Method acting has been a celebrated technique since Marlon Brando’s iconic portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. While many actors delve deep into their characters, some push the boundaries, sