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  Table of content    
  1. Elle Fanning — Three Generations
  2. Chris Hemsworth — In the Heart of the Sea
  3. Charlize Theron — Monster
  4. Gwyneth Paltrow — Shallow Hal
  5. Matthew McConaughey — Dallas Buyers Club
  6. Robert De Niro — Raging Bull
  7. Rooney Mara — The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  8. Jared Leto — Dallas Buyers Club
  9. Tom Hanks — Cast Away
  10. Christian Bale — American Hustle
  11. Christian Bale - The Machinist

10 Actors Who Went Through Hell For Their Characters

Being a Hollywood movie star sounds amazing. After all, they get huge attention, have tons of fans, earn millions of dollars and lead a wealthy life. There are plenty of perks when becoming a celeb, so what could be better? 

However, as a star, they are often required hard work every now and again. Some actors take things a step further and go all out of their art. From transforming their bodies to full-method acting or undergoing intense training, it’s undeniable that they go well beyond their job description. 

Here are 10 actors who went to extreme lengths to play their movie roles. 

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#1. Elle Fanning — Three Generations

To accurately portray a transgender, Elle Fanning had to wear men’s clothing along with her dark and short hair. Although the film received some negative reviews, her performance was generally acclaimed.

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#2. Chris Hemsworth — In the Heart of the Sea

For his portrayal of a starving sailor stranded at sea in the movie In the Heart of the Sea, Chris Hemsworth lost a staggering amount of weight, giving up his muscular. The body transformation left him feeling weak and exhausted but, it became a hauntingly authentic performance.

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#3. Charlize Theron — Monster

The actress had to undergo an intense physical transformation to portray Aileen Wuornos. She gained 30 lb, dyed her hair, shaved her eyebrows, and wore makeup that made her skin look stained and aged.

She refused to wear a fat suit and decided to gain weight by herself to make her performance more realistic. 

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#4. Gwyneth Paltrow — Shallow Hal

For her portrayal of an obese woman in Shallow Hal, Paltrow went 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.

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#5. Matthew McConaughey — Dallas Buyers Club

The Oscar-winning actor lost 47 lb for his role as an AIDS patient. He had to burn 1,800 calories a day and just eat 5 ounces of fish and vegetables. He dropped down to 150 lb, losing 35% of his energy.

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#6. Robert De Niro — Raging Bull

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

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#7. Rooney Mara — The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Rooney Mara gave her character a bony appearance by losing a huge amount of weight for her role as Lisbeth. She even kept her right nipple one in case of possible sequels. She also said, “It’s not something you want to ever get re-pierced,”

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#8. Jared Leto — Dallas Buyers Club

Jared Leto won an Oscar for his perfect performance in Dallas Buyers Club. During the shooting, he never dropped his character and even want shopping for groceries while in character. 

In an interview, he said, “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.”

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#9. Tom Hanks — Cast Away

Tom Hanks played a man stranded on a deserted island for years in the movie Cast Away. He lost 50 pounds and grew out his hair and beard for his role. He also spent time with survival experts to learn how to start a fire and build a shelter. For his great performance, he was nominated an Academy Award for Best Actor. 

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#10. Christian Bale — American Hustle

Christian Bale not only gained over 40 lb, but also got a combover, slouched. As a result, he herniated two of his disks in the process. It took him 6 months to lose weight and he admitted, “I ate a lot of pies.”

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#11. Christian Bale - The Machinist

The actor considered a shapeshifting champion, did lose 63 ln for his role as Trevor Reznik. He first wanted to drop down to 100 lb but the producers refused because they were aware that if he did, his health could be in too much danger. 

Bale’s appearance on the first day of the shooting shocked everyone on set, including director Brad Anderson. 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.

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What of performance you impress the most? We’d be glad to hear from you in the comments!

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