9 Actors Who Took Their Roles Too Far (From Starving Themselves to Breaking Bones!)

» By Danielle Gray @StyleNBeautyDoc July 5, 2012, 19:00pm

Being an actor requires one to go deep and, often times, lose one’s self in a role. Some actors take this very seriously; almost too seriously. From losing an excess amount of weight to not allowing themselves to break character long after the director yells cut, here are nine actors who took their roles too far.

1. 50 Cent

The Queens rapper lost up to 54 pounds in All Things Falls Apart to play a football player who gets diagnosed with cancer. Pictures of the emaciated “Wanksta” singer prompted most of the world wide web to exclaim “He better win an Oscar for that mess!” The result? Do you know ten people that actually saw the film? Right.

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Comments

bigdawgman

What movie are you referring to? Are you okay?
- brandon9271
  
  He was talking about Magic Mike.. lol
  - http://www.facebook.com/jaison13 Jaison Corleone
    
    you’re kidding right? i like dramatic films. to call magic mike anything dramatic is a joke. that guy is nuts!!!
    - brandon9271
      
      Yes i was kidding
Grace

Jared Leto for Chapter 27 he gained 67 pounds and got gout.
tom

Not a great way to judge a movie by how many awards it’s won. A lot of these movies were great but according to this article, they didn’t “pay off”. I’m Still Here was funny as.
Joe

This article should include actor Sacha Baron Cohen, his transformation and performance in Bruno is unreal.
- your mom
  
  LOL.
zpyro

Honestly EVERY actor and actress should take their roles to far. That is their job, to convince us they are some else and to bring that character to life.

Where is Tom Hardy for Bronson and Charlize Theron for Monster o.O or Even Johnny Depp for Fear in Loathing in Las Vegas? Countless movies left out here for this list.

Also who cares about box office numbers or “oscars”. If the movie entertains you then it was a success. Bless these actors who actually try to immerse themselves, and not some god awful teenage vampire one facial expression the whole movie crap that Hollywood has been rolling out lately… And really.. Magic Mike because of WAXING? what about Hugh Jackman doing 6 hours of training a day to get into the shape for Wolverine? Like I’ve said there are countless other examples…

List is awful, needs to be rethought out and the title changed to something less misleading.
- Brawny71
  
  Charlize Theron wore a prosthetic for Monster. Not the same thing.
  - Shawn
    
    she also put on a large amount of weight to get the role which is not as easy as it may sound, Stiil was more sacrifice than a waxing.
    - http://www.facebook.com/RobHruska Rob Hruska
      
      It’s easier than you think. :S
    - http://www.facebook.com/shawnalane1 Shawna Mathews
      
      Yeah she gained what all of 20 lbs maybe, if that even? Good grief she can eat a whole bag of oreos every other day for a month and gain that… not that hard…and not anywhere near the same thing as christian bale or any of the others above
Harry

If you had actually SEEN Magic Mike you would know it’s a great film. Just like the other films you put on this list that didn’t “pay off.”
Steppenwolf

Magic Mike may be great or it may be awful, haven’t seen it, don’t know. I do know that getting your chest waxed isn’t too far. Or far even. Fairly close actually.
- Quistal
  
  Otherwise put Steve Carell in this list for the waxing scene in 40 Year Old Virgin!
SID 8.0

Ralph Fiennes in Schindler’s List. Some people say his marriage ended because of it.
http://www.facebook.com/jaison13 Jaison Corleone

honestly, how is waxing, or staying in character on the same list as these guys who starved themselves for a movie?? bale was sick looking. his knee was bigger than his thigh!! it was disgusting!!
- MaryinBoise
  
  Agreed. And I see know mention of Emile Hersch’s self-emaciation for Into the Wild either. He should have been included on this list.
http://twitter.com/AlaskanBelle77 Laurie Bell

How do you break a rib just sitting in a wheel chair??? O_o
- aladdinsane22
  
  I wondered the same thing…..
james

Christian Bales performance in The Machinist is the reason he is regarded as one of the greatest actors of our time. When someone gets snubbed from an oscar nomination with a performance like that it can be beneficial to their career for years to come. From now on if Christian Bale has a movie where he is great chances are there will be awards season talk and action.
- Lucy
  
  Christian has been snubbed by the Academy since he was 13 years old and did The Empire of the Sun. It’s a shame he had to starve himself for people to notice him.
- F You, you owe me the car!
  
  Firstly, I think Bale is massively overrated. Secondly, it was his appearance that made him more effective. He was much better in American Psycho. His performance in The Machinist is not bad, but anyone else could have done it. It was his appearance, period.
  - http://www.facebook.com/altagracelg Altagrace L. Narcisse
    
    “Anyone else could have done it?” Ok, drink coffee and have an apple every once in a while…for a week and see how easy it is. Bale did this for much longer. “Anyone” cannot do this…
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1247940578 Tony T. Tony
  
  HAHAHAHA!!! Really?? In what circles??? Hey, I really like the guy a lot!! But he doesn’t rate with Daniel Day Lewis, Anthony Hopkins, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, and more.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jedidiah-Rose/100000004306824 Jedidiah Rose

Agree with some, disagree with some. Method actors are strange and wonderful creatures, they often deliver some of the most poignant performances in Cinema.
Charlie.

Jared Leto!!! Gained 70lbs, Got Gout and almost more serious illnesses!!
- uckermanf
  
  Jared Leto is gout.
Uz

Robert should get back to being lean and mean. It suits him. Come to think of it, I should, too. Weights, here I come.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003180528414 Jeff Hardy

heath’s joker was over rated
- http://www.facebook.com/elmodude8 Justin Wozniak
  
  I can understand Batman films not being someone’s thing but Heath Ledger’s Joker was nothing short of perfection. Dark, sinister, mysterious with no real answer on why he’s all crazy or where he got those scars. The voice, the laugh, the licking of the lips and the hunched over walk he does. Everything about the role was superb, but don’t take my word for it, just look at the nominations and awards he received. Plus, when it comes to roles like the Joker a main part that goes into the role itself is the appreciation of how the role is interpreted and how much work goes into it. As it says above, he locked himself in a hotel room for a month working on the laugh and personality of the Joker. No, it’s not overrated.
- your mom
  
  nope
odin

Why WOULDN’T the author view the films she’s referencing in this article? In the case of Joaquin Phoenix in “I’m Still Here,” the EXCELLENT character he role-played in real life was necessary for the concept of the film to be executed correctly. The film is itself a commentary dependent on media-types (such as those who write shitty articles) playing into it.
- your mom
  
  Exactly. I still laugh at people who think Joaquin Phoenix actually went crazy. It goes to show what a phenomenal actor he is.
RobDobbs

What do ticket sales have to do with anything? Most of these movies (and acting) are great – regardless if they did well at the box office.
real life person

who really cares, they are just stupid actors, hence the word actor, a person who cannot live a real life without f****** anything that moves, men and women alike, a bunch of liberal coked out losers who cannot function in real life and then the rest of you sheep blindly follow them like they are something important. pathetic
- http://www.facebook.com/elmodude8 Justin Wozniak
  
  Sounds like you are the person who has the problem, not the actors. First of all, there is nothing wrong with being, “liberal,” and the fact that you said that in an attempt to use it against the actors just tells me all I need to know about you. And movies are a national past time, like baseball or football. As children when we go to movies we go to another world, a fantasy world where we can enjoy ourselves and escape the horrors of reality for a few hours. And if you say you don’t like movies you are either lying or you had a really boring/rough childhood. Either way, doesn’t look good on your part. And actors and actresses (such as myself) we LIVE to entertain people. We make it not only are job but our pleasure to please the audience with out roles which you would have no idea how much emotional as well as physical work goes into each and every role. And not all of us are coked out losers. Even the coked out losers as you call them can make a come-back, case and point, Robert Downey Jr. had a major drug problem but he made a serious comeback and now he’s friggin Iron Man. So go be bitter and a loser yourself someplace else.
- your mom
  
  your mom is pathetic
Jan

Matt Damon lost 40 lbs for some scenes in the movie “Courage Under Fire.”
zacal

Surprised you left out Nicolas Cage in “Birdy”. He had his teeth pulled to make it look like he’d lost them in combat. False teeth for the rest of his life for a movie no one remembers.
pnut166

