Pete Davidson says he gained 15 pounds of muscle for How To Rob A Bank

Pete Davidson has said he gained 15 pounds of muscle for his role in the heist film How To Rob A Bank, which is due for release on 20 November. He spoke about the physical and emotional work behind playing Vince, a military veteran who joins a crew of social-media-savvy bank robbers.

In an interview, Davidson described a scene with a young actress that left him deeply moved. "Once I got in the room (with the young actress), I got really choked up," he said. He added that the character's story is close to what he went through with his own father.

Davidson also spoke about the physical side of the part. He said he wanted people to understand how much work went into his look. Actors often say they live on simple meals, he said, but he wanted to be more open about the effort involved. "You have a vein going from your forehead to your thumb," he said, describing the result of the training.

The actor said the role felt different from his earlier work. "The first time I felt like a real actor because I wasn't just playing myself," he said. He had previously been known mainly as a comedian.

How To Rob A Bank follows a group of robbers who stage a series of daring heists and livestream them online. As their fame grows, their crimes draw the attention of a veteran FBI agent. The agent teams up with a software engineer to track the crew down. The film mixes action, crime and humour, and features an ensemble cast.

The film is produced by Amazon MGM Studios. Davidson's comments were made ahead of its release. It is not yet known how the film has been received.