Although acting is one of those professions everyone secretly wishes they could do, sometimes it’s not quite as glamorous as it seems.
There are actors who push themselves mentally and physically to fit their roles, some over-stepping crazy borders in order to fully prepare for the characters which they try to fully embody. Our list tracks the weirdest, wonderful, and sometimes just bizarre ways Hollywood stars have gotten ready for their roles.
Professional Ballerina Over Night
Actress: Natalie Portman
Movie: Black Swan
For her dark and demented role in Black Swan, the beautiful Natalie Portman had to push herself to the ultimate physical limit. On top of having to lose 20 pounds for the role by eating nothing more than carrots and almonds, Portman spent a grueling 8 hours a day in dance rehearsals.
Oooo.... keep on and see what they went through for a role..
Good Student
After filming, Portman admitted that the filming left her physically and emotionally drained claiming: "It was the first time I understood how you could get so wrapped up in a role that it could sort of take you down.
“She also dislocated a rib during rehearsals and pushed on, stating that dancers are always dancing with injuries, so why shouldn’t she?
Clearly, with commitment like that, her Academy Award for best actress was well-deserved.
Embodying Queen Elizabeth
Actress: Emilia Clarke
T.V Series: Game of Thrones
emilia_clarke/instagram
People are constantly in awe of Khaleesi, the Mother of Dragons, as one of the most badass women around, so it’s no wonder Emilia Clarke had to put in incredible effort to constantly perfect this role. Clarke admits it was challenging,
"The role of Khaleesi is tall and willowy and blonde, I'm short and round and brown," she said. "So, they weren't, like, she can do that role, easy!" However, once she scored the role, she sought inspiration through as many strong women as she could.
How to be a queen
emilia_clarke/instagram
Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth was her main figure for inspiration. Clarke admits she watched it countless times to try to mimic and understand this strong female character.
She explained: “the fact that it's rooted, to know I was able to replica a real, strong female leader.
FedEx Runs
Actor: Tom Cruise
Movie: Collateral
Tom Cruise has been the center of attention for many of his antics throughout his career, some good, and some bad.
However, for his role in the thriller Collateral, being the center of attention was the last thing on Tom’s mind. To truly embody the assassin he was playing, Cruise wanted to learn how to blend into crowds without being noticed.
Delivery boy
He did this in the most extreme way possible, by dressing up as a FedEx employee and delivering packaged in crowded areas.
Can you imagine the shock when you open the door for a package and see none other than Tom Cruise standing outside your door?
Teeth Grinding, Taxi Driving, and Professional Boxing
Actor: Robert De Niro
Movies: Cape Fear, Raging Bull and Taxi Driver
When it comes to commitment to the arts, none take it as seriously as the iconic Robert De Niro. When he was cast as a psychopathic rapist in the 1991 film Cape Fear, he paid a dentist to grind and stain his teeth to fit the look he was going for.
Rewind a few years, and we’ve got more extreme stunts by De Niro, in the boxing film Raging Bull, De Niro learned how to box and put on enough weight to resemble a real boxer.
Give it all
And back in 1976, when he was cast as a taxi driver in Taxi Driver, he registered for a taxi license and worked 12-hour shifts a day for weeks!
It’s no wonder the star has garnered himself many awards and is recognized as one of the greatest actors of our time.
Cagey Antics
Actor: Nicolas Cage
Movies: Birdy, Ghost Rider, Leaving Las Vegas
Much like Robert De Niro, Nicholas Cage is also among those actors who barely ever gets into a role without a form of crazy method acting and preparation.
He did what?!
Among his wacky preparation antics, Cage has recorded himself drunk to watch it and get into the mindset, refused to talk to castmates to establish an aura of intimidation, carried with him ancient Egyptian trinkets meant to summon spirits, and removed two of his own teeth.
If that doesn’t scream dedication to the arts, I honestly don’t know what does!
He Gave Up Everything He Had
Actor: Adrien Brody
Movie: The Pianist
When Adrien Brody had to challenge the feeling of serious loss for his role in The Pianist, he took his preparation very much to heart.