What about Hugh Jackman ? Although the X Men films aren`t exactly art, he packed on 40 lbs of pure muscle. Repeatedly.
http://twitter.com/Nephilimfields JB

The Machinist was an AMAZING movie.
mohammed ali jawaid

Tom Hanks for Philadelphia should have been included in the list too!
http://www.facebook.com/elmodude8 Justin Wozniak

Who was in charge of making and insulting the people in this list? Christian Bale’s The Machinist didn’t NEED to be a box office hit. Some of the best movies are CULT HITS, meaning they don’t need money to be awesome. For example, Big Lebowski, Kick-Ass, WaterWorld, Watchmen, Cloud Atlas, Re-Animator and even The Adventures of Tin-Tin were all considered box office flops but are well loved and celebrated now. So just because it’s not raking in the dough doesn’t mean it’s a horrible movie.
Jim Carrey did an amazing job in The Man in the Moon, Heath Ledger, sure he took it “too far,” as the title states but if he didn’t take it too far he wouldn’t have been as awesome as he was and wouldn’t have received any awards for his role. A great actor must know that he/she must get into the role at any and all costs and the more overboard you go 99% of the time it does nothing but great things for your career. And don’t even try and say that Daniel-Day Lewis ever went overboard even if he did break one of his own ribs. Have you even seen My Left Foot? I believe he was nominated and won awards for that movie so whatever he did for the role (including breaking one of his own ribs) it got him the award which I don’t see you going out of your way to get an award. All your good for is bitching about actors who are talented and do anything they can to make the role extraordinary.
http://www.facebook.com/elmodude8 Justin Wozniak

Says the person who has never acted in his life and has no idea how much emotional, mental and physical work goes into a single role. Real easy to judge someone for doing something you clearly wouldn’t be able to do if given the chance.
Eileen Johnson

Russell Crowe for ‘Body Of Lies’ or ‘Cinderella Man’ or just about any other film role he’s ever done. The man is known for recreating himself for just about every role he takes.
Jeff

100 percent agree with both of you guys on this. But if we are talking about incredible transformations, forget 2 dudes waxing their chests (which those two probably already did anyways) and even forget Deniro as Max Cady, what about Deniro as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. Losing weight and getting into incredible fighting shape to play Jake in his boxer years then gaining 70+ pounds to play Jake in the later scenes. That was his most crazy transformation
- xodiak
  
  Agree with the incredible transformations with the exception of the Magic Mike stars. Waxing their chests have no business being on this list. Geeze. Womp Womp.
- Guest
  
  Matt wax his chest? The dude doesn’t even BATHE every day! Or use anterspirant! Read what Tina Fey said. The man REAKS! I don’t know how his wife can stand it. He’s one of those idiots who thinks BO smells good.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1247940578 Tony T. Tony
  
  And you didn’t even mention that he had to regain and re-lose that weight in order to re-shoot scenes!! And it was 80 lbs difference. And Jake LaMotta himself was there for the shoot, and said DeNiro could have been a world champion fighter- for real.
- Jerseysmelltours
  
  Loved the sincerity and truth that Bobby “D” brought to the bull role but it wasn’t the weight gain or lose that made the role it was the transformation that he used these to bring the entire role to life…The movie “Tropic Thunder” has it’s characters discussing some of these type of acting good or bad real or bogus…
Tao_Jones

I agree: Waxing your chest for a role is, indeed, “taking it too far.” *rolls eyes
And it was worth Heath Ledger preparing for a role which ultimately led to his suicide because he won a couple of overhyped and meaningless awards? Are you retarded?
uckermanf

Who is the designer of this web page? They seriously need to be slapped. The only way you could make it MORE inconvenient to advance through the 9 entries is to put the d-mn thing at the very bottom of the page.
http://twitter.com/ClaudeApollon claude apollon

like privatepyle said, “a lame attempt at being funny”
kowtz

Matt Damon? Courage Under Fire? Really… was out done by waxing chest hair?
David Clements

