Next came the “Slumber Party” casting — which almost didn’t happen. In October 2016, Asghari woke up to two frantic voicemail messages from his agent.
Sam, we’ve got a music video with Britney Spears. Do you want to do it? We need an answer. We need you tomorrow.
“I got a call at midnight,” says Asghari, pointing out that music video leads are usually cast weeks in advance. “It went through so much to get to me. I don’t know if it’s some sort of a blessing or just meant to be.”
Two days later, Asghari was on the set, a mansion in California filled with massive stage lights, smoke machines, bubbles and dozens of backup dancers.
“I was excited that I get to meet one of the biggest artists of all time,” he says. “I had butterflies.”
Between takes, Asghari attempted to break the ice with the pop star with a little joke. “She said, ‘Hi, I’m Britney,' and I said, ‘I’m sorry. What’s your name again?’” Asghari says with a laugh. “I tried to be funny. I don’t think anybody got it.”
They ended up talking during breaks, and, before the end of the shoot, they exchanged phone numbers. That turned into an invite to go out for sushi, and the rest is history.
They tried to keep their relationship quiet, but that didn’t last long. In December, paparazzi spotted the couple out while they were out on a date. Then, on New Year’s Day 2017, Spears finally made things Insta-official with a photo of Asghari putting his arm around her at dinner.
“After the video came out, nobody knew we were dating,” he says. “I don’t think [she or I] had the intention to just be friends.”
Today, the couple gives the public a peek into their private relationship every so often with Instagram videos of their conditioning routines. In a video Spears posted on May 3, Asghari bench presses Spears’ entire body and does sit-ups with kisses for added motivation. The video has racked up more than 5 million views.
“The exercises, I come up with them, but the videos are because of my better half. She’s the video director,” he says. “It’s a very fun thing, and I look back at them and smile.”
Asghari says most of their workout videos are shot in Spears’ home gym, and they take about 20 to 30 minutes to do. “Working out together is always nice and we try to do it a couple times,” he adds. “It’s super healthy, mentally and physically. It takes your mind off of everything else.”
Spears said in a recent interview that her 12-year-old son, Sean Preston, usually shoots the videos she posts on social media, but says Asghari has pushed to make them more polished.
“He’s a trainer so everything has to be so perfect. We probably did 40 [takes] and I hurt myself,” she joked in an interview with The Associated Press. “It looked great, he did a good job and he edited it really, really well.”
When he’s working out on his own, Asghari says Spears still motivates him through her music — his favorite Britney song is “Stronger.” “I put my headphones in and focus on the exercise itself — that’s therapy for me,” he says.
During the couple's downtime, Asghari likes cooking for Spears. Some of their favorites are panini sandwiches, pesto pasta and chicken dishes. When they go out to eat, Asghari isn't afraid to bend the rules of his diet. “If the ravioli looks good on a date night, I’m eating it,” he says.
But they’re both busy, with Spears touring in the U.S. and Europe and Asghari juggling multiple projects. Spears, who has been in the entertainment business since she was 11, is a huge inspiration for Asghari — and he supports her, too.
“She motivates me more than anyone. It’s crazy how I can be humbled by a person like her. If I could be that humble when I’m that high in life, that would be the best thing,” Asghari says. “I grew up with three sisters, and my personality is just to be a supportive person for my family and she’s family. I’m always going to support her. She is another blessing that happened to me.”
With Spears’ support, Asghari is preparing to take his acting from commercials and music videos to the big screen. This summer, he will star in his first lead role in a movie. (He can’t yet give details due to contractual details, he says.)
“I’ve been preparing myself for everything ever since I was little, so it’s not surprising that everything is happening,” he says.
“When great things happen to me, it only motivates me and puts me in a position where I have to work even harder. I think about how far my family came, and everything they sacrificed for me to be here, so I never take anything for granted.”
Asghari says he is open to acting in all kinds of genres, including comedy, action, and drama, but just wants to make sure to take on roles that inspire others like the ones that inspired him growing up.
“When I was a kid, I would look at action stars, superheroes and even comedians with amazing performances, and they changed my life,” he says.
“There are a lot of people that don’t have heroes in their lives. I want to be in a film that’s going to touch the most hearts.”
Full interview: https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a22130361/sam-asghari-fitness/
He seems really nice.
MH
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