14 Actors Who Went to Extreme Lengths to Portray Their Characters

Actors are known to go to great lengths to portray their characters, sometimes even putting their bodies through extreme transformations. The following actors took their roles to the next level and underwent drastic measures to embody their characters.

1. Chris Hemsworth — In the Heart of the Sea

Chris Hemsworth’s body transformation for the movie In the Heart of the Sea is nothing short of remarkable. To accurately portray a starving sailor stranded at sea, Hemsworth lost a staggering amount of weight, dropping from his usual muscular frame. The transformation took a toll on his body, leaving him feeling weak and tired, but the result was a hauntingly authentic performance that left a lasting impression on viewers.

2. Elle Fanning — Three Generations

She plays a transgender person in the film, where she wears men’s clothing along with her dark and short hair. Despite the fact that the movie was met with some criticism, Elle’s performance was generally acclaimed and it put her on the scene among the big Hollywood stars.

3. Tom Hanks — Cast Away

To accurately portray a man stranded on a deserted island for years, Hanks lost 50 pounds and grew out his hair and beard. He also trained with survival experts to learn how to start a fire and build a shelter. The physical and emotional toll of the transformation was evident in his performance, earning him critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Hanks’ dedication to the role made his portrayal of the character Chuck Noland all the more authentic and memorable.

4. Charlize Theron — Monster

Not only did she gain 30 lb for the role, but Charlize Theron had to pull a radical physical transformation to play Aileen Wuornos. This included dying her hair, shaving her eyebrows, wear prosthetic dentures and makeup that made her skin look stained and aged.

She chose to gain weight instead of wearing a “fat suit” in order to be able to “move and express herself” as Aileen.

5. Christian Bale — American Hustle

To achieve the physical traits of his character, Christian Bale gained over 40 lb, got a combover, slouched, and ended up herniating two of his disks in the process.

When asked about his diet, he simply answered, “I ate a lot of pies.” He also admitted that losing the weight took over 6 months and not 2, as he originally had thought.

The Machinist

For his role as Trevor Reznik, shapeshifting champion Christian Bale lost 63 lb. The movie producers also claimed that Bale actually wanted to drop down to 100 lb, but they would not let him go below 120 lb out of fear that his health could be in too much danger if he did.

Director Brad Anderson was actually shocked to see Bale’s appearance on the first day of shooting, as he didn’t ask him to lose so much weight. The funny thing is, the actor confessed to enjoying the process and a year later, he gained the weight back for his role of Batman in Batman Begins.

6. Gwyneth Paltrow — Shallow Hal

For her role as an obese woman, Paltrow had to go through 4 hours of makeup. She even walked around like that in public, stating no one would recognize her or make eye contact with her.

7. Matthew McConaughey — Dallas Buyers Club

The Oscar winner lost 47 lb for this role as an AIDS patient. He lost 8 lb only in the first 2 weeks by burning 1,800 calories a day. His diet: 5 ounces of fish and vegetables.

He said it was really hard to get down to 160 lb, but after that, easy to get down to 150 lb. As he stated, he probably “lost 35% of his energy.”

8. Nicole Kidman — Being the Ricardos

In order to portray Ball accurately, Kidman worked closely with the film’s hair and makeup team to recreate Ball’s famous red hair and wore prosthetics to achieve her distinct features. She also worked on perfecting Ball’s unique vocal and physical mannerisms, such as her comedic timing and signature facial expressions, to fully embody the character. Kidman’s transformation was essential to the film’s success, as it allowed her to fully capture the essence of Lucille Ball and bring her to life on the big screen.

9. Jake Gyllenhaal — Southpaw

The young actor had to bulk up fast to perform his role as the boxer Billy Hope. He accomplished this by exercising twice a day, 7 days a week, for 5 months, after he had lost 30 lb for his role in Nightcrawler. 2,000 sit-ups a day, 8-mile runs, and core/weight training was also part of his intense workout.

10. Edward Norton — American History X

Oscar-nominated Ed Norton shaved his head completely and gained 30 lb to portray skinhead character Derek Vinyard. The actor ate 7 times a day and he ate mostly chicken, turkey, and fish.

11. Robert De Niro — Raging Bull

De Niro gained 60 lb for his portrayal as professional boxer Jake LaMotta. In preparation for his role, Robert De Niro went through extensive physical training, then entered in 3 genuine Brooklyn boxing matches and won 2 of them.

Fun fact: Robert De Niro accidentally broke Joe Pesci’s rib in a sparring scene. This shot appears in the film: De Niro hits Pesci in the side, Pesci groans, and there is a quick cut to another angle.

12. Rooney Mara — The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Rooney Mara lost a considerable amount of weight for her role as Lisbeth, even though director David Fincher never requested it. She did it to give her character a bony appearance.

Also, every piercing she had was real. She even kept her right nipple one, in case of possible sequels. “It’s not something you want to ever get re-pierced,” she said.

13. Vincent D’Onofrio — Full Metal Jacket

Vincent D’Onoffrio gained 70 lb for the role of Private Pyle, taking him 7 months to put the weight on and 9 months to take it off. That was, reportedly, the most weight ever gained for a movie role, surpassing De Niro’s effort for Raging Bull in 1980.

14. Jared Leto — Dallas Buyers Club

Jared Leto lost 30 lb for his role in this movie and he ended up winning an Oscar. Leto never dropped his character throughout the shooting, he even went shopping for groceries while in character and attracted more than a few stares.

“Your body goes through weird stages. Sometimes it’s hard to hold on to water. But for me, it’s not about the most weight I can lose — it’s more to represent the character.” He said in an interview.

Being an actor means playing the most unpredictable roles and transforming not just your weight but even your gender sometimes.