The Machinists was a great movie. It showed just how powerful the human conscience can be. When Bale’s character finally resolved everything at the end, I felt the relief myself!
Also, when Joaquin was on Letterman with his character get-up, he went over to Dave as the end credits were rolling and said something to him. He was actually spilling the beans to Dave about what was going on; the director/producer of the production was not pleased.
Davimo

You missed perhaps De Nero’s best role ever as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. He gained over 60Lbs for the role and won Best Actor. The movie itself was good as well getting 8 Academy Award nominations.
- Max Cady
  
  That was the performance that started it all – in terms of body transformations and beyond. He was the first, baby! But a fantastic performance regardless.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1247940578 Tony T. Tony
  
  80 lbs fercrissakes!!!
http://www.facebook.com/mark.knopfler.121 Mark Knopfler

OK. Heath Ledger locked himself up for months to perfect his laugh. Can anyone really seriously remember one moment in the movie that really made note of the joker’s laugh? Maybe I need to watch it again – like 40 times. Not to knock Heath, the rest of the performance was great, but I didnt’ get the emphasis on the laugh…
Obiwanbill

Boris Karloff had teeth removed to have a sunken facial expression in FRANKENSTEiN
http://twitter.com/animuldoc liz friedman

the machinist was a GREAT movie, and Bale did a spectacular job! sales of tickets are not really a measure of how good (or bad) a movie, or actor is. really lame and shallow for you to say so.
http://www.facebook.com/eustace.cromartie Eustace Cromartie

You should be ashamed for even mentioning Ledger! It is obvious that you do no have any knowledge of the movies you listed or their impacts on the careers of the actors. This was a truly pathetic attempt at journalism.
kurtespo

looks like Joe perry from Aerosmith COOL
sailormars

I agree with PrivatePyle. One person I suggest should be added to the list, or instead of most of them, is Mickey Rourke in 9 & 1/2 weeks. He treated Kim Bassinger like dirt the whole time the movie was being made, filming or not. The director either suggested it or agreed with him that it was a great idea. Kim Bassinger detested having to go to work every day. Like her or not, she didn’t deserve that from a fellow actor. Whether this movie was a box office bomb or highly profitable, Rourke’s performance was in no way inspired, and I think it was more of an excuse for him to indulge his misogyny. I thought Heath Ledger gave one of the most brilliant performances on film, and I believe he worked on a lot more than his laugh in his seclusion.
ohsnaponu

Exactly. And for the writer’s information an Oscar, which Mr. Ledger won, trumps a Golden Globe. Geez, do some research.
Patton Slayer

De Niro is the godfather of this. He started it. There’s no denying that. I mean sure, before him, guys like Monty and Brando were already there, but… they mainly did research for the roles, they never went beyond that – except for Brando (who of course popularized method acting in film) and spent some time in his character’s life. But De Niro, he did whatever he felt necessary… Before he became famous, he lost 30 pounds and slept in a coffin. The rest is history.
F you, you owe me the car!

Bale has got nothing on De Niro. De Niro was a medium build guy. He got ripped, gaining pounds of muscle. Then, he gains over 60 pounds of pure fat. All for one movie… Lastly, It is safe to say that Bale was inspired by the master.
- PeterDarker
  
  The next film bale did after the Machinist: Batman Begins. Try gaining 60 pounds of muscle in a decade let alone a few months and let me know how easy it is.
  - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1247940578 Tony T. Tony
    
    You’re full of sh!t. He didn’t gain 60 lbs of muscle- ever, you retard.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1247940578 Tony T. Tony
  
  80 lbs. And DeNiro is a light-framed guy, not medium.
PeterDarker

Dear Mr.Gray,
You are an idiot. Stop writing now.
Sincerely,
The Internet
Drew Douglas

Article is terrible. You can’t say something didn’t pay off, like you did about The Machinist, because it didn’t make any money. That logic is beyond stupid.
frelling_cute

