7 Movies That Required Actors to Undergo Shockingly Drastic Physical Changes for Their Roles
Most of the weight changes were unhealthy.
Being in the showbiz industry is a tough job. It's a competitive environment where only the cream of the crop can survive and flourish.
The job comes with extreme pressure, as actors must maintain a good image while keeping their lives private. Additionally, projects require a tremendous amount of physical, mental, and emotional energy.
Depending on the script, they may have to display a range of emotions in the film. If you think that being an actor is only about glitz and glamour, well, that's not true.
Acting in movies and series isn't a piece of cake. Actors need to possess a significant amount of dedication and talent.
It requires them to embody the character they're portraying, deliver lines, and follow strict cues. It may even involve costumes that they may not be comfortable wearing.
Many actors have had to undergo drastic body transformations to step into the shoes of their characters. If they need to be muscular, they must engage in workouts that might be more intense than what they're used to.
If their character is skinny, they would need to adhere to a strict diet, and they aren't even sure if their hard work will pay off.
They can only see the results when their movies or series become successful. Today's post is about actors who went to extremes to transform their bodies for the sake of portraying their characters.
1. Colin Farrell as Mark Walsh in Triage
Farrell plays a photojournalist who goes to Bosnia. He reached his lowest weight after losing 44 pounds by consuming only diet coke, black coffee, and tuna.
Columbia Pictures2. Domhnall Gleeson as Lt. Russell "Phil" Phillips in Unbroken
Gleeson lost so much weight that his contact lenses no longer fit properly.
chrishemsworth3. Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre in The Informant!
Damon gained approximately 30 pounds for the movie. His friends poked fun at his weight, even though he did it solely for the role.
Warn Bros
4. Chris Hemsworth as Owen Chase in In the Heart of the Sea
Hemsworth's weight gradually increased throughout the film so he could convincingly portray a starving man. He subsisted on boiled eggs, a celery stick, and some crackers.
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5. 50 Cent in All Things Fall Apart
50 Cent's character, Deon, is a football player who suffers from cancer. He needed to follow a water diet while running on a treadmill for a couple of hours a day for nine weeks straight.
Theo Wargo
6. Jared Leto as Mark David Chapman in Chapter 27
Leto gained 67 pounds for this film. Before filming concluded, the extra weight negatively impacted his health to the point where he couldn't walk to the set location.
PEACE ARCH ENTERTAINMENT
7. Christian Bale as Trevor Reznik in The Machinist
Bale played an insomniac machinist whose extreme weight loss is caused by a lack of sleep. He had to follow a draconian diet to achieve this thinness.
Lionsgate
The dedication of these actors is truly impressive. They're willing to either gain or lose weight to contribute to the film's success.
Even knowing it was detrimental to their health, they were willing to undergo drastic changes anyway. We have nothing but praise for these actors' efforts.
Not everyone is willing to go through what they've done.
