Some do it for the paycheck, others for critical acclaim, or a genuine desire to entertain people, but actors go to great lengths for their roles.
The immersion might even blur the line between fiction and reality—character and self—leading to extreme diets, abandoned personal relationships, and conflicts on set, all in pursuit of the ultimate compliment for their performance: "It's authentic."
To highlight this behind-the-scenes dedication /slash/ obsession, we compiled a list of its most memorable rumored and documented examples.
#1 Heath Ledger In "The Dark Knight"
To prepare for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger utilized the extra time available due to his early casting. He spent weeks isolated in a hotel room to develop the character's mannerisms. During this period, he kept a diary and experimented with various voices as part of his process.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#2 Jim Carrey In "How The Grinch Stole Christmas"
Putting on the Grinch costume was apparently a real ordeal for Jim Carrey, involving lots of prosthetics, green yak fur, and big contact lenses. He described the hours-long process as feeling like "being buried alive," and it reportedly made him difficult on set. It got so bad that producers actually hired an expert who trains CIA agents how to handle torture, just to help Carrey cope with sitting in the makeup chair every day.
Image credits: Universal Pictures
Many of these stories result from method acting. The punchline for many jokes about Hollywood is that it involves the performer staying in character even when the cameras aren't rolling.
And yes, the technique involves a lot of sacrifice, but not everyone in the industry is a fan of it. This spring, during a French Cinematheque masterclass in Paris, Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky went as far as to say he hates method actors, calling the style "just something to hide behind, as opposed to doing the work and being professional."
#3 Nicolas Cage In "Birdy"
Nicolas Cage was apparently pretty intimidated by playing Al in Birdy because the role required so much emotional depth. To really connect with the character's experiences, he went to some extreme lengths: he lost 15 pounds and actually had two of his teeth pulled out. Cage felt it was a huge, "once-in-a-lifetime" part that deserved that level of commitment, explaining he wanted to physically reflect the trauma the character went through.
Image credits: Tri-Star Pictures
#4 Tom Hanks In "Cast Away"
While making Cast Away, Tom Hanks got a cut on his leg that he initially dismissed as just a sore. It turned out to be a serious infection that "almost killed him," according to Hanks himself. The infection got so bad that it apparently started "eating its way through his leg," landing him in the hospital.
Image credits: 20th Century Fox
Aronofsky, who has numerous big productions under his belt, including as Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Wrestler (2008), Black Swan (2010), and The Whale (2022), said, "[By all means,] do a tremendous amount of research and really work hard, but acting's make believe."
"If you're going to do an intense scene, [there’s nothing wrong with] keeping yourself isolated, focused, and ready in between takes to maintain that emotion. It's a sport, a game — only, to be a great basketball player, you don't have to be dribbling all the time. That's not how it works. You do your homework and get yourself ready. It's only a fake reality between action and cut," he explained.
#5 Tom Cruise In "Mission: Impossible - Fallout"
While filming a stunt for Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Tom Cruise broke his ankle hitting a wall during a chase scene. He knew straight away it was broken, but he actually finished the take before telling everyone. After confirming the break, he basically called it a wrap and asked to be taken to the hospital.
Image credits: Skydance
#6 Gary Oldman In "Darkest Hour"
To play Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, Gary Oldman smoked a ton of cigars – reportedly around $30,000 worth! He actually ended up with nicotine poisoning from smoking so much during the shoot. Funnily enough, he said that experience made it really easy to stop smoking cigars completely once filming was done.
Image credits: Perfect World Pictures
#7 Christian Bale In "American Psycho"
For his role as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, Christian Bale went full method actor. He kept his American accent going even when cameras weren't rolling and didn't really hang out with his co-stars to stay in character. Plus, he hit the gym like crazy, working out for hours after filming each day to maintain that specific physique, something his castmates definitely noticed.
Image credits: Lions Gate Films
The director didn't cite any names, though his leading man in the upcoming film Caught Stealing, Austin Butler, has been known to stay in character for long stretches, and when asked how he deals with method adherents, Aronofsky said that such an all-in approach could be "fine, as long as it's not debilitating for the rest of the crew,."
"It's fine if that's how [these actors] want to spend their time," he continued. "But I just encourage them to relax a bit."
#8 Anne Hathaway In "Les Misérables"
To play her character in Les Miserables, Anne Hathaway lost about 25 pounds by sticking to an extremely strict diet, eating little more than dried oatmeal paste daily. She explained the goal was to achieve a "near death" look for the role. Afterwards, she found it took her weeks to feel like herself again, as the intense physical and emotional deprivation during filming left her feeling overwhelmed when she returned to normal life.
