metabolism is boosted and stays at this level all day,” Taylor Kitsch enthused about the benefits of boxing at the time. In another MH report from 2012, he explained: “In an hour and a half, you get both cardio and strength training done. You’re drenched 99 percent of the time.”
Cardio, Strength, Military Know-How
It’s clear: Taylor Kitsch is a pro when it comes to his fitness. It’s no wonder producers and directors repeatedly hire him for physically demanding roles. Kitsch is also active in the military veterans’ community, advocating for their smooth reintegration into society after their military service. He used his knowledge and skills–both mental and physical–for his role as Navy SEAL Ben Edwards. The result can currently be seen by series fans streaming the show.