Jumanji: Open World is finally coming, with Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas among the stars returning for the flick. In the fourth and final installment, the chaos from the troubled console game is unleashed into the real world and causes havoc. However, Jonas explained that, when the cameras are off, going to the gym with Hart isn’t exactly, well, for the faint of heart either.
We know that outside of filming Jumanji, Kevin Hart has a roast-heavy friendship with Dwayne Johnson. On the other hand, the stand-up comic also likes to hang with co-star Nick Jonas. On his Hey Jonas podcast, Nick recalled getting a gym invite from Hart and thinking that working out with him would be a piece of cake:
I was shooting the first Jumanji, and Kevin Hart invited me to come work out with him. He’s like, ‘We’re going to get up at 6 a.m. before we go to work.’ At the time, I’m 22 or 23, you know, Kevin’s 10 to 15 years older than me, I think, and so I should be able to handle myself in the gym.
Ultimately, the Jonas Brothers member was sadly mistaken. Kevin Hart may be in his 40s, but getting in shape is clearly no struggle for him. Having called himself “Iron Man” during his workouts, the comic has had no problems turning up his workouts while lifting weights or doing Russian Twists with a medicine ball. If anything, you can argue that the Scary Movie 3 actor has gotten more committed to fitness with age. To that point, Jonas also had this to say about their workout experience:
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But the first thing they do is they’re like, ‘Alright, 12-minute sprint on the treadmill.’ And I’m like, ‘Alright.’ Then they’re like, ‘Alright, we’re going to swing on these things to jump to the next handlebar.’ I’m like, ‘What is happening?’ This was the most intense workout I’ve ever done.
As a treadmill person myself, I can relate to the actor/musician. You go into the gym with your Jumanji co-star thinking it’ll just be a smooth casual workout session. Instead, it’s like auditioning for American Gladiators. Based on Jonas’ description, I’d imagine he burned plenty of calories after that gym ordeal.
It’s no secret that the Night School actor doesn’t go into workout sessions lightly. Even former professional boxer Florian Munteanu said at one point that Hart’s workout commitment was “crazy” as he started at 5 in the morning. Even after Hart was seriously injured in a car accident in 2019, he trained hard during his recovery, saying that self-care made him happy.
As for Hart’s workout with Jonas, the Power Ballad actor continued to explain that he was struggling with the fine line between impressing his co-star and the urge to toss his cookies:
And about halfway through, he’s like, ‘You good?’ Because he could see I was like about to throw up, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m totally fine.’ And then I think he saw blood in the water and was like, ‘Let’s go even harder.’ It took everything I had to be like, ‘I am not throwing up in front of Kevin Hart.’
Blood in the water? That sounds less like a gym session and more like a survival challenge. And poor Jonas trying to impress Hart even though he felt like vomiting. Imagine if the singer went to the gym with Dwayne Johnson instead and how hard he’d have him go.
I’m sure Nick Jonas is going to think twice before accepting another gym invitation from Kevin Hart. Or at least bring a vomit bag next time. You can watch the two workout buddies in the 2026 movie release Jumanji: Open World, which opens in theaters on Christmas Day.