Image credits: Relativity Media
#9 Sylvester Stallone In "Rocky IV"
During the filming of Rocky IV, Sylvester Stallone actually encouraged Dolph Lundgren to hit him for real in their fight scene. Lundgren apparently took him up on it, landing a punch so hard it sent Stallone to the ICU for nine days! Doctors said the impact to his heart and ribs was the kind of injury they usually see in head-on car crashes.
Image credits: United Artists
#10 Austin Butler In "Elvis"
To really nail playing Elvis, Austin Butler apparently went deep into the role. He explained that for two years, he barely saw his family or friends, essentially isolating himself completely to live in Elvis's world. He immersed himself by reading every book about him and watching every bit of footage and interview he could find.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
English actor Robert Pattinson doesn't like the technique, either. Discussing his work in The Lighthouse (2019), Pattinson admitted there are plenty of challenges that come with playing a character who slowly descends into madness, but the star also highlighted he doesn't want to stay in that place for longer than he has to.
"It was a kind of no limit part, which I always really like," Pattinson said. "We'd do these completely wild scenes, and then literally after a take, you'd be exhausted. It's kind of cathartic. I don’t know how you'd be able to bring the part home. It would be impossible."
#11 Joaquin Phoenix In "Joker"
For his role in Joker, Joaquin Phoenix lost a lot of weight – 52 pounds, to be exact. He said this was the first step in his preparation and that losing that much weight so fast really impacts you psychologically, adding that you "start to go mad" during the process.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#12 Shia Labeouf In "Fury"
For the movie Fury, Shia LaBeouf took method acting to extremes. He apparently skipped showering, got a real tooth pulled by someone outside a dental office, and intentionally cut his own face, reopening the wound throughout filming. LaBeouf confirmed these stories and added that the director had the cast fistfight daily, which he felt helped them bond despite the scraps.
Image credits: Columbia Pictures
#13 Charlize Theron In "Monster"
Charlize Theron famously transformed herself for Monster, gaining weight to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos (which won her an Oscar), though thankfully the teeth in that film were fake. However, while training for the action movie Atomic Blonde, she got roughed up, bruising ribs, twisting a knee, and actually breaking two of her real teeth from clenching her jaw too hard.
Image credits: Newmarket Films
Though Pattinson respects the practice, it's not something he practices himself. "I always say about people who do method acting, you only ever see people do the method when they're playing an a–holes," Pattinson pointed out. "You never see someone being lovely to everyone while they’re really deep in character."
Everyone has their methods, and you can achieve great things in a number of ways—hopefully, without making others miserable, too.
#14 Forest Whitaker In "The Last King Of Scotland"
To play Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland, Forest Whitaker really committed, staying in character even off-set. He apparently went so deep into the role, sticking to a specific diet of mashed bananad and beans and learning Swahili, that even his own family reportedly found it difficult to interact with him. The film's director called it method acting taken to an extreme level.
Image credits: DNA Films
#15 Will Smith In "Emancipation"
Will Smith admitted he felt he went "too far" method acting for Emancipation to truly feel the degradation of slavery. He asked for real, heavy chains, but then the key got stuck when they put them on his neck, leaving him momentarily trapped. Smith described being on the edge of hyperventilating during that moment, saying the experience of confronting that level of brutality really shook him and led him to turn to God.
Image credits: Apple Studios
#16 Adrien Brody In "The Pianist"
To prepare for his role as a Holocaust survivor in The Pianist, Adrien Brody went on an extreme diet, losing 30 pounds and getting down to just 129 pounds. He felt this physical transformation helped him understand the character's emptiness but admitted the experience left him with PTSD. He also mentioned dealing with an eating disorder and depression for about a year after filming.
Image credits: Canal+
#17 Jared Leto In "Suicide Squad"
For his role as the Joker in Suicide Squad, Jared Leto used intense method acting that reportedly unsettled his co-stars. To stay in character, he sent them some truly bizarre and disturbing "gifts," including things like used condoms, sticky magazines, anal beads, and even a dead pig. Leto explained he did this to create an element of surprise and break down barriers on set.
Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
#18 Sacha Baron Cohen In "Borat"
Sacha Baron Cohen caused some chaos filming Borat in New York. In one scene, he tried taking furniture from his hotel room because his character thought he owned it, which actually got his crew members arrested. After pulling stunts like this repeatedly in the same neighbourhood, the local police chief eventually recognized him and basically told him it was time to leave the state.
