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Dan Stevens is a beast in Netflix Eurovision film, singing, dancing, bulking up – and modelling for naked statues
- British actor did push-ups for his role as bare-chested Russian billionaire singer Alexander Lemtov in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
- When he heard the song Lion of Love for the first time, he ‘was just crying’, says Stevens, who calls Lemtov’s fiery onstage act in the film ‘absolutely epic’
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Dan Stevens has proven he can sing and dance as the Beast in Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast.
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But as big-cat-loving Russian billionaire singer Alexander Lemtov in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (now streaming on Netflix), Stevens steps his song and dance level up from beast to apex predator.
As the rival to hapless Icelandic duo Lars Erickssong (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdottir (Rachel McAdams), Lemtov belts his signature Lion of Love tune while prowling around the stage. It was a dream fulfilled for the British actor, who grew up watching the annual international competition.
“When I heard Lion of Love for the first time, I was just crying,” Stevens says. “I loved the idea of performing it on a giant Eurovision stage.”
Here’s how Stevens, known as ill-fated aristocrat Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey and seen next in the horror film The Rental (out in the US on July 24), made the Lemtov leap.
Stevens was pumped for his perpetually shirtless scenes
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