Dedication To The Craft
From Charlize Theron's terrifying look in Monster to Christian Bale's disturbing weight loss in The Machinist, these actors committed to major physical transformations for the sake of their characters.
Charlize Theron, Monster (2003)
Charlize Theron's most dramatic physical transformation to date is undoubtedly her performance as the infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos in 2003's Monster.
Media 8 Entertainment, Monster (2003)
Charlize Theron, Monster (2003)
Becoming Aileen Wuornos was no easy feat for Theron. Physically, she put on 30 pounds by adhering to an extremely unhealthy diet jokingly named the "Krispy Kreme doughnut method."
Media 8 Entertainment, Monster (2003)
Charlize Theron, Monster (2003)
In addition to her weight, Theron also required makeup and prosthetics to drive her transformation home. The makeup artist Toni G managed to create an aged look to Theron's skin by using tattoo ink and then wiping it off. But that wasn't all.
Media 8 Entertainment, Monster (2003)
Charlize Theron, Monster (2003)
In addition to her extensive makeup, Charlize Theron also had to wear special dentures, which altered her speech and her mouth's appearance. She also had her hair thinned, and her eyebrows shaven and bleached.
Media 8 Entertainment, Monster (2003)
Charlize Theron, Monster (2003)
But what truly made the character come alive in Monster was Theron's commitment to learning Aileen Wuornos's unique mannerisms. The actress watched interviews with the Wuornos, as well as documentaries.
This, in addition to the physical likeness, led Theron straight to a well-deserved Oscar win.
Media 8 Entertainment, Monster (2003)
Colin Farrell, The Batman (2022)
Colin Farrell has been known as a Hollywood heartthrob, but his signature good looks were buried in 2022's The Batman.
Colin Farrell, The Batman (2022)
Farrell played the villain Oswald Cobblepot—or The Penguin—and prosthetics covered his entire face, except for his forehead. Before filming his scenes, the actor spent three hours having his extensive makeup applied.
Colin Farrell, The Batman (2022)
The head of the makeup department, Naomi Donne, described Colin Farrell's transformation: "I don't think I've ever stood in front of someone in makeup like that and forgotten it was makeup. I believed that makeup completely."
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Matthew McConaughey dropped a scary amount of weight for his role in 2013's Dallas Buyers Club.
Voltage Pictures, Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Playing Ron Woodwroof—a man living with stage 4 HIV/AIDS—McConaughey undertook an extreme diet to drop the pounds. The only foods he consumed were egg whites, fish, tapioca pudding, and vegetables.
Voltage Pictures, Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
McConaughey later confessed that he managed to lose 50 pounds over the course of five months not only by adhering to a diet, but also by not exercising. However, the actor was permitted to drink "all the wine" he desired.
Voltage Pictures, Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Speaking of his transformation, Matthew McConaughey explained, "It was my responsibility. If I looked how I look now and played Ron Woodroof from Dallas Buyers Club, you are out of the movie the first frame."
Voltage Pictures, Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Michael Fassbender, Hunger (2008)
Michael Fassbender truly pushed his body to the limit in preparation for 2008's Hunger. Though the actor is around six feet tall and weighed 163 pounds at the time, he had to lose 35 pounds for the role.
Channel Four Film, Hunger (2008)
Michael Fassbender, Hunger (2008)
According to Fassbender, it took him 10 weeks to lose the weight. Though he began with a pared-down diet of just 1,000 calories a day, he encountered a problem when he stopped losing weight.
Channel Four Film, Hunger (2008)
Michael Fassbender, Hunger (2008)
Fassbender reached his goal by lowering his calorie count even further—just 600 calories a day. Fassbender explained, “So, that was just basically a tin of sardines, some berries, and a handful of nuts."
Channel Four Film, Hunger (2008)
Michael Fassbender, Hunger (2008)
Though Fassbender committed to the role and took on this extreme diet, it was not healthy. He later confessed, “I wouldn’t do that to my body again."
Channel Four Film, Hunger (2008)
Lily James, Pam & Tommy (2022)
Lily James stole the show with her performance as Pamela Anderson in 2022's Pam & Tommy. During filming, she had to spend four hours getting her makeup applied before the cameras could start rolling.
Annapurna Pictures, Pam & Tommy (2022)
Lily James, Pam & Tommy (2022)
To transform into Anderson, James wore acrylic dentures, as well as prosthetics on her forehead and bust.
She found that the makeup really helped her get into character: “It’s just insane to look in a mirror and really not see yourself anymore. It just meant that I felt so much braver. I had less of my own self-inflicted boundaries of what I am and how I perceived myself. And this was just, like, all gloves are off. I could just be anything.”
Annapurna Pictures, Pam & Tommy (2022)
Lily James, Pam & Tommy (2022)
In addition to all the prosthetics, Lily James also trained hard to get her body into shape. She spent six months working with the trainer, Matt Bevan.
She later commented on the experience, "He worked me so hard and I got really fit. I lost a ton of weight. I've put it all back on again though, unfortunately. But I felt really athletic, which I hadn't done for a long time and there was great confidence that came from that. I feel less self-conscious on a beach now."
Annapurna Pictures, Pam & Tommy (2022)
Lily James, Pam & Tommy (2022)
James continued to work out while filming the show. She began boxing and even studied her lines while jogging on the treadmill.
