It’s not news that, in order to bring certain characters to life, some actors have to drastically transform themselves, leaving vanity aside and giving themselves completely to the role. Whether in international cinema or even in Brazilian productions, there is no shortage of actors and actresses who dedicated themselves to the extreme to make the story very realistic.
A good example of this is actress Deborah Secco who, to play an HIV-positive young woman in the feature Good luck, lost more than 20 kilos and looked haggard. Another actor who also lost a lot of weight to play a young man with AIDS was Daniel de Oliveira in 2004, when he played Cazuza in the biopic Time does not stop.
In addition to them, other famous names in cinema have undergone drastic body modifications. Check now a list of 10 actors who changed their appearances for art.
10. Christian Bale (The Worker)
In 2004, Christian Bale had to lose approximately 30 kilos to play the train driver who suffered from severe insomnia in The Worker. The actor went from 78 kilos to 49, getting an almost skeletal appearance. To achieve such a result, he invested in fruits in his diet.
Six months later, however, Bale returned to normal weight and even gained muscle to star in the feature film. Batman Begins.
watch the movie The Worker at apple tv.
9. Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Another actor who lost nearly 30 kilos for the sake of art was Chris Pratt, who in 2014 played Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. It turns out that, unlike Bale, he didn’t get extremely thin and ended up transforming his body at the gym, gaining muscle and a “strong” appearance.
In an interview with the US press, the actor said that to achieve the desired result he reprogrammed his diet, did a lot of exercise and drank plenty of water every day.
Guardians of the Galaxy can be watched on disney+.
8. Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Another actor who became famous for undergoing drastic changes in his appearance was Jared Leto, who in 2013 lost 18 kilos to play an HIV-positive transsexual in Dallas Buyers Club
At the time, Leto gave an interview to the press saying that losing so much weight had changed the way he walked, sat and even thought. Fortunately, the effort was recognized and the actor ended up winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor the following year.
you can watch Dallas Buyers Club at apple tvat the Prime Video and not Google Play.
7. Charlize Theron (Monster: Killing Desire)
It’s impossible to talk about actors who went through drastic transformations in the cinema without mentioning Charlize Theron, who in 2003 gave life to a serial killer in the feature Monster – Killing Desire. To play the character, she gained weight, wore dentures and even hid her eyebrows with makeup.
Like Leto, Charlize also won an Oscar statuette in the Best Actress category and became the first South African to take home the award.
watch Monster – Killing Desire at HBO Max.
6. Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
A famous drastic change in cinema was that of award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix, who in 2019 accepted the challenge of living joker. To play the depressed clown who becomes the kingpin, he lost 50 pounds and ended up dealing with mood swings and psychological changes.
Like his peers on this list, Phoenix was also recognized and took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role.
You can watch the joker at Microsoft, HBO Max, Google Play and Prime Video.
5. Ben Foster (The Fight of a Lifetime)
Since we’re talking about actors who lost weight for the movies, it’s worth mentioning Ben Foster, who also suffered from weight changes. To star in the film about Nazism, The Struggle of a Life, the actor had to lose 30 kilos to record the character’s scenes during the Second World War.
A short time later, he had to gain 25 kilos to play the character in the current era, now free from the concentration camps and living in the United States.
The Struggle of a Lifetime is available on Prime Video.
4. Robert de Niro (Raging Bull)
Another film that also deals with boxing and whose protagonist had to undergo drastic physical changes is raging bull1980. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the feature required Robert de Niro to have a defined and fit physique to bring boxer Jake LaMotta to life during almost every scene.
At the end, however, de Niro appears fatter and out of athletic shape to show the character’s old age. In order to gain weight, he traveled to Italy and ate enough pasta to gain 30 kilos.
So, like many of his peers who underwent severe body modifications, de Niro was rewarded with a Best Actor Oscar for his performance.
you can watch raging bull at the Prime Video and Google Play.
3. Tom Hanks (Cast Away)
In the year 2000, Tom Hanks also underwent drastic transformations to live one of the most important roles of his career: Chuck Noland, in Castaway.
In the pre-production period he had to put on 50 pounds to make the character look like a middle-aged man. Then, when filming stopped, he lost a lot of weight and grew his hair and beard to achieve the look of a person who is isolated on a desert island.
The result can be seen in the film, which did not win the actor an Oscar, but which is still one of the greatest successes of his professional life.
shipwrecked is available at Globoplay, Google Play and apple tv.
2. Marco Nanini (O Auto da Compadecida)
Leaving international productions a little and going to Brazilian cinema, in 2000, actor Marco Nanini had to abuse characterization to play the cangaceiro Severino do Aracaju.
The actor wore typical costumes and in addition to making up his face, he had to darken his teeth to sound more consistent with the character. In addition, Nanini also wore a white lens on one of his eyes to give the impression that he was blind.
The Auto da Compadecida is available on Globoplay and Microsoft.
1. Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Famous for her brilliant acting and also for her classic beauty, Anne Hathaway had to let go of her vanity to star The miserablein 2012. In the film, she appears with very short, unkempt hair and painted teeth so that they look rotten.
The effort paid off: her role was praised and she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work.
you can watch The miserable at apple tv.
