Renowned actor, filmmaker, and author Chris Levine delves even deeper into the complexities of masculinity and the pursuit of the perfect body image with his new novel Most Muscular. Following in the footsteps of his indie cult film Anabolic Life, Levine explores the psychological impact of body obsession and toxic masculinity, presenting a bold and deeply human narrative about a man consumed by a muscular physique that hides a quiet internal breakdown. This is Levine’s third book, bringing the same honesty and urgency from his directorial career into adult fiction.
“Most Muscular” dives deep into the psyche of a man in collapse, going beyond the muscular exterior to reveal a world of fragility and obsession. What motivated you to write this novel now, and why did you feel this story needed to be told in literary form?
Most Muscular was originally written as a film, but the final version ended up more fiction than not—too many cooks in the kitchen, which often happens when money gets involved. I never felt like the movie did my story justice, and that’s stuck with me for years. Turning it into a novel let me strip everything back and finally tell the story the way it was meant to be told. No outside opinions, no cinematic edits, just the truth about what steroids can do to your mind, not just your body.
I’ve been working on the novel for a little over a year now. With work slowing down from the pandemic, the strikes, even the fires, it felt like the right moment to finally focus on this passion project, to give it the attention it deserved. And honestly, it feels more relevant than ever. I think a lot of people, especially men (including myself) are walking around with this quiet pressure to be perfect, but no one’s talking about it. And with social media constantly pushing these impossible standards of what “fit” or “in shape” looks like, abusing steroids to chase that image has become more tempting and more dangerous than ever.
You had already explored steroid culture and toxic masculinity in the film “Anabolic Life.” How was the process of writing “Most Muscular” different—emotionally and creatively—compared to your work in cinema?
Writing Most Muscular as a novel was completely different from making Anabolic Life. With the film, I was constantly thinking about budget, logistics, audience appeal—things that naturally come with the filmmaking process. There are compromises everywhere, even with the story. You’re not just telling your truth, you’re adjusting it to fit a runtime, a tone, and someone else’s vision.
The book was more personal. It let me dig into the darker, quieter parts of that experience that never made it onto the screen. I didn’t have to hold anything back. I could explore the obsession, the isolation, the emotional fallout in ways you just can’t in a 90-minute film. It was a lot more vulnerable to write, but also more rewarding. I think the novel format gave me the space to say everything I needed to say, not just about steroids, but about the mental toll of trying to be “enough” in a world that can easily make you feel like you aren’t.
By addressing male insecurity and the pursuit of the ideal body, your book ventures into territory still rarely explored in contemporary literature. What was it like revisiting this theme from a new, more intimate and psychological perspective?
There’s this idea of what it means to “be a man,” and for a long time that definition came with a lot of baggage; expectations around strength, dominance, control, and silence. Nowadays, there’s pushback on that, and while I think toxic masculinity absolutely exists, I also believe being a man is still something to be proud of. Strength, intelligence, leadership, even the ability to nurture, all of that deserves space and respect.
With Most Muscular, I wanted to explore what happens when a guy like Adam doesn’t feel like he measures up to that image. He’s not chasing perfection just for vanity—it’s deeper. He wants to feel like he matters, like he’s strong enough, man enough, to be loved. Rewriting this from a more intimate and psychological angle gave me a chance to really dig into that insecurity and show how damaging it can be when men don’t have a place to talk about those feelings.
You move between cinema, children’s literature, and now adult fiction, always with authenticity and impact. What do you carry from one artistic language to another, and how does this multiplicity of experiences influence your storytelling style?
I create things I’d want to see, plain and simple. If it entertains me, if it feels honest, then I know I’m on the right track. That’s true whether I’m writing a book, making a film, or crafting a story for kids. The difference is, in cinema, especially when other people’s money is involved, there are a lot of opinions. Creative visions get notes, compromises are made, and sometimes the final product ends up feeling like a missed opportunity. That’s what happened with Most Muscular the movie.
Writing this book gave me total control. I got to tap into the emotional core of the story and say what I actually wanted to say. And honestly, that freedom has helped me become a better storyteller across the board—more confident in my voice and more willing to push into uncomfortable territory.
“Most Muscular” has been described as your most personal work to date. Were there moments during the writing process when you felt you were revealing too much of yourself? How did you deal with that vulnerability?
Writing the original screenplay didn’t really hit me on a personal level—I approached it like a piece of entertainment, loosely based on true events but stylized for the screen. Let’s not even get into the producing side of it or what I put my body through for the role. But with the novel, it was different. Adapting Most Muscular into book form forced me to sit with the story longer, to reread painful scenes, to live in those moments again. And when those moments are drawn from your real life, it cuts deeper.
There were definitely times when I felt exposed. Like, “Am I really putting this out there?” But that’s the trade-off when you tell a story rooted in truth, especially one that deals with body image, addiction, and identity. I think if you’re going to create something real, something that actually connects with people, you have to be willing to reveal too much of yourself. That vulnerability is part of the job.
The book’s protagonist represents so many men who silently struggle with the pressure to have the perfect body. Do you believe society is beginning to discuss this issue more openly? What do you hope readers will take away from this story?
I do think society is starting to talk about it more—especially because of platforms like Reddit, where people feel safer being anonymous. Just recently, I posted about my own struggles with steroid use and body image while promoting the book, and I got a flood of messages saying, “Thanks for being real about that.” That says a lot. It’s a quiet issue, still carrying too much shame for how common it really is.
What I hope readers take away from Most Muscular is that the pressure to “man up” or look a certain way doesn’t just affect confidence, it can destroy lives. There’s this idea that if you’re not big enough, strong enough, loud enough, you’re not enough. But chasing that ideal with drugs, with silence, without guidance, leads nowhere good. I hope the story encourages some guys to pause, do the research, talk to a doctor, or even just talk to someone. And I hope it makes the rest of us more aware of the pressure men are under today, because it’s real and rarely talked about.
With three books published and an established film career, you’re building a diverse trajectory. What drives you today as an artist? And what stories do you still feel the need to tell?
What drives me now is creative freedom, telling the stories I want, the way I want, without compromise. And honestly, I’m building something I hope my grandkids will be proud of one day. I don’t think there’s one story I need to tell, but I definitely know when something grabs me.
Sometimes it’s something my brother writes, we’ve been developing an adult animated show called Birch. Other times, it’s something my mum (a little UK wordage for you) reads and says, “You have to do this.” And then there are the ideas that land on my desk that are so terrifying, I know I can give people nightmares with them. That’s what I love, whether I’m writing, acting, or producing. I like to entertain, I like to scare people, and I like to stay busy. That’s the fuel.
We know “Most Muscular” connects with “Anabolic Life” on several levels. Do you plan to continue exploring this universe in other media? Are there any plans to adapt the novel into a film or series?
You know, I always thought a mobile game could be a wild next step, something where you build your character through workouts, life choices, even steroid use—a kind of simulation game for bodybuilders. But I’ll be honest, that’s not really my area, so if someone out there wants to help build it, I’m all ears. That said, I think the Most Muscular universe has reached its final form. Between the film, the book, the interviews, and the articles about my own struggles with steroid abuse, it’s all out there now. I’ve said what I needed to say, and I hope people connect with it. If nothing else, I hope folks can look at the work and say, “Chris didn’t hold back. He told the truth.” I might still do an audiobook version—maybe even with a bit of score and sound design if fans want that. But for now, I feel like I’ve closed the loop.
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