In order to put himself exactly in the mindset of the character he played, Adrien quite literally gave up everything he had!
Crying for real
Not only did the actor give away his cell phone, his car, and his apartment, but he broke up with his long-term girlfriend to be authentic when his character cries in the movie!
After a hell like that, Brody won an Academy Award for Best Actor at the youngest age ever- 29!
Refusing to Leave His Wheelchair
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Movie: My Left Foot
Daniel Day-Lewis is among those actors who love to get into the minds of the characters he plays, which is why when he was set to star in My Left Foot as Christy Brown, he went above and beyond to prepare.
Did more than expected
After spending time with disabled patients for research, he then refused to leave his prop wheelchair, insisted on being carried around and was even spoon-fed by the crew!
But an Oscar later, it is clear his tactics paid off.
Total Isolation
Actor: Heath Ledger
Movie: The Dark Knight
The Joker in The Dark Knight is one of the most haunting and disturbed characters Hollywood has ever encountered. And when you hear how Heath Ledger prepared to perfect this role, it kind of makes sense. Ledger was determined to embody his character and be as believable as the mad-man he portrayed as possible.
To do this, he locked himself in a hotel room, away from everyone, for a total of six weeks just before filming began. While in isolation, Ledger practices and perfected the speech patterns, posture, and movements for his character.
Best supporting
However, in a heartbreaking turn of events Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose before the release of the film.
Many have speculated that the dark place he tapped into to prepare for this role may have seriously affected his mental condition. His crazy preparation techniques paid off, he outshone Christian Bale as Batman and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Only an Apple a Day
Actor: Christian Bale
Movie: The Machinist
Christian Bale is known as one of those actors who loves to push the limits, and this is just what he did for his role in the psychological thriller, The Machinist.
Bale was set to play an industrial worker who begins to doubt his sanity after not sleeping for one entire year. To really look the part of a crazy dude, Bale lost an astounding 60 pounds!
Apples and water
How did he do such a thing? Simply consuming water, an apple, one cup of coffee a day with an occasional whiskey. The craziest part of the whole thing is that the scriptwriter forgot to adjust the characters weight description to Bale’s much taller frame. Despite finding this out early on, Bale was determined to challenge himself.
The results paid off and he looks scarily anorexic and believable in the film.
He Slept in An Animal Carcass
Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
Movie: The Revenant
Leonardo DiCaprio knows a thing or two about acting. But he pulled out all the stops for his role in The Revenant. He plays a frontiersman on a fur trading expedition who must fight for his survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead in the snowy wilderness.
The Rawest Kind of Performance
And he really got into the mindset. The actor not only camped out in the wilderness for days on end to embody his role, he slept in an animal carcass, ate raw bison and went for regular swims in frozen rivers. It paid off and his performance is incredibly raw (excuse the pun).
Wonder Preparations
Actress: Gal Gadot
Movie: Wonder Woman
Gal Gadot is the Israeli beauty who is on everyone’s lips recently.
Everyone can imagine that becoming a superhero takes a whole lot of work, and that is why for her recent preparation for her role of Wonder Woman, it's safe to say Gadot has joined the club of actors who went to extremes to embody their role.
Harder Training than in the Army
She trained 6 months prior to shooting, 6 hours a day! This included intense gym workouts, fight choreography and horse riding lessons!
When asked if her time in the Israeli army physically helped prepare for her role, she claimed that preparation for the film was even tougher… so one can imagine it was by no means an easy ride.
Working on a Wiggle
Actor: Michelle Williams
Movie: My Week with Marilyn
Playing the most iconic blonde ever to have lived is something quite special, so when Michelle Williams was set to play Marilyn Monroe, she pulled out all the stops to tap into the luscious blonde’s magical ways.
Not only did Michelle need to gain some weight, bleach her hair blonde every few days, and spend three hours a day in make-up, the actress even took it further to get the perfect Marilyn’s famous wiggle.
Wiggle it
To do this, Michelle tied a belt around her knees and walked around like that for days. She said: "One day I was practicing my wiggle.
