10+ Times Actors Transformed for Their Roles and Totally Nailed It

To play the role of a mom of 3, Charlize Theron had to gain 50 lb, whereas Matthew McConaughey gained 47 lb for his leading role in the film, Gold. Being an actor isn’t exactly a cake-walk and often requires actors to go through tough transformations or undergo heavy makeup applications that take hours of work every day before filming.

Bright Side has picked over 10 actors who transformed beyond recognition for their parts.

1. John Travolta as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray

2. Tom Hardy as Al Capone in Capone

3. Ben Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi

4. Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland in Judy

5. Demi Moore as Jordan O’Neil in G.I. Jane

6. Charlize Theron as Marlo Moreau in Tully

7. Steve Carell as John du Pont in Foxcatcher

8. Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

9. Tom Cruise as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder

10. Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in The Hours

11. Matthew McConaughey as Kenny Wells in Gold

Which actor’s transformation did you find the most surprising?