Image credits: 20th Century Fox
#19 Robert De Niro In "Cape Fear"
For his role as Max Cady in Cape Fear, Robert De Niro actually paid $5,000 to have a dentist file down his teeth to look more menacing. Apparently, it worked for the character, but once filming was over, he had to shell out another $20,000 to get his teeth fixed back to normal.
Image credits: Amblin Entertainment
#20 Leonardo Dicaprio In "The Revenant"
Leonardo DiCaprio said filming The Revenant was incredibly challenging, involving maybe 30 or 40 sequences that were among the toughest he's ever faced. He mentioned dealing with intense cold, going in and out of frozen rivers, and even sleeping inside animal carcasses. He also ate things he normally wouldn't, like raw bison liver for one scene, and his actual, very real reaction to it was kept in the movie.
Image credits: Regency Enterprises
#21 Halle Berry In "Jungle Fever"
For one of her first big roles as an addict in Jungle Fever, Halle Berry really committed. Since she didn't know much about that world, she took some risks, even visiting actual crack dens to research (which she admits was dangerous and wouldn't do now). She also went method with her hygiene, skipping showers and teeth brushing to better connect with the character she described as "nasty."
Image credits: 40 Acres
#22 Jamie Dornan In "The Fall"
To understand his serial killer character in The Fall, Jamie Dornan admitted he once followed a woman off a train. He described it as feeling "kind of exciting, in a really sort of dirty way," although he added he wasn't proud of having done it. Dornan felt the experience gave him some insight into the character's mindset and the process of pursuing someone.
Image credits: BBC Northern Ireland
#23 Aaron Eckhart In "Rabbit Hole"
For his role as a grieving father in Rabbit Hole, Aaron Eckhart went to a real support group for parents who had lost children. He actually participated by pretending his character's son had died, sharing the story as if it were his own. While he admitted it felt "rude," he said the experience made him truly feel like his character and he even broke down emotionally during the session.
Image credits: Lionsgate
#24 Al Pacino In "Scent Of A Woman"
To play a blind character in Scent of a Woman, Al Pacino met with people from the Associated Blind to understand their experiences. Instead of using special contact lenses, he chose to stay in character the whole time on set, keeping his eyes unfocused and using a cane. This commitment led to a mishap where he actually fell and scratched his eye, causing him some temporary blindness for real.
Image credits: Universal Pictures
#25 Val Kilmer In "The Doors"
Val Kilmer went all-in to play Jim Morrison in The Doors. For a full year before filming even started, he dressed like Morrison, listened only to his music, and meticulously studied his voice and mannerisms, even learning 50 Doors songs. His performance was praised, but the process was so intense that Kilmer apparently needed therapy afterwards because he couldn't easily separate himself from the character.
Image credits: Carolco Pictures
#26 Evan Peters In "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story"
To play Jeffrey Dahmer, Evan Peters did a lot to match his physicality and mannerisms, like wearing weights on his arms and lifts in his shoes. He kept elements like the character's clothes, glasses, and even a cigarette on him constantly to make it feel natural. Peters also deeply researched Dahmer's voice, creating a 45-minute audio composite he listened to daily to nail the specific dialect and try to get into his mindset.
Image credits: Netflix
#27 Rooney Mara In "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"
Rooney Mara dramatically changed her appearance to play Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, getting her hair cut and dyed black, eyebrows bleached, and multiple real piercings practically overnight. She also lost weight to fit the character's goth-punk look described in the books. Beyond the makeover, she endured bruises and minor injuries during filming to make her performance, especially in intense scenes, feel authentic.
Image credits: Columbia Pictures
#28 Benedict Cumberbatch In "The Power Of The Dog"
For The Power of the Dog, Benedict Cumberbatch really dove into his character, even learning to castrate bulls and play the banjo. He stayed in character by not washing and avoiding talking to co-stars on set. He also smoked so many cigarettes for the role that he ended up getting nicotine poisoning multiple times.
Image credits: New Zealand Film Commission
#29 Matt Damon In "Courage Under Fire"
Matt Damon went on a seriously extreme diet for Courage Under Fire, eating only chicken to lose over 50 pounds in just three months to realistically portray a character addicted to heroin. He said it was the toughest physical challenge he's faced. Doctors later told him the diet was so unhealthy it could have caused permanent heart damage or even worse, all for what ended up being a relatively small part in the film.