There were four men gathered around a truck, and I remember feeling they were watching me and for the very first time I glimpsed some idea of the pleasure I could take in that kind of attention. I thought, maybe Marilyn felt that.”
A Total Makeover
Actress: Rooney Mara
Movie: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
While many actors go through some form of a makeover to resemble the character they are portraying, no makeovers are quite as harsh as the one Rooney Mara went through to portray the iconic Lizabeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Life changing role
Going over the script with Daniel
Once a pretty and innocent looking brunette, Mara took on some drastic changes to turn herself into a tortured-looking soul. Not only did she cut her hair and dye it pitch black, she also pierced her nipples, ears, bleached her eyebrows and wore black makeup on-screen and off-screen to really tap into that tortured look.
It worked, and seeing her sift of appearance in the film is startling!
German Accented Bedtime Stories
Actress: Kate Winslet
Movie: The Reader
Kate Winslet is another household name, the actress has been around for years, wowing in performances such as the 'Titanic' that brings audiences to tears.
When she was cast as a former Nazi guard in The Reader, Winslet proved why she was (and still is) considered one of the most talented actresses around, to get into her character she spoke in a German accent for weeks prior to and during filming.
Angry kids
Winslet admitted her two children got pretty fed up when she insisted on reading the bed-time stories in a German accent.
She got so wrapped up in her role that, as reported, it took her two months after shooting to get back to her normal self. But with an Oscar in her pocket for the film, I’m sure she considers it well worth it.
Abstinence is Key
Actor: Jared Leto
Movie: Requiem for a Dream
Top on the list of actors who go all out for performances is the doe-eyes hunk, Jared Leto. For his role as a drug addict in Requiem for a Dream, Leto gave up sex for two whole months.
To make matters more serious, he was dating Cameron Diaz at the time, so the sacrifice was real.
Hungry like the wolf
But not only did he abstain, to get the emaciated look for the character he was portraying, Leto lost an astounding 25 pounds.
Reminiscing, he claimed to The Independent that the role came with a heavy price. "I was in a constant state of hunger. I started to pass out on set”.
Castmates Received Weird and Wonderful Gifts
Actor: Jared Leto
Movie: The Suicide Squad
Continuing with Leto’s madness in his role preparations, when playing the Joker in The Suicide Squad, Leto pulled out all the stops. However, it was his castmates that really suffered from Leto’s mad preparation techniques.
In order to create the proper dynamic and element of surprise his character infuses into his environment, Leto sent some interesting gifts to his co-stars during filming.
Being what he played
For example, Margot Robbie received a love letter in a box with a live rat, co-star Will Smith received an envelope of bullets.
Leto also had a henchman drop off a dead hog to castmates, and finally, Leto admitted that he sent everyone used condoms and anal beads… I do not envy anyone on set with this guy!
Joining the U.S. National Guard
Actor: Shia LeBeouf
Movie: Fury
Shia LeBeouf is known for his many strange antics, but when he played Boyd “Bible” Swan in Fury, he took it to extremes to get into the mindset of war and the living conditions his character would have gone through.
When the director told the actors ‘I need you to give me everything’, he took it to heart.
Take my tooth
Not only did LeBeouf join the U.S. National Guard, he got baptized, got a tattoo, and became a chaplain’s assistant to Captain Yates of the 41st infantry.
He then spent a month living on base, pulled out a tooth, and did not bath for four months during filming. Gross, but you can’t argue, that’s commitment.
Channeling Her Inner Male
Actress: Hilary Swank
Movie: Boys Don't Cry
When Hilary Swank was given the complex role of Brandon Teena in the film Boys Don’t Cry, she was unsure at first as to how to fully embody the complicated persona of the transgender character who went through a lot of pain and suffering in her life.
Went all the way
Swank, who won an Oscar for her role, went out publicly dressed as a male for months before filming began. She chopped off her hair, had her breasts bandaged flat and practiced speaking in a low voice.
She also introduced herself as Hilary’s brother James to everyone she came across. Swank explained that her preparation was an attempt to understand the reaction that people have towards someone they see as different or strange. Her effort definitely paid off.
