The Ultimate Transformation: 10 Actors Who Went to Extremes for a Role
Hollywood often demands its stars to dive deep into their roles – but some actors go the extra mile, pushing their bodies and minds to the brink. Here’s a look at 10 actors who underwent extreme transformations, epitomizing commitment to their craft.
1. Christian Bale in The Machinist (2004)
![1. Christian Bale in The Machinist (2004)](https://img-s3.onedio.com/id-6521c476a53ef58533f0aca2/rev-0/w-600/h-337/f-jpg/s-6b0f09869316d25df8bb931d023f79220f76aec4.jpg)
Bale lost a staggering 63 pounds, adopting a diet of an apple and a can of tuna a day, turning his usually buff physique into a skeletal frame.
2. Charlize Theron in Monster (2003)
![2. Charlize Theron in Monster (2003)](https://img-s1.onedio.com/id-6521c4918b2906486ee2557d/rev-0/w-600/h-450/f-jpg/s-cf6dc66c8039aced1c9374fba0adea9933379f62.jpg)
Theron gained 30 pounds and underwent hours of makeup to play the real-life serial killer, Aileen Wuornos.
3. Jared Leto in Chapter 27 (2007)
![3. Jared Leto in Chapter 27 (2007)](https://img-s1.onedio.com/id-6521c4ab8b2906486ee2557f/rev-0/w-600/h-337/f-jpg/s-c9214562809aec406c3ce98f06cfc4a55f2793c3.jpg)
Leto gained a whopping 67 pounds to play Mark David Chapman, the man who killed John Lennon.
4. Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
![4. Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club (2013)](https://img-s2.onedio.com/id-6521c4c0a53ef58533f0aca4/rev-0/w-600/h-247/f-jpg/s-00cdb081f509b8b23c42b17b17ea206eb6220cce.jpg)
McConaughey shed 47 pounds, consuming a diet of Diet Coke, egg whites, and a piece of chicken daily to portray AIDS patient Ron Woodroof.
5. Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
![5. Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)](https://img-s1.onedio.com/id-6521c4d9a53ef58533f0aca6/rev-0/w-600/h-337/f-jpg/s-2d96326505db5238031ab19665c78bfbfea3aafa.jpg)
Mara underwent a physical transformation that included piercings, bleached eyebrows, and a dramatic haircut.
6. Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot (1989)
![6. Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot (1989)](https://img-s3.onedio.com/id-6521c4f2a53ef58533f0aca8/rev-0/w-600/h-337/f-jpg/s-dedeb9228d4f434e701a78d5aeffc2c739fc650f.jpg)
To portray Christy Brown, a man with cerebral palsy, Day-Lewis stayed in a wheelchair throughout filming and was often carried around set.
7. Tom Hanks in Cast Away (2000)
![7. Tom Hanks in Cast Away (2000)](https://img-s2.onedio.com/id-6521c8618b2906486ee25581/rev-0/w-600/h-337/f-jpg/s-7a7fa3b5adf3bc35bfbdd096c9b5215195d70c94.jpg)
Hanks gained weight and then lost a massive 55 pounds to showcase his character's time stranded on a deserted island.
8. Adrien Brody in The Pianist (2002)
![8. Adrien Brody in The Pianist (2002)](https://img-s1.onedio.com/id-6521c8878b2906486ee25583/rev-0/w-600/h-325/f-jpg/s-e5efd8d531f22c195529a7a770050a779b94ae3e.jpg)
Brody shed 30 pounds and gave up his apartment and car, isolating himself to understand his character's plight during the Holocaust.
9. Robert De Niro in Raging Bull (1980)
![9. Robert De Niro in Raging Bull (1980)](https://img-s3.onedio.com/id-6521c89d8b2906486ee25585/rev-0/w-600/h-450/f-jpg/s-cf37ecbba723ae42d99291c1d35d77bf29657017.jpg)
De Niro gained 60 pounds to play the older Jake LaMotta, while also training intensively to portray the boxer in his prime.
10. Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables (2012)
![10. Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables (2012)](https://img-s1.onedio.com/id-6521c8b7a53ef58533f0acaa/rev-0/w-600/h-337/f-jpg/s-27b3c27ff1eac1b067c740b06c8995350b79acda.jpg)
Hathaway lost 25 pounds and had her hair cut short on-camera for her role as the tragic Fantine.
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