Dont wax. Let the hair grow on the chest.
etc

Funny, your entire reasoning for whether an actor’s prep for a role “worked” is based solely on asses in seats/award show recognition.
sean

I wholly agree. The writer’s attempt at being funny is simply pedantic, snarky and seriously unfunny. I believe douchebaggery is the only word to describe this tripe.
The emperor has no clothes

Mr. Gray went to extraordinary lengths to achieve a sufficiently extreme level of pretentiousness to accurately portray a third rate hack…..
Triple Ace

I also agree with all the comments that call the idiot who wrote this to task. I can only
hope she never writes again. She has no respect and probably could act as well as
she writes which is stupid and sloppy.
Name

Womp, womp.
Donnybrook

50 Cent is NOT AN ACTOR. F this writer who thinks so just because the guy lost an obscene amount of weight. He is a wanna be.
Tim Kramar

Those who can, do. Those who cannot do, criticize.
magic mike

some actors consider themselves as artists. artists regularly do what most people would consider to be extreme. luckily for these so-called writers – now they have a way to showcase their unique abilities. can i get a WOMP WOMP?
http://acestream.com/ ACEdotcom

this article feels like it was written by a mentally handicapped child.
srsly?

The title is “Man on the Moon” not “The Man on the Moon.” So not only is the point of this article shallow and trite, it’s also factually erroneous.
- Yanksfan2010
  
  That’s all you got from the article?
Hutch

Not to mention the fact that this film has gone on to become a cult classic. How many people do you know who haven’t seen it?
Toby_gibson002

Whoever wrote this must really like vapid tripe for his viewing pleasure.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Randall-Stevens/100002991588119 Randall Stevens

Yup, I agree. The number of people who saw a movie determine how good it is? So if a certain amount of people think something it’s true?

Nonsense. I don’t give a f@#$ if nobody liked that movie. That was a great f@#$in’ movie.
http://twitter.com/iSellForNo1 YoungAngryMan

lol you mad?
- Skullcow
  
  … says “YoungAngryMan.” Idiot.
  - your mom
    
    HA HA HA!
bgolfguy

Reminds me of the line from “Tropic Thunder” when Downey’s character (Kirk Lazarus) accuses Stillers character (Tugg Speedman) of going “Full Retard” in his last movie which was an epic flop.

Kirk Lazarus: Everybody knows you never go full retard.

Tugg Speedman: What do you mean?

Kirk Lazarus: Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, ‘Rain Man,’ look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho’. Not retarded.

You know Tom Hanks, ‘Forrest Gump.’ Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain’t retarded.

Peter Sellers, “Being There.” Infantile, yes. Retarded, no.

You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don’t buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, “I Am Sam.” Remember? Went full retard, went home empty handed…
http://twitter.com/30stmFantasy BZ

Danielle – did you actually mention 2 actors because of WAXING? And no mention of Jared Leto who gained 60 lbs, had gout & could hardly walk while making Chapter 27. Lost 25 pounds & slept on the street with addicts in NY preparing for Requiem for a Dream. Then recently fasted for a month while making Dallas Buyers Club. I love all the actors you mentioned but thought you could have done better!
http://www.facebook.com/artistjamieshelton Jamie Shelton

DeNiro is well known for lengths to which he will go to prepare for a role. He tacked on more than 50 lbs for his Oscar winning role in “Raging Bull.” Dustin Hoffman is the other renown preparation extremist. For his Oscar nominated role in “Marathon Man,” he deprived himself of sleep for nearly 48 hours to achieve a tired, emaciated look for his famous “Is it safe?” dentist scene with Laurence Olivier.
Cuter_Britney

Why is this article missing so many of its pictures???? Does anyone proofread this site?
spirulinaagnew

meryl streep doesn’t have to do any of this lunacy. she just turns it on and off. I guess that’s why she is the best. these actors are only able to act if they are living the part. and that’s not acting.
Tink_Kalua

I would add Tom Hardy for his performance in “Bronson.” His transformation into Bane in DKR was also impressive. Love Tom Hardy
Lars

The only reason I heard about 50 Cents movie is because of all the weight he lost to be in it. Did it even make it to the theaters, or was it a straight-to-DVD?
Lars

