9 Times Actors Became One With Their Character

Great actors truly bring a script to life, as they would give their all and go to lengths to deliver a spectacular show. These may require unconventional methods that help our favorite celebrities fully manifest their characters on-screen.

Bright Side truly marvels at these actors’ passionate portrayal in their most memorable roles. That’s why we gathered a few of them, whose highly praised performances are already cemented in cinema.

1. Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver

The seasoned actor is no stranger to immersing himself in one of his movie roles. Often, Robert plays unique characters that are considered anti-heroes.

One of his most notable roles is Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, where he played a troubled veteran and, eventually, a taxi driver. Instead of just hopping on set before the camera rolls, Robert literally drove a yellow taxi cab all day for two weeks in New York.

2. Hillary Swank in Million Dollar Baby

It takes strength and dedication to portray and actually become a boxer in the process. Hillary gained weight for the role and trained for three straight months. She even had an infection because of the rigorous training regimen she had for the movie.

3. Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming

Having an alter ego when you’re a superhero is hard to balance, but this was not the case for Tom. While he was going undercover for his Peter Parker role in a New York high school, nobody noticed him sitting in classes he wasn’t supposed to be in. When he revealed he was playing Spider-Man, they just gave him a laugh and shrug.

4. Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Becoming a prima ballerina in an instant was not an easy feat. Still, Natalie totally nailed it with a riveting performance for her role in Black Swan. By copying the thorough training of ballerinas, she also underwent ballet, swimming, and other exercises to emulate perfectionist ballerina Nina.

5. Zoë Kravitz in The Batman

In preparation for her role as comic book villainess Catwoman, Zoe studied what was crucial to her role — cats! Apart from hanging out with her feline friends, she copied their mannerisms, like drinking milk from a bowl. This was because she was enamored and intrigued by cats’ mysterious nature.

6. Lady Gaga in House of Gucci

The diva channeled fashion mogul Patrizia Reggiani of Gucci’s fame by intimately staying in character during her preparation for the role. This included speaking with an Italian accent for over nine months and even calling anyone over the phone with Patrizia’s tone.

7. Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock

Stepping into the shoes of Scotland Yard’s most brilliant detective can be a very challenging part to play, but apparently not for Benedict. The thespian always immerses himself in his roles, like Detective Sherlock Holmes, where he learned to play the violin as his character does masterfully.

8. Kate Winslet in Ammonite

It was no surprise when Kate’s performances placed her in the multi-awarded A-listers. She’s prone to taking things to the next level with method acting. It was with playing paleontologist Mary Anning in Ammonite that she went a little too methodical by living alone on a beachside cottage with only candles when there’s no power.

9. Michael B. Jordan in Black Panther

Superbly playing a supervillain with pent-up rage did not go as planned for Michael. When taking on roles, he always writes a journal for his characters, and the one that had a significant impact on him was playing Erik “Killmonger” Stevens in Black Panther. He shared that being isolated and quiet all the time during filming had him assess his mental health after the movie wrapped up.

Were you surprised to know about some of these actors? Which performance do you think is the most notable? Have we missed some actors on the list?