Too Far?

Method acting has given us some of the most memorable performances in film, but it’s also led to some of the wildest behind-the-scenes stories. From actors becoming experts in a completely new skill to almost going mad in their roles, there seems to be no limit to how far they’ll go. Here are some of the weirdest things method actors have done for a role. Noemi Nuñez on Wikimedia Commons

1. Daniel Day-Lewis Refused to Walk

Daniel Day-Lewis is renowned for the extremes he’s willing to go to for a role. To play a man with cerebral palsy in My Left Foot, Daniel insisted on being in a wheelchair all the time and demanded to be spoon-fed. 

Siebbi on Wikimedia Commons

2. Austin Butler Forgot His Real Voice

To get into the character of Elvis, Austin Butler trained with a voice coach and spoke in Elvis’s voice all the time until he forgot his normal voice. He also didn’t see his family for three whole years. 

P. Lovell on Wikimedia Commons

3. Leonardo Dicaprio Lived in The Woods

To prepare for his Oscar-winning role in The Revenant, Leonardo Dicaprio lived in the woods, sleeping in an animal carcass and eating raw bison, despite being a vegetarian. The actor reflects on it being the single most challenging thing he’s done. 

UNclimatechange on Wikimedia Commons

4. Jamie Foxx Glued His Eyes Shut

To play blind musician Ray Charles, Jamie Foxx glued his eyes shut for up to 14 hours a day. He also lost 30 pounds and had his tooth chipped to physically resemble the musician more. 

GabboT on Wikimedia Commons

5. Natalie Portman Became a Real Ballerina

In order to be convincing in her role as in Black Swan, Natalie Portman trained as a ballerina for up to 16 hours a day getting some pretty gnarly injuries in the process including a dislocated rib. She continued to perform and dance on set through the pain like a true ballerina. 

Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia Commons

6. Christian Bale Changed His Body (Many Times)

Many actors gain and lose weight for roles, but what's so impressive with Christian Bale is how he can completely transform his body for back-to-back movies seemingly in the blink of an eye. He's been known to starve himself for one role, bulk up for the next one, and then get downright pudgy following that. 

Harald Krichel on Wikimedia Commons

7. Robert DeNiro Worked Shifts as a Cabbie

One of the greatest actors ever, Robert De Niro is no stranger to method acting. To prepare for his role in Taxi, Robert De Niro actually worked as a New York cab driver, taking on 12-hour shifts. 

John Mathew Smith on Wikimedia Commons

8. Tom Hanks Abandoned Personal Hygeine

For Cast Away, Tom Hanks didn’t shave, cut his hair, or bathe causing him to wind up with a staph infection. He also gained and then lost 50 pounds for the role. 

John Bauld on Wikimedia Commons

9. Hilary Swank Lived as a Man

For her role in Boys Don’t Cry, Hilary Swank cut her hair, wrapped her chest, and deepened her voice to portray a trans man. She was so convincing that her neighbors at the time thought her twin brother had moved in.

Dick Thomas Johnson on Wikimedia Commons

10. Nicolas Cage ate Live Cockroaches

For his role as a vampire in Vampire’s Kiss, Nicolas Cage took the script’s cue to eat live cockroaches seriously. He ate a few actual cockroaches instead of accepting the props that the director offered.

G155 on Wikimedia Commons

11. Forest Whitaker Learned Swahili

For Last King of Scotland, to portray the Ugandan president Idi Amin, Forest Whitaker learned Swahili. As if that’s not enough, he also learned to play the accordion and lived in Uganda for three months where he got to know Amin’s family and victims.

Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia Commons

12. Adrien Brody Lived as a Homeless Man

To prepare for his role as a holocaust survivor in The Pianist, Adrian Brody took method acting to the extreme, selling his apartment, and many of his belongings, and disconnecting his phone. He also lost 30 pounds off his already skinny frame. 

Harald Krichel on Wikimedia Commons

13. Dustin Hoffman Didn’t Sleep For Days

Dustin Hoffman doesn’t seem to understand that acting is supposed to be fake. For his role in Marathon Man, to prepare for a scene where his character hadn’t slept for days, Dustin showed up to set bleary-eyed after being awake for 72 hours.

Studio on Wikimedia Commons

14. Johnny Depp Lived With Hunter S. Thompson

To better capture the author for his role in the autobiographical Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Johnny Depp slept in Hunter S. Thompson’s basement and spent almost all his time with him to authentically capture his personality. We're not actually sure if that was method acting or if these two friends just had a prolongued sleepover though.

Andy Templeton on Wikimedia Commons

15. Sean Penn Beat Up His Co-Star

In Casualties of War, there’s a scene where Sean Penn’s character brutally beats up John Leguizamo’s character. If you thought that scene was very convincing that’s because they weren’t acting. He actually did beat up his co-star. 

seher sikandar on Wikimedia Commons

16. Shia LaBeouf Dropped Acid

Shia LaBeouf is another guy that will do some weird things for movies. Most notably, for his role in Charlie Countryman, Shia LaBeouf dropped acid to more convincingly portray the effects. 

Tabercil on Wikimedia Commons

17. Marlon Brando Spent a Month in a Veteran’s Hospital

Marlon Brando is often considered the godfather of method acting, and it’s clear why. For his role in The Men where he played an injured veteran, he spent a month in bed at a veteran’s hospital. It got to the point where the nurses thought he was actually a patient.

Studio publicity still on Wikimedia Commons

18. Bradley Cooper Studied Conducting

To portray the famous conductor Leonard Bernstein in Maestro, Bradley Cooper studied the art of conducting for six years. According to his co-star Carey Mulligan, he would also call her and converse in Bernstein’s voice. 

Senator Stabenow on Wikimedia Commons

19. Jeremy Strong Was Sprayed With Tear Gas

For his role as Jerry Rubin in The Trial of the Chicago 7, Jeremy Strong asked the film’s stunt coordinator to spray him with tear gas. If that doesn’t sound horrible enough, he also asked the guy to beat him up. 

GabboT on Wikimedia Commons

20. Jim Carrey Put Cheese in His Pockets

Jim Carrey is another guy who’s infamous for his method acting to the point where he’s been accused of taking things too far. For his role as Tony Clifton in Man on the Moon, he put cheese in his pockets and tried to hug and shake hands with people on set, much to their disgust. 

SHOWTIME on Wikimedia Commons