Twenty years ago a 20-year-old Brooklyn native wanted ‘all the juice’ in the urban classic film Juice. Now, more than two decades later, the then budding actor Omar Epps, who played DJ Gee Q in the urban classic, is still going strong as Dr. Eric Foreman on FOX’s medical drama “House-MD.” He’s had numerous memorable roles including those in “Love & Basketball” and “Higher Learning”, but the nine-year run on House is one of the actors longest-running and most current. Unlike other “McDoctors” and their soap-operatic hospital affairs, Dr. Eric Foreman keeps the focus on medicine. The actor beneath the white coat stays focused on fitness.
“Right now, I’m doing five-day- a-week workouts,” explains Epps. “For about an hour and a half to two hours. I try to do them in the morning. It just varies—Mondays and Wednesdays, upper body, and Tuesdays and Thursdays, lower body. Friday is just a general workout: at least a half hour of cardio, then machines and free weights.”
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With all the fast food eating that he does on the small screen, Epps doesn’t let that deter him from his health goals. “I’m in the gym now actually,” he confesses. “As the schedule gets more hectic, it’s harder to maintain. I like to stay fit as much as I can. I’m always doing calisthenics in my trailer, 250 pushups or situps. I’m thinking of even taking up yoga this year.”
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Epps also pushes himself to give back. He co-stars in a TV, radio, and online campaign to help stop suicide among members of the military.
“The high rate of suicide in the military — we wanted to shine some light on that,” says Epps, referring to the star-studded cast of the public service announcements. “If there’s any drop as a result, that’s a good thing.”
Epps joins a host of other celebrities — including Michael Chiklis, Melissa Leo, Terrell Owens, and Alfre Woodard — who encourage soldiers, veterans, and their families to seek help if they need it and direct them to a suicide prevention hotline.
