10 Actors Who Went The Extra Mile To Commit To Their Monumental Roles
Hollywood is not for the faint-hearted!
Anne Hathaway is one of the Hollywood actors who has certainly earned her laurels. Her iconic filmography, which was launched by her unforgettable role in The Princess Diaries, made her one of Tinseltown's biggest stars.
The Princess Diaries movies are a personal guilty pleasure of mine. They are fun and lighthearted — perfect comfort viewing during rough days.
However, her role in Les Misérables is what cemented her status as a formidable actor. Witnessing Anne Hathaway transform from a prim princess into an impoverished Fantine was a shock to the system.
Who can forget her one-take, haunting rendition of the song 'I Dreamed a Dream' as tears streamed down her face? She also had to cut her hair for the role, which initially left her in tears.
Her preparation to play Fantine began long before the cameras started rolling. To tap into Fantine's struggles, Anne practically starved herself to achieve the gaunt look of a person forced into prostitution by her dire circumstances.
She lost 25 lbs in two weeks to prepare for the role! The actor stated that it affected her mentally and physically, which helped her embody Fantine.
She said the goal was to look as close to death as possible. Such stories are not unheard of in Hollywood; actors go to extremes to prepare for their roles. Here are some other examples:
Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible — Fallout"
Tom Cruise is a daredevil of an actor. Unlike the urban legend of him being an unaging vampire, it is true that he performs his own stunts.
For this installment of the Mission Impossible franchise, he performed a high-altitude, low-opening jump. He jumped out of a plane 106 times to capture the perfect shot!
? Mission: Impossible – Fallout/ Paramount PicturesKumail Nanjiani in "Eternals"
The Silicon Valley actor had to transition from adorable goof to certifiable superhero for his role in Marvel's Eternals. He changed his diet and worked out for a whole year to achieve his chiseled physique.
kumailnMargot Robbie in "I, Tonya"
She had to be a believable Olympian, so for her role in "I, Tonya," Margot Robbie trained for four hours a day, five days a week, to learn skating maneuvers. She was in the rink on the day before her wedding — what a commitment!
? I, Tonya / LuckyChap Entertainment
Henry Cavill in "The Witcher"
Playing Geralt of Rivia is not Cavill's only demanding role, as he has already tested his strength as Superman. However, for this particular role in The Witcher, the actor had to be dehydrated during filming to make his muscles more prominent.
? The Witcher / Netflix
Joaquin Phoenix in "Joker"
Joaquin Phoenix faced a tall task when he took on the role of Joker. He lost 52 lbs in a short amount of time to prepare for the role, which also affected him psychologically.
? Samir Hussein / WireImage / Getty Images, © Joker / Warner Bros. Pictures
Zendaya in "The Greatest Showman"
The "Euphoria" actor began trapeze training three months before filming to prepare for the musical movie. She performed some of the stunts in the movie since the director wanted to minimize the use of stunt doubles.
? The Greatest Showman / 20th Century Studios
Daniel Radcliffe in "Jungle"
Daniel Radcliffe has successfully diversified his filmography since Harry Potter. For this biographical film, the actor lost weight and refrained from eating anything for two days prior to filming to get into survival mode.
? Anthony Harvey / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling in "Blue Valentine"
The actors played a married couple with a child in the movie. The director asked the three to live together for a while to make their dynamic more genuine — they lived in a house together for a month to prepare!
? Blue Valetntine / The Weinstein Company
George MacKay in "Captain Fantastic"
The whole cast had to undergo extensive preparations for the film under the supervision of their director. In addition to daily musical rehearsals, MacKay practiced yoga for 3-4 hours a day to perform the advanced yoga required for his role.
? Captain Fantastic / Bleecker Street
Emile Hirsch in "Into the Wild"
The movie is based on the true story of a man who hiked across North America. The actor lost 26 pounds to prepare for the film and an additional 15 pounds when his character was on the final leg of his journey.
? Into the Wild / Paramount Vantage
Movies suspend reality for a little while. The way actors prepare and carry out their roles is the biggest factor that captivates their viewers.
Going this far to prepare for a role is not always healthy, and the potential effects on these individuals in real life is another conversation altogether. It's not always beneficial for them, but it certainly makes their movies extra remarkable.