Image credits: 20th Century Fox
#30 Hilary Swank In "Boys Don’t Cry"
Hilary Swank went to great lengths for her roles. For Boys Don't Cry, she lived like a guy for a month – short hair, bound chest, the works – even fooling her neighbors. Then for Million Dollar Baby, she trained like crazy, gaining 19 pounds of muscle, but pushed herself so hard she didn't realize a blister on her foot had turned into a potentially fatal staph infection.
Image credits: IFC Films
#31 Natalie Portman In "Black Swan"
For her role in Black Swan, Natalie Portman underwent intense preparation, training up to 16 hours a day and losing 22 pounds. Although she doesn't call herself a Method actor, she definitely pushed herself physically for the part. She even suffered injuries during the rigorous training, including a dislocated rib that temporarily took her out of production.
Image credits: Cross Creek Pictures
#32 Michael B. Jordan In "Black Panther"
Michael B. Jordan revealed he went to therapy after playing Killmonger in Black Panther because getting into the character took a toll. He isolated himself during filming to connect with Killmonger's loneliness and rage, stemming from the character's backstory. Jordan admitted that because he dove so deep into that mindset, he had a hard time shaking it off once filming was done.
Image credits: Marvel Studios
#33 Jamie Foxx In "Ray"
For the movie Ray, Jamie Foxx didn't just lose nearly 30 pounds through intense dieting, which he found physically and mentally tough. He also agreed to have his eyes glued shut with prosthetics for 14 hours a day during filming. Foxx described that part as being like a 'jail sentence' and found it traumatic at first before getting used to it.
Image credits: Universal Pictures
#34 Dustin Hoffman In "Kramer vs. Kramer"
During the making of Kramer vs. Kramer, Dustin Hoffman reportedly used harsh methods to provoke Meryl Streep, including allegedly slapping her and bringing up her recently deceased boyfriend, John Cazale. Sources suggest Hoffman did this believing it would help her performance by drawing on her real pain. These tactics apparently left Streep understandably upset and angry on set.
Image credits: Columbia Pictures
#35 Ashton Kutcher In "Jobs"
To play Steve Jobs, Ashton Kutcher tried adopting his eating habits, which included drinking tons of carrot juice. This apparently led to severe back pain that sent him to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with pancreatitis, which Kutcher said freaked him out because it felt like he was mirroring Jobs' own health issues a little too closely.
Image credits: Open Road Films
#36 Lady Gaga In "House Of Gucci"
Lady Gaga went deep for her role as Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci, saying she lived as her for a year and a half. She even kept the character's Italian accent going for nine months straight, both on and off set, dyeing her hair dark to help maintain it. To get into the mindset, she consciously started noticing "money" and beautiful things everywhere, even taking up photography as part of her process to embody the character's interests.
Image credits: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
#37 Florence Pugh In "Midsommar"
Florence Pugh described filming Midsommar as incredibly intense, saying she felt she "abused herself" emotionally to portray the character Dani's breakdown. She explained that as the scenes got darker, she deliberately put herself in worse mental places to get the performance. Pugh even felt immense guilt after filming wrapped, almost like she had abandoned Dani in that distressed state, and said the experience taught her about protecting herself as an actor.
Image credits: A24
#38 Andrew Garfield In "Silence"
For his role as a priest in Martin Scorsese's Silence, Andrew Garfield adopted some method techniques. He practiced celibacy for six months and fasted frequently, partly to lose weight alongside co-star Adam Driver. Garfield described having "wild, trippy experiences" as a result and felt it was a deeply spiritual process that helped his performance.
Image credits: Paramount Pictures
#39 Daniel Day-Lewis In "In The Name Of The Father"
To play Gerry Conlon in In the Name of the Father, Daniel Day-Lewis went to extremes. He lost 30 pounds by eating prison rations and spent a lot of time in a jail cell set piece. While he was in there, the crew would even throw insults and cold water at him to help him get into character.
Image credits: Universal Pictures
#40 Will Smith In "Six Degrees Of Separation"
While filming Six Degrees of Separation early in his first marriage, Will Smith got so deep into his character, Paul Poitier, that he actually fell in love with his co-star, Stockard Channing. He later reflected on how difficult this must have been for his then-wife Sheree, as he was essentially living as this other person who developed feelings for someone else during the shoot.
Image credits: New Regency
#41 Ariana Grande In "Wicked"
For her role as Glinda in Wicked, Ariana Grande really threw herself into the character. So much so, that even months after filming finished, she's still noticeably speaking in a higher vocal tone, similar to Glinda's. She mentioned that while some fans have poked fun at it, it was part of her process of fully immersing herself in the part.
Image credits: Universal Pictures