Annapurna Pictures, Pam & Tommy (2022)
Lily James, Pam & Tommy (2022)
Perhaps the most impressive part of Lily James's transformation was that she managed to recreate Pamela Anderson's very identifiable voice: "I would watch a lot of interviews of Pamela from that time. And I have this great dialect coach, Liz Himelstein, and she would do these weird tongue twister exercises with me and we'd work on my voice."
Annapurna Pictures, Pam & Tommy (2022)
Christian Bale, The Machinist (2004)
Christian Bale is one of the greatest chameleons in Hollywood. We've seen him build muscle for his role of Batman and put on weight for American Hustle, but his most jaw-dropping transformation was undoubtedly when he lost 55 pounds for 2005's The Machinist.
Canal+ España, The Machinist (2004)
Christian Bale, The Machinist (2004)
The role Bale took on for The Machinist was undoubtedly a challenging one. The character of Trevor Reznik is an insomniac with mental health issues.
Canal+ España, The Machinist (2004)
Christian Bale, The Machinist (2004)
Bale spent four months trying to lose as much weight as possible. He had an extremely unhealthy diet. Every day, he ate one can of tuna and one apple, and drank black coffee.
Canal+ España, The Machinist (2004)
Christian Bale, The Machinist (2004)
In 2019, Bale confessed that he'd lost interest in putting his body through such stressful transformations. He told E!, "I've become a little bit more boring now, because I'm older and I feel like if I keep doing what I've done in the past I'm going to die. So, I'd prefer not to die." And that wasn't all.
Canal+ España, The Machinist (2004)
Christian Bale, The Machinist (2004)
Bale also opened up in another interview, saying, "I can't keep doing it. I really can't. My mortality is staring me in the face.”
Canal+ España, The Machinist (2004)
Bradley Cooper, Maestro (2023)
Bradley Cooper really gave all of himself to the 2023 film Maestro. He not only had to become Leonard Bernstein, but he also wrote, directed, and produced the project.
Amblin Entertainment, Maestro (2023)
Bradley Cooper, Maestro (2023)
Speaking with People, Bernstein's daughter Jamie spoke about Cooper's unreal performance: "We had no idea that Bradley had this level of intensity and commitment about a thing when he got it in his grip. There are even certain moments in the film, when he's in motion, where he looks so exactly like our dad it makes us gasp."
Amblin Entertainment, Maestro (2023)
Bradley Cooper, Maestro (2023)
To physically transform Cooper into Bernstein, the makeup-effects artist Kazu Hiro created the perfect combination of prosthetics. He told People, "All in all, I crafted 137 individual pieces, ranging from small to large."
Amblin Entertainment, Maestro (2023)
Bradley Cooper, Maestro (2023)
Hiro's prosthetics and bodysuits were especially impressive because he had to design looks for different stages of Bernstein's life.
Amblin Entertainment, Maestro (2023)
Bradley Cooper, Maestro (2023)
Bradley Cooper also did a phenomenal job of mimicking Leonard Bernstein's voice, and even wore a nose plug. However, he did face some criticism for using a prosthetic nose.
Amblin Entertainment, Maestro (2023)
Bradley Cooper, Maestro (2023)
Luckily for Cooper, Bernstein's children jumped to his defense. They gave the prosthetic nose their stamp of approval, insisting that not only were they "perfectly fine" with it, but that their own father would also be okay with the makeup decisions.
Amblin Entertainment, Maestro (2023)
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables (2012)
Anne Hathaway's incredible performance in 2012's Les Misérables won her an Oscar for Best Actress. Not only did she bring audiences to tears with her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream," but her shocking physical transformation helped bring the troubled character of Fantine to life.
Universal, Les Misérables (2012)
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables (2012)
Hathaway's journey to becoming Fantine was not an easy one. The actress dropped 25 pounds in only two weeks, and she later confessed that it severely affected her: “I didn’t know anything about nutrition. I taxed my body, and my brain bore the brunt of it for a while. I just felt very anxious and very lost at that time.”
Universal, Les Misérables (2012)
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables (2012)
In addition to the significant weight loss, Hathaway also committed to her character by shaving her head for one of the film's most harrowing scenes.
Universal, Les Misérables (2012)
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Hilary Swank trained hard in preparation for 2004's boxing film, Million Dollar Baby. For 90 days, Swank dedicated herself to learning how to properly box.
Warner Bros., Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Swank shared, "My training was two and a half hours of boxing and approximately an hour and a half to two hours lifting weights every day, six days a week."
Warner Bros., Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Though the producers had asked her to put on 10 pounds of muscle, Swank went above and beyond. She ended up gaining 19 pounds of muscle.
Warner Bros., Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Swank's diet was all about protein. According to the actress, her diet called for her to consume 210 grams of protein every day. But that wasn't all. She also ate every 30 minutes.
Warner Bros., Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby (2004)
The diet itself wasn't glamorous at all. Swank explained, “So with a meal, I would drink my egg whites because I could never eat 8 to 12 egg whites in a sitting. It’s just the worst thing ever.”
Warner Bros., Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby (2004)
To ensure that her muscles could recover and grow, Swank had to make sure to fit in nine hours of sleep every night. On top of that, she'd rouse herself to drink protein shakes in the middle of the night.
Warner Bros., Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Nicole Kidman, The Hours (2002)
In 2002's The Hours, Nicole Kidman was barely recognizable thanks to the prosthetic nose she wore to transform into her character, Virginia Woolf. In fact, this particular role led to her very first Academy Award for Best Actress.
