Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein has appeared in a New Zealand-shot campaign for Les Mills, advertising a not "so miserable" way of working out.
Goldstein, best known for his role as the foul-mouthed, permanently angry Roy Kent in the Apple TV Plus series, seems to channel some of that anger in the campaign which has been launched online by the fitness chain.
"What if working out wasn't so miserable? I'm proud to help New Zealand fitness leader Les Mills launch a happier and healthier way," he said in a sponsored post on Instagram.
"Why not choose a science-backed, endorphin-raising workout from one of the happiest places on the planet? Or don't! Whatever makes you happy."
The ad begins with Goldstein seemingly battling the demons of his past, saying: "I will push past the pain" as his father yells at him to work harder.
"I will break free from the shadows of yesterday."
After a series of gruelling montages, Goldstein is shown to be inside a shed, working out.
He's interrupted by a woman played by Māori actor Acushla-Tara Kupe telling him "working out doesn't have to be so 'aaarghhh'" before she shows him a workout class underway atop a sunny New Zealand landscape.
"Is this heaven?" he asks before being told, "No, New Zealand, it's where Les Mills comes from."
Fans have been quick to either poke fun at Goldstein or praise him.
"Watch out Hugh Jackman," one wrote.
Phil Dunster - the actor who played Jamie Tartt in the show, Roy Kent's former nemesis turned mate - said online: "I've dreamed this exact dream many a night before now."
In a statement, Goldstein told ad agency The Drum that coming to New Zealand "even made me smile".
"When I travelled to New Zealand, I saw first-hand why the island nation is one of the world's happiest countries.
"Les Mills inserts happiness into all workouts improving your physical and mental health while delivering results. There were good vibes in every gym I visited. It even made me smile.
"I'm proud to bring the Kiwi-inspired, 'Choose happy' fitness mentality we highlight in the film to the world, so that anyone who dreads working out, can discover it, in fact, can be a key to happiness."
