Preparing for a movie role takes time and dedication. For many Hollywood actors, preparing for a role in a movie could require living as the character they plan to portray on screen. This process is referred to as method acting.
Method acting entails training and making proper research in order for the actors to fully understand a character. This could mean that actors live or act like the characters they try to portray for a period of time.
However, some actors take method acting a bit too far.
Here’s a list of Hollywood actors who took their roles a bit too far;
Tom Hanks
While preparing for a role in Cast Away, Tom Hanks gained and lost 50 pounds for the movie. He also refused to cut his hair or bathe, leading to a nasty staph infection. For his role in The Green Mile.
Natalie Portman
For her role in Black Swan, Natalie Portman took things very close to a breaking point.
The actress began a diet that included eating only carrots and almonds. Additionally, she began practising ballet for eight hours every day.
Anne Hathaway
In her 2012 role in Les Misérables, Anne Hathaway went through hell to prepare for this character. Hathaway spent months eating as little food as she could and going through prolonged bouts of isolation. In the end, the actress’ life was just as miserable as her character’s: just what she needed to get into the proper mindset for her role.
Jamie Foxx
In an attempt to play the role of the blind singer Ray Charles, Jamie made use of prostethic eyelids that made him “blind.”
Halle Berry
When Halle Berry auditioned for Jungle Fever, the director assumed she was too pretty for the role of a street-woman. To prove him wrong, Halle immersed herself completely in the role. She visited drug dens and went without a shower through out the shooting. A bit too far isn’t it?
Jared Leto
Jared Leto may have only had a few lines in the movie Suicide Squad, but you can tell he’s serious with his job. To prepare for his role as the joker, Jared played some creepy pranks on his co-stars, by sending a box of dead rats to them. Haha very funny Jared…not.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp is known as an extremist. From his roles in Pirates of the Caribbean to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Depp slept and smoked next to barrels of gunpowder in the author, Hunter Thompson’s basement.
Charlize Theron
Charlize completely changed her appearance when she intentionally gained 30 pounds to play a role as a serial killer, in the 2003 movie, Monster. She won an oscar for the film.
Christian Bale
Christian Bale does a lot of losing and gaining weight. From starving himself down to 121 pounds for The Machinist, Bale bulked up to 190 for his next role in Batman Begins, then down again for The Fighter before going up to 223 pounds in American Hustle. He truly cares about his roles.
Leonardo DiCaprio
For The Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio, who is a vegan, ate raw meat for his oscar winning role. Now, there was no reason for that Leo but we appreciate your dedication.
