11 celebs who went from twink to twunk we can’t stop thirsting over

While some folks may joke about twink-death, the evolution from twink to twunk is one of our favorite journeys to chart. Obviously, it’s not the only way to inspire thirst in the gay population, after all, we love our Bears and forever twinks, too (shoutout Troye Sivan)!

But recent years have seen a growing pipeline in Hollywood, with so many popular twink actors deciding to hit the gym and become the twunks we know them as now. Fans have absolutely loved seeing so many performers share their transformations, especially since they often come with said twunks sharing this impressive journey through thirst traps online.

Twink death is coming, but some muscly stars got ahead of the curve and ditched the title all on their own. Keep scrolling to learn which celebrities have transformed from twinks into twunks before our very eyes!

Zac Efron

No conversation about twinks turning into twunks is complete without discussing the blueprint: Mr. Troy Bolton himself, Zac Efron. While the mid-2000s featured him mainly as a boy-next-door-styled heartthrob, demanding movie roles brought the twunk out of him, with Efron making waves as one of the most muscular actors in Hollywood by 2012. He’s certainly graduated from twunk to daddy territory nowadays, but that doesn’t mean the man shouldn’t be appreciated for paving the way for twink transformations.

Kit Connor

Most viewers were introduced to Kit Connor as Heartstopper’s Nick Nelson, with fans adoring this complete sweetheart of a character, and then getting shocked when they visited the actor’s Instagram and saw just what a jacked powerhouse he was in real life! Connor’s path to being a twunk was an unfortunate one; he initially began working out due to fans criticizing him for not looking as buff as Nick from the Heartstopper comics. Luckily, the young performer has turned the gym into a nurturing space, developing a good relationship with his (super muscular) body and spreading a message of body positivity for twunks everywhere!

David Archuleta

Whether he’s belting his heart out on American Idol or posting spicy pictures online, LGBTQ+ music lovers just can’t seem to get enough of David Archuleta. It’s why so many were watching intently as the musician began to share progress pictures of himself working out. A love for fitness saw him start to hit the gym more and more, with the ‘Creme Brulee’ singer quickly abandoning his status as a twink to become one of the music industry’s premier twunk artists!

Nicholas Galitzine

From Red, White, and Royal Blue to Bottoms, fans knew Nicholas Galitzine as the cute blonde who couldn’t stop starring in LGBTQ+ movies…and then, he got cast in the upcoming He-Man revival. Gone was the floppy-haired Twink, and in his place was a shockingly shredded Twunk ready to fight by the power of Grayskull! It was a total physical shift from anything viewers had seen him in before, and while it may have robbed fans of the twink we all know, it gave them the superpowered twunk Galitzine is now.

Tyler Posey

Wolfpack, rise up! Because nobody transformed from a twink to a twunk like Tyler Posey after the first season of Teen Wolf; in that inaugural installment, Posey had none of the muscles and abs he’s known for today. He initially looked like your typical twink, but the rising demands of the series pushed him to basically become a werewolf in real life. Funnily enough, he won’t be the only shapeshifting twunk to show up on this list…

Jonathan Bennett

While many fans fell in love with him as Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls, Jonathan Bennett has spent the past decade making his mark in countless other ways — including the steamy workout pictures that fill his social media. The gay actor/author has been completely open about his personal life with his husband, which includes treating fans to the intense transformation he went on from lanky leading man to the mature twunk he is now.

Elliot Page

Elliot Page is a talented actor, an absolute trailblazer, and a fierce advocate — he’s also one of the poster boys for twinks turning into twunks! Fans have been in awe of the physical fitness journey the man has been on recently; he’s shared how transitioning has not only boosted his mental and physical health but has allowed him to engage in fitness like he never has before. It’s a legitimately beautiful reason for his departure from twink to twunk, and it just so happens to come with some truly stellar thirst traps!

Will Poulter

Few moments in the film industry have been as shocking as watching the awkward guy from We’re The Millers become the buff twunk that Will Poulter is today. The man has explained that his physical transformation is all due to one company: Marvel. Becoming a part of this cinematic universe seems to require an extreme amount of muscle, a requirement that Poulter completely exceeded to play the shining Adam Warlock and leave his Twink self in the dust!

Russell Tovey

Few twunks have garnered as much global attention as the UK’s Russell Tovey. Originally gaining fame as the timid Twink werewolf George on Being Human, the past decade has seen the man get more and more beefy (to the delight of his many fans). He’s discussed how fitness is actually a coping mechanism; a brutal attack at 18 left him traumatized and feeling weak. The Gay actor uses the gym as a way to feel more secure and confident in his body, a transformation that has not only helped him become an international advocate, but has also made him one of the leading figures of the Twink-Twunk pipeline!

Tom Holland

A list of former twinks could never be complete without your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Tom Holland! The lovable superhero has made comic fans swoon ever since he first entered the MCU, an entrance that coincided with the young man deciding to ditch his Twink identity for a ripped Twunk one. Like others on this list, this was due to the physical demands of being a Marvel superhero, a title he doesn’t take lightly. It’s a commitment that not only makes him one of the best Spider-Men cinema has ever seen, but has created the twunk appearance fans are obsessed with now!

Taylor Lautner

Most people decide to become a twunk simply because they want to — other times, it’s because they want to keep their job! Such was the case of Taylor Lautner, who was told he wouldn’t be able to return as Jacob Black in the Twilight franchise if he didn’t bulk up. It’s safe to say the man wanted to keep his job, because by the time he returned in New Moon, gone was the twinky Jacob of the first film. In his place was a bulky werewolf who broke ground in terms of twunk representation (and acted as a gay awakening for countless fans!).