Phil Heath Blasts ‘Generation Iron’ Film: Podcast Host Says Film Portrayed Him as the ‘Heel’
Seven-time Mr. Olympia champion Phil Heath has some strong feelings about how he was portrayed in the original Generation Iron film.
During a recent podcast appearance on Gerard vs Evil, Heath reflected on the 2013 bodybuilding documentary and argued that the movie intentionally positioned him as the villain opposite Kai Greene.
“Generation Iron was basically bulls***,” Heath said. “It wasn’t a documentary, it was a docudrama.”
Heath believes the film attempted to recreate some of the dynamics that made Pumping Iron famous, with the reigning champion cast as the powerful figure standing in the way of the challenger. In Generation Iron, Heath entered the 2012 Mr. Olympia as defending champion while Greene emerged as his primary threat.
According to Heath, that framing created an inaccurate perception of both men.
“I felt like, wow, you guys really took an opportunity and really made me look however you wanted to, to go sell something,” Heath said. “In fact, I always felt like they wanted him to win.”
Phil Heath Says Fans Still Approach Him About ‘Generation Iron’
Heath specifically pushed back against what he viewed as the contrast between his successful lifestyle and Greene’s underdog story. He argued that Greene, who was already one of the best bodybuilders in the world, was also earning money through sponsorships, appearances and other opportunities within the fitness industry.
More than a decade later, Heath says the film still shapes how some bodybuilding fans view him.
“It really made people, to this day, hit me up on DM and say, ‘I had you all wrong,’” Heath said.
Released in September 2013 and directed by Vlad Yudin, Generation Iron followed several of the world’s top bodybuilders through their preparation for the 2012 Mr. Olympia. The film was conceived as a modern successor to Pumping Iron and featured Heath, Greene, Branch Warren, Dennis Wolf, Roelly Winklaar, Ben Pakulski and Hidetada Yamagishi.
Check out the Generation Iron official trailer here:
Stream or download Generation Iron on all major digital platforms including Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play, VUDU, and more!
At the center of the movie was the growing rivalry between Heath and Greene. Heath ultimately defended his Olympia title in 2012, while Greene finished runner-up. Greene would go on to place second behind Heath at the Olympia three consecutive times from 2012 through 2014.
The original film also became the foundation for what eventually grew into the Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network and a larger series of bodybuilding documentaries.
You can watch the full Gerard Vs Evil podcast episode to catch Phil Heath’s comments as well as his full hour long discussion right here:
