'Offspring's Lachy Hulme to gain weight to play Kerry Packer

Offspring star Lachy Hulme has said that he has to gain weight to play media mogul Kerry Packer in a new television series.

The actor recently gained - then lost - 25kg to play Beaconsfield miner Todd Russell in another TV drama. He explained that he was disappointed when he discovered that he would have to pile on the kilos again to play the lead in Howzat: The Kerry Packer Story.

Hulme told the Herald Sun: "I gained 25 kilos to play Todd. Then I lost 20(kg) to resume my role in Offspring this year... and now Packer. I'm just hoping he was a bit different in size back then because you know, I'm 40 now and can't keep doing it to myself."

He admitted that he had to use "heavy weights and gym time" to lose the weight he'd gained, also joking that he enjoyed the "vodka diet".

Hulme also revealed that he was the first actor to be offered the role as Packer in last year's ABC drama Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo. However, he passed the role on to his friend Rob Carlton, as he was busy filming Rachael Taylor movie Any Questions for Ben?

If Hulme had accepted the role in Paper Giants, he would have been starring alongside AACTA Award winner Asher Keddie, who also plays the lead role in Hulme's regular drama series Offspring.

Filming on Howzat: The Kerry Packer Story is scheduled to start in Melbourne in April.

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