Anyone who appreciated Andy Kaufman will be blown away by Jim Carry’s portrayal of him in the movie.
Jamie

What an awful article. “I’m not Here” was a great satire. So, a movie is only “successful” if it wins the actors awards? What a dumbass.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001539971286 Jennifer Cummins

Did you know the entire time Joaquin was making rounds on talk shows with his overgrown beard and proclamation of quitting acting to become a rapper, they were actually using those interview clips for the film he was making at the time. It wasn’t for the purpose of trying to “get into character” they wanted the interviews in the film to appear genuine because it was supposed to feel like a documentary. Geesh, you people need to research better.
Duncan

sick
sergio

What? what about Reign of Fire?
Pank Freterman

Dang. Didn’t know 50 Cent could get more ugly.
http://www.facebook.com/gene.bivins Gene Bivins

Danielle Gray, So “way left” is a suitable description of Daniel Day-Lewis going too far with a movie role? As a left-handed person I’ve seen this prejudice all my life. My father was forced to learn how to write with his right hand because left was somehow wrong. Please don’t use “left” as a pejorative term. Sloppy use of language hurts everyone.
http://www.facebook.com/gene.bivins Gene Bivins

Danielle Gray, So “way left” is a suitable description of Daniel Day-Lewis going too far with a movie role? As a left-handed person I’ve seen this prejudice all my life. My father was forced to learn how to write with his right hand because left was somehow wrong. Please don’t use “left” as a pejorative term. Sloppy use of language hurts everyone.
http://www.facebook.com/gene.bivins Gene Bivins

Danielle Gray, So “way left” is a suitable description of Daniel Day-Lewis going too far with a movie role? As a left-handed person I’ve seen this prejudice all my life. My father was forced to learn how to write with his right hand because left was somehow wrong. Please don’t use “left” as a pejorative term. Sloppy use of language hurts everyone.
kara

this website has so many ads i can’t even get through the whole article before closing out, clean it up
Gary

DDL won an Oscar for my left foot….haters gonna hate I guess…
WROL

now carrey has alienated all true Americans and his career is officially over in this country. time for jimmy to head to bollywood.
http://www.facebook.com/ricko.allen.7 Ricko Allen

what about Val Kilmer in Tombstone..he got really sick
Mike

How does it feel to focus on the most shallow aspects of modern life? StyleBlazer, you’re another rotten fish in a sea of meaningless drivel.
Annoyed

There are too many ads popping up at me and making sounds to ever come back to this site.
dongaroo

why would they mention that Heath Ledger got a golden globe for his performance, but not mention that he got a ^%$# OSCAR for it. I got your “womp womp” right here
Ina Bliss

One wonders how looooong it’s going to take for actors to realize that there IS NO FICTION and every thought-impulse counts, that every word and deed they “pretend to perform” counts toward their own lives OR deaths ?! The camera does not absolve them from atrocities, neither “pretend”, nor “real”…
Jimbo

I think the left out Matt Damon in Courage Under Fire where he played a heroin addict and lost 80 pounds. It took him 2 years to recover. I dislilke Matt Damon but his part in that movie was monumental.
fussy wussy

hey
Deb

Cuban Gooding Jr. in Radio he just screams desparation for Oscar
thedarkfields

I guess if you’re defining “pay off” in the sense of the studio’s profit margin and/or directly related to awards, this almost makes sense. For most people, it has more to do with the quality of the work. Still, I admit that I’m dumbfounded that you included Heath Ledger as sort of paying off because he won an award after his death. Get your priorities straight.
Andrew Jones

Am I the only one confused or doesn’t understand how sitting in a wheelchair too long causes you to break a rib??
http://www.facebook.com/mark.soto.31 Mark Soto

I would add Anne Hathaway to this list for what she did to herself while playing Fantine in Les Miserables.
Guest

