Josh Murray on Gym Rat, Working with Lou Ferrigno, and Finding Lonnie’s Humanity

Gym Rat is now streaming, and actor and producer Josh Murray joined Suspenders Unbuttoned Media to discuss the complicated man at its center and the long road to bringing the film to audiences.

Speaking with Sarah and Julie, Josh explored his approach to playing Lonnie Milsap, collaborating with Lou Ferrigno, and taking on his first feature film as a producer. Throughout the conversation, he returned to questions of identity, connection, and what people hope success will repair in their lives.

How Gym Rat began

Josh’s involvement began with a decision to stop waiting for the perfect circumstances to make a movie. A mentor challenged him to set a short deadline, and he approached writer and director Korstiaan Vandiver about moving forward with a low-budget project.

Vandiver pitched a story about a man whose obsession with working out pushes him to break into gyms. Josh saw an opportunity to learn producing while taking on a role that would challenge him as an actor. They committed to the project as the script continued to develop.

What Lonnie hopes strength will fix

Newly released from prison, Lonnie is determined to transform his life. Josh described a character who wants to feel valuable, accomplished, and invincible, but whose pursuit of those feelings puts his freedom and well-being at risk.

For Josh, physical strength offers Lonnie something tangible. In a life shaped by insecurity and a lack of control, lifting a heavier weight produces a result he can see and measure. That sense of progress becomes a way to compensate for deeper needs that remain unresolved.

Josh also drew on his experience visiting people in jail when discussing the gap between appearing to have changed and making a lasting change. Those observations helped him understand Lonnie’s ability to perform for others while still struggling with his own identity.

Playing vulnerability without softening the character

Lonnie’s behavior can make him difficult to embrace, and Josh explained that he could not approach the performance by worrying about whether the audience would like him.

Instead, he worked to reveal the vulnerability beneath Lonnie’s choices while allowing the character’s more troubling qualities to remain visible. The aim was to leave room for viewers to feel concern, discomfort, and compassion at the same time.

Josh emphasized that understanding a person’s history does not excuse harmful behavior. It can, however, complicate the impulse to write someone off. That tension is central to how he discussed the character and the different responses audiences have brought to the film.

Human connection and working with Lou Ferrigno

Our conversation also explored how Lonnie’s relationship with Lena brings another possibility into view. Josh described that connection as a glimpse of a different life, one that gives greater weight to the choices Lonnie makes and their effect on other people.

Lou Ferrigno brings another important relationship to the story. Josh discussed Ferrigno as an idol and mentor figure for Lonnie, while praising the humor, authenticity, and nuance he brought to his performance.

For viewers who primarily associate Ferrigno with his most famous screen role, Josh hopes the film will offer an opportunity to appreciate another side of his acting.

Learning to produce through perseverance

Josh initially approached producing Gym Rat as a practical film education. The project became a much longer commitment than he anticipated, with COVID, fundraising challenges, and production setbacks extending the process.

He described the experience as a lesson in perseverance, determination, and faith. Yet the difficulties have not ended his interest in producing. Josh shared that he has since supported other projects and intends to develop more of his own.

What made the effort worthwhile? He pointed to the creative process and the experience of watching a story connect with audiences. Hearing viewers reflect on their own relationships and experiences gave the years of work a meaning he could feel directly.

Watch our Josh Murray interview

Watch or listen to our full conversation for more on Lonnie’s search for identity, working with Lou Ferrigno, and Josh’s journey from actor to producer.

Gym Rat is now streaming. Visit gymratmovie.com for current rental links and release updates, and follow Josh on Instagram at @joshmurrayactor.