Chun-Li actor Callina Liang ate 12 eggs a day and grew her thighs 6.5cm each for the Street Fighter movie

The actor playing Chun-Li in the upcoming Street Fighter film has revealed the extreme lengths she went to in order to embody the iconic character, including a punishing diet of a dozen eggs a day and intensive martial arts training that added significant muscle to her legs.

Callina Liang, a Canadian-born actor who has been cast as Chun-Li, shared her preparation regimen in an interview with Empire magazine. To get into character, she began by studying the source material with a thoroughness that goes beyond typical homework. Liang downloaded every version of Street Fighter she could find onto a PlayStation 5 and recorded all of Chun-Li’s moves during fights on her phone in slow motion. She would then play those clips back repeatedly to analyse the character’s fighting style and movement patterns.

The physical transformation, however, required a far more gruelling commitment. As Liang noted, Chun-Li is defined by her kicks, so the training focused heavily on lower-body strength and flexibility. Her daily routine included two hours of martial arts practice, covering Taekwondo, Muay Thai, and wushu. On top of that, she performed dedicated leg-strengthening exercises and overhauled her diet entirely.

The most eye-catching detail of her regimen was the sheer volume of food required. During the bulking phase, Liang ate 12 eggs every single day. She described having to eat a meal every two hours, to the point where she felt on the verge of vomiting. Despite the discomfort, the approach paid off. By the end of the film’s shoot, Liang reported that her thighs had grown by six and a half centimetres each, a physical change that directly mirrors Chun-Li’s famously powerful legs in the games.

The film is directed by Kitao Sakurai, who has previously stated that he does not want to create a conventional video game adaptation. This has given fans hope that the movie will capture the wild, over-the-top tone of the Street Fighter universe, where characters such as sumo wrestlers, hulking Russian fighters, dictators, and demonic entities all coexist. Liang’s evident dedication to the role suggests that the portrayal of Chun-Li, at least, will be faithful to the source material.

The Street Fighter movie is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on October 16. With Liang’s combination of deep game knowledge and physical transformation, the actor appears well prepared to bring one of gaming’s most recognisable characters to the big screen. Whether her kicks will live up to the legendary status of the character remains to be seen, but the preparation has certainly been thorough.

In a landscape where video game adaptations are increasingly common, the Street Fighter film faces the challenge of pleasing both long-time fans and newcomers. Liang’s approach — studying every iteration of the game and undergoing a dramatic physical change — signals a commitment to authenticity that could help bridge that gap. The actor’s willingness to endure a diet that would make even the muscle-bound roster of Street Fighter think twice underscores the seriousness with which she has taken the role.

As the October release date approaches, audiences will soon see whether Liang’s efforts translate into a memorable performance. For now, the behind-the-scenes details offer a glimpse into the lengths actors will go to when tasked with embodying a beloved video game icon.