Yeah, well DeNiro also fluctuated weight to the extreme in Raging Bull.
anon

This is a stupid and unfunny article. A good number of these films are great, and actors like Christian Bale and Tom Hanks have already gone down in history for having completely immersed themselves into roles such as these. All it shows is how passionate they are about the work that they do. I get the impression that whoever wrote this has probably never seen any of these films.
http://www.facebook.com/losoncy Joshua Lacencieux

Seriously with as many ads that are on this page I will never visit this site again. For fucks sake dude.
http://www.facebook.com/james.fabiano James Fabiano

There’s this from Sessions:
To simulate O’Brien’s posture, John Hawkes used a soccer-ball-sized piece of foam which he laid onto the left side of his back in order to curve his spine. Consequently, some of his organs began to migrate, and he was told by his chiropractor that his spine now has not enough movement.
Marlon62

No amount of torture is worth it,even when it’s done in the name of art. I greatly admire Mr. DeNiro but as Lawrence Olivier once said to a very”method”,young Dustin Hoffman,”Why not try actng dear boy,it’s much easier.”
Spartacus

I can’t believe they didn’t mention Gary Oldman’s weight loss for Sid and Nancy. He dropped so much weight for that role in order to look like a drug addict that he wound up being hospitalized. I mean, a lot of these actors did a lot for their roles, but I wouldn’t call packing on a lot of muscle or waxing your chest going “too far.” Gary Oldman was apparently told if he didn’t start eating right he could die. Truly jeopardizing your health is going too far.
BarryG

movies with the highest box office doesn’t mean they’re the best… I’m sure this opened up a lot of doors for Christian Bale. So in the end, this probably did pay off……..
Leprechaun P. Doucherson

The Machinist didn’t do well but alongside his performance in American Psycho it got him the role in a little film called Batman Begins, WOMP WOMP…DOUCHE DOUCHE.
http://twitter.com/pfcpremosgirl Aundria Cooper Premo

Ummmm, Magic Mike was most assuredly NOT painful to sit through!
Jerseysmelltours

I give “fiftycents” credit for giving it the old college try, but losing or gaining weight in and of its self doesn’t make you an actor. I’d say to fifty learn to enunciate the english language first than worry about losing weight.
Relliklaires

Regardless how extreme these actors or any actor goes for a role. They’ll have more money and be more known for who and what they do than probably anyone who comments on this article. I’d take a million or even half that for a role in which I starved myself, broke a few bones, or whatever. I’ll take that money I get and get a cheeseburger afterwards.
tyuttt

Christian Bale is an idiot.
Moonshine628

You forgot Jared Leto! He gained weight to play John Lennon’s killer and he lost a bunch of weight to play and AIDS patient.
Jen H

I’d add Taylor Kitsch prepping for The Bng-Bang Club—he dropped 40 pounds in two months, so rapidly that his kidneys almost failed. He and the other stars reportedly got so in-character they’d even call each other by their characters’ names without thinking about it.
http://www.facebook.com/BlazingBlackness Stephanie Frisby

This is one of the reasons why actors get paid so much, sometimes they have to change themselve for a role and they put themselves completly out there for our benefit
http://twitter.com/Sinisterwaltz Daniel Dorfsman

Everyone should look up the video of Norman Mailer and Rip Torn. Just type those two names in . They were making a film in the 70s. Story is, there was a scene in the script where rip attacks norman mailer with a hammer. it was deleted from the script. but mailer wanted to keep it in. So he just went ahead and did it. There’s video of the ensuing fight. It’s crazy. Mailer bit his ear.
http://twitter.com/veryphil veryPhil

Except for Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey’s chest waxing, this list is legit.
ThePrufessa

howard stern (well fred) still plays his laugh from the movie theater scene. it’s priceless and works perfectly every time he drops it in.
Scrawny

Mallrats!!
Frank Drebin

how about Nicholas cage in Leaving Las Vegas. Wow what a movie and what a performance.
Zelda Yarrmouth

Jared Leto, for both starving himself for “Requiem for a Dream” and gaining 67 lbs for “Chapter 27″
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1290396145 Kateryna Fury

Why was this only men, why are you including staying in a wheelchair as extreme (something most of us who use them do without breaking bones), and why are these so out dated when this stuff happens constantly?