Chris Riggi for Team Jacob

MANILA, Philippines - He’s über zealous in buffing up. That’s because Chris Riggi is playing Jacob in the upcoming comedy Vampires Suck inspired by the cult teen phenomenon on vampires and falling in love. Riggi’s Jacob immediately notices Becca (Jenn Proske), the new girl in town but Becca notices Edward Sullen (Matt Lanter) more. As Jacob persuades Becca not to associate with the Sullens, he is at the same time undergoing a strange transformation of his own that has him peeing on hydrants, chasing stray cats and sporting a wolf tail from the seat of his pants.

As Jacob’s name is synonymous with a perfect-carved bod, Riggi has displayed an intense dedication in working out and has definitely achieved tremendous results — such that the audience will be treated to a better-looking Jacob version in the movie. Riggi earned mainstream consciousness in his recurring role as Scott in the hit TV series Gossip Girl. Coming from an artistic family plus his experience on roles from television and theater, producer Peter Safran did not look any further when Riggi submitted his audition cd. “Fans of the genre know that six-pack-abs are a werewolf’s most important physical trait, and by the time principal photography began he was in peak physical condition and had packed on 12 pounds of pure muscle,” says producer Peter Safran.

Riggi adds, “To play a werewolf fans would have fun with, I had to be in peak physical condition. I had only a little more than a month to prepare for the role, so I began an intense training period. The hardest thing was giving up the foods I enjoy. It felt like I was only eating wood chips and cardboard. But the role required a specific look. It was tiring but I was really happy with the results.”

The werewolf role also required Riggi to undergo a time-consuming make-up process that included complex prosthetic devices.

Vampires Suck is now showing in theaters.