A Homeless Richard Gere
Actor: Richard Gere
Movie: Time Out of Mind
One thing you would not think of when the name Richard Gere pops up is homeless. However, in order to prepare for his role as the homeless George in Time Out of Mind, Gere pretended to be a homeless beggar on the streets of New York.
It worked
In some instances, New Yorkers could not even recognize the star and treated him as any other homeless man.
Although this was method acting at its finest, Gere admits he was more interested in raising awareness for the homeless that preparing for a role.
Overnight Musician
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix
Movie: Walk the Line
When Joaquin Phoenix, a well-known Puerto-Rican born actor, was given the role of Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, he became something of a household name.
For his role, Phoenix spent six months learning how to sing, play guitar, and thoroughly study the composer’s life.
Don't call me Phoenix
He was so invested in his character, he would not let anyone address him by any name other than JR. The result of his dedication to his character portrayal earned him huge praise from critics and an Academy Award nomination.
Confined in a Mental Institution
Actor: Jack Nicholson
Movie: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Everyone knows that One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of the best films around, but what Jack Nicholson and his fellow castmates went through to prepare proves that all good films demand major commitment from the actors involved.
Did it himself
Nicholson, a three-time Academy Award winner, spent several months confined in an actual mental institution before filming along with several of his castmates.
They also received real group therapy and worked closely with mental patients. It is interesting to note Nicholson improvised some parts of the film. An Oscar later, it’s clear the work paid off.
Taking on Two New Languages
Actor: Forest Whitaker
Movie: The Last King of Scotland
Forest Whitaker has a stellar acting reputation since his role in Platoon in 1986, but when he played the brutal dictator in Uganda in the film The Last King of Scotland, he proved himself more than ever.
At all times
Whitaker gained more than 44 pounds, learned two dialects of the countries language add remained in character at all time, on and off set.
He was so committed to his character, even his wife and children refused to talk to him for the duration of filming!
Life as Cop
Actor: Gene Hackman
Movie: The French Connection
When Gene Hackman portrayed a real-life cop, Popeye Doyle in the 1971 film The French Connection, this cop drama demanded he truly understands what the life of a police officer is like.
Ride along
Rather than rely purely on his acting skills, Hackman and his co-star actually rode along with New York City cops not for a day, not for a week, but for an entire month!
During this time, he even assisted in restraining a suspect! Legal or not, this preparation paid off when the film won a total of four Academy Awards.
Faking Retirement
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix
Movie: I'm Still Here
Once again, Joaquin Phoenix proves to be one unusual character. Although he has acted in huge roles, he stays largely out of the spotlight. That is... until in 2009 he announced his plan to retire from acting and pursue a career in non-other than rap.
After this shocking announcement which had fans rather confused, Phoenix made countless appearances in his rap personae even doing interviews on shows like ‘The Late-Night Show’ with David Letterman.
Tricked them all
It turns out this may have been one of the wackiest method acting stunts of all time.
The entire thing was part of the act for a film which he was making called I’m Still Here which follows the hilarity of Phoenix pretending to pursue a career in rap…. okay then.
Running, Running, Running
Actor: Dustin Hoffman
Movie: Marathon Man
For his role in Marathon Man, Dustin Hoffman ran four miles a day and lost fifteen pounds to portray his character as realistically as possible.
Is this acting?
For the scenes in which he was supposed to be out of breath, he ran a mile and a half every time before the cameras started rolling. It is reported that his co-star, Laurence Olivier responded to his techniques asking ‘why not try acting? It’s much easier?’
Easier maybe, but these techniques paid off and his performance was legendary.
Becoming Hunter S. Thompson
Actor: Johnny Depp
Movie: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Johnny Depp has done his own share of method acting and pushing himself for challenging roles, but none as drastic and intense as his performance in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, when he was set to portray the fascinating and slightly disturbed Hunter S. Thompson.
Being him
Depp wanted to get in character as humanly possible and did so by living in Thompson's basement for an undisclosed amount of time, interrogating him about his life, reading through all his old manuscripts and recording multiple conversations with the journalist.
