The Truth About Dax Shepard's New Look

Dax Shepard is no stranger to having open conversations with celebs on his podcast, "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard," as he's proven week after week since he first launched the project in 2018. "I've been in a bunch of things that work just enough. So to have something that's a hit for me also comes with fear as well as gratitude," Shepard said in a 2019 New York Times interview of the surprising success of "Armchair Expert," adding, "I'm like, 'This is wonderful. I don't want to lose this. I would like this to go on for a long, long time.'"

Over the last few years, notable public figures and celebrities like former President Barack Obama, Salma Hayek, Shepard's wife Kristen Bell, and Prince Harry have all appeared on "Armchair Expert," which is produced and edited by co-host Monica Padman. Most recently, the former "Parenthood" star welcomed "That '70s Show" alums Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis on the show, and opened up to the co-stars-turned-spouses about how he achieved his new look.

While chatting with Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis on the Monday, July 19 episode of "Armchair Expert," Dax Shepard gave the married couple the inside scoop about his recent transformation after Kutcher told him, "It's unbelievable. You're getting Joe Rogan arms. It's phenomenal ... I mean, you look like He Man right now" (via Us Weekly).

Kutcher's comment prompted Shepard to explain his new appearance, telling the "What Happens In Vegas" star, "In quarantine, I said to [my wife Kristen Bell], I've been waiting 10 years for Marvel to call so that I'd have an excuse to get huge. And they're not gonna call. That ship sailed. I'm 46, they're not gonna call. So I just have to do it for my own amusement." Shepard went on to detail how he gained 24 pounds over the last year and a half, but his process for putting on muscle raised some concerns from Kunis and Kutcher.

"I gained about 24 pounds. Just six days a week. Lifting heavy, protein shakes, going bananas, heavy testosterone injections," Dax Shepard shared (via Us Weekly), prompting Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis to warn him about the dangers of testosterone injections, which can have a handful of adverse side effects, like blood clots, liver problems, "worsening of pre-existing prostate tumors or benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate)," and heart problems, including heart attack and/or stroke (via Healthline).

"I spent my whole life as a medium boy and now I'm a big boy and I like it. Mentally, I love it because it makes me far more on fire to be alive. I was depressed after 'CHIPS.' I was literally retiring, that was the plan, I'm out," he continued. "I started going on testosterone [and] two months later I started this podcast ... All of a sudden, I was on fire to work. I was like, 'I like this version. This is the version [of myself] I enjoy.'"

Dax Shepard has been open about his struggles with substance abuse for years, so it's no surprise that the "Bless This Mess" star got candid about his quarantine transformation. In September 2020, Shepard revealed he had relapsed after 16 years of sobriety during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," telling the talk show host, "I did not want to [tell anyone] at all. I had all kinds of bizarre fears, like, I have sponsors on my show, is that something that could cost me money, financially?" (via Page Six).

"The number one thing I was afraid to lose was I get so much esteem out of being someone who's vocally sober and I have people who write me, 'I'm month one,' or 'I'm week two,' and I love that," he continued. "That's my favorite thing about being in public, so I was just terrified I would lose that. I really cherish that."

Although Shepard was afraid to go public with his relapse, a friend gave him a gentle push to do so. "I have a good friend that said, 'You know if your real goal is to help people, it's not very helpful that you're 16 years sober and married to Kristen Bell ... So the fact that you just fell, that's the actual value,'" Shepard said. "So when it was framed that way to me, it got a lot easier."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).