AceShowbiz - Actor Matthew Morrison completed filming on his new TV special "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical!" a few pounds lighter after spending so much time dancing around in his furry green costume.

The former "Glee" star takes on the titular role in the show, which was filmed at the Troubadour Theatre in London, and reveals the hours spent in the hair and makeup department and onstage in his costume and facial prosthetics actually caused him to slim down.

"I had so much fun getting into that green suit everyday, (but) I actually lost a lot of weight...," he shared on U.S. breakfast show "Today". "It was three-and-a-half hours to get into the makeup, an hour to take it off..."

"(But) I only had to do that about five times in total, 'cause we rehearsed this like a stage musical, like for a month (before shooting)."

Morrison admits he was initially hesitant to tackle the role Jim Carrey brought to life in 2000 movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", but he couldn't wait to exercise his creativity after spending months at home due to the coronavirus shutdown.

"(It was) terrifying, honestly," he said of his reaction to being offered the lead part. "It's such an iconic character, and... it's one of those roles where anything goes and you can be as big and as imaginative as possible, but honestly, after not working for eight months, I was so excited and ready for the task, and it was terrifying and thrilling and just liberating all at the same time."

"Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical!" will also feature Broadway veteran Denis O'Hare as the titular character's dog, Max, and "Twilight" actor Booboo Stewart as the younger version of the pooch when it airs in the U.S. on Wednesday night (December 09).