Depp also mimicked Thompson’s infamous sleeping patterns by waking up every day at 9 p.m. and getting to bed around 5 the next afternoon. When Depp finally went to meet the director of the film, he showed up in Thompson’s old clothed that hadn’t been washed in 30 years!
Learning to speak again
Actress: Meryl Streep
Movie: The Iron Lady
Meryl Streep is one actor we think of that needs no preparations. She just comes to the set, learns the lines and goes for it. Well, obviously it's not like that.
For some roles, she needed to strengthen some dormant skills, but for The Iron Lady film, in which she played British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, she needed to learn a whole new set of skills.
On and On
Streep told the New York Times that she needed to learn how to maintain her speech tone. She said that her vocal stamina came from a place that she had to find.
"She had the capacity to go on and on and on and on, and on and on and on, and just a moment, I haven’t finished yet.” She then added, “She had a way of overriding interviewers that I’m going to emulate for the rest of my life.”
World Class Skater Within Weeks
Actress: Margot Robbie
Movie: I Tonya
It is very hard to believe this, but Margot Robbie had only ever worn ice hockey skates once in her life before landing her role as a world-class skater in the Oscar-nominated film I, Tonya.
The film follows the life of figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the 1994 attack on her rival.
No Holidays For You
Margot Robbie had to learn from scratch with intensive full day lessons four times a week. She even had a coach come with her to Australia for the Christmas holidays, so her training would not be disrupted.
Not only did the 27-year-old actress had to learn how to skate, but she had to learn to skate with the grace and flawlessness of a former Olympian.
It took four months of training day in and day out, but she did it and has an Oscar nomination to show.
Learning to Sew and Recreating a Masterpiece
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Movie: Phantom Thread
Calling Daniel Day-Lewis a method actor would be an understatement, as you can tell by this lost alone. He is known for fully embodying his characters and going to some crazy lengths to do so.
So, you can imagine for his final film before entering retirement, he wouldn’t disappoint.
A Well-Earned Retirement
With his latest film, Phantom Thread, Day-Lewis takes on the role of Reynold Woodstock, a renowned dressmaker at the center of British fashion. How the actor embodied his character was not only watching just about every piece of footage of fashion shows from the 1940’s and 50’s, but he took it upon himself to learn how to sew and eventually made an entire Balenciaga dress from scratch!
Not sure if there is a man more talented than Daniel Day-Lewis, but now that he is retired we will have to start looking.
Learning Languages, Piano and Guitar
Actor: Timothee Chalamet
Movie: Call Me by Your Name
Another Oscar Nominee, Timothee Chalamet is widely considered the breakout star of 2017. The 21-year-old starred in Lady Bird, but his performance as the vulnerable and incredibly talented Elio Perlman in Call Me by Your Name is what made people realize this kid is the real deal.
Embodying Elio
The film follows Elio as he falls in love with Oliver, the older, taller and blonder American student living with his family for the summer.
In the film Elio speaks three languages, and while he already has some French and knew English, he had to master Italian and did so by moving to Italy for a month and a half before the film and taking lessons every day in addition to piano and guitar lessons since Elio is meant to be a musical genius.
He explained the tough process: ‘. Learning Italian was tough. I tried to really come at from a purist perspective, really learn the grammar, syntax, and conjugations.’
Living with a Fake Family for a Month
Actors: Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams
Movie: Blue Valentine
When having to play a problematic family in Blue Valentine, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams took preparation to the next level. Gosling even claimed at a point that he forgot he was making a movie!
Make belief family
How did they get so immersed? Him, Williams, and their on-screen daughter lived together as if they were a real family for one whole month. They also did grocery shopping with the budget they would have as their characters, celebrated fake Christmas and even birthdays.
It got to the point where they barely had to even act, the characters they were playing felt so real to all of them.
Pushing Her Body to the Limits
Actress: Antonia Campbell-Hughes
Movie: 3096 Tage
The Northern Irish Actress pushes her mind and body to the limits to play kidnap victim Natascha Kampusch in the German film 3096.
One Bloody Filming Process
Firstly, she reduces her exposure to the outside world pre-film including sunlight to get into the prisoner’s mindset. She also lost a fortune of weight. But the commitment to the film didn’t stop at the preparation. While filming Campbell-Hughes broke a toe, fractures a rib and tore her Achilles hill while filming some of the most brutal scenes.
Gaining 30 Pounds for a Scary Transformation
Actress: Charlize Theron
Movie: Monster
Unlike most actors on this list, for her role in Monster, Charlize Theron had to gain weight. 30 pounds to be exact. Theron played Aileen Wuornos, a former prostitute and serial killer who was executed in Florida in 2002 for killing six men.
Bulking Up On Weight and Recognition
For her role, she not only had to follow a very intense eating regime to put on and maintain 30 extra pounds, but she shaved off her eyebrows and wore fake teeth. She gained high recognition for her portrayal of the disturbed woman in the film and it is now considered her best work.
Complete Isolation on Set
Actor: Tom Hardy
Movie: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the most unexpectedly brilliant films of 2015 and that was largely to do with Tom Hardy’s incredibly authentic performance of Mad Max.
But properly portraying a character that is not quite right in the head can demand some rather unconventional preparation. And some may say Hardy went a little overboard in the whole ‘getting into character’ department.
Taking it Too Far
Hardy isolated himself by disconnected from the other actors and consciously refusing to bond with them. While it helped get into personae, it was not easy for his fellow actors including Charlize Theron, who found Hardy's approach maddening
Mastering Jim Morrison’s Mannerisms
Actor: Val Kilmer
Movie: The Doors
Val Kilmer had to go to therapy after his role-playing Jim Morrison in the biopic The Doors because he just could not shake off his character. Which makes sense when you hear the insane lengths he went to in order to fully embody the Lizard King.
Becoming Jim
A full year before cameras started rolling, Kilmer dressed like Morrison, listened to his music, and examined his way of speech. He learned 50 of their songs by heart and by the end, real members of the doors found it hard to tell Kilmer and Morrison apart!
He Shadowed a Male Gigolo
Actor: James Franco
Movie: Sonny
James Franco was more than thorough when researching his role as Sonny, a male prostitute. To better understand the part, Franco actually shadowed a real gigolo in the back of a strip club.
The Real Deal
But things got really heated when he even accompanied him on his visits with johns. He explains:
‘'It went down. Everything went down, as you see in the movies and hear about. The eerie thing is, it was like a movie, but it wasn't a movie - it was the real thing, happening in front of me.'
One Month in Hospital
Actor: Marlon Brando
Movie: The Men
Although it may not be as extreme as method acting in the modern day, Marlon Brando certainly set the bar for extremes back in the day.
When preparing for his role in The Men, Brando did not get up from a hospital bed in a veteran’s hospital for an entire month to access the mindset of an injured veteran, like the character which he as playing.
Fail and win
Although the film was a commercial failure, it saw Brando in his first film which had started his extreme successful acting career.
One Month Without Bathing
Actress: Halle Berry
Movie: Jungle Fever
Halle Berry is a household name, known for being one of the sexiest women alive. She has been lighting up the screen with her charisma and strong will for years now.
What we don’t know is the lengths this brown-haired beauty has gone for some of her more challenging roles.
Bathing is for the weak
Back in 1991, Berry was set to play the role of a crack addict in the film Jungle Fever. In order to fully get into that dark mindset, not only did she visit an actual crack den with a police escort to understand how they lived, but she went on a bathing break.
She did not take a bath for an entire month to get authentically down and dirty for her role. With determination like that, it’s no wonder this role was one of her big breaks.
Fluent in Another Language
Actress: Sally Hawkins
Movie: The Shape of Water
Another Oscar nominee, Sally Hawkins embodied the role of Elisa Esposito, a mute custodian who falls in love with a captured human-fish creature. Of course, a plot that only Pans Labyrinth director, Guillermo del Toro could come up with.
Sign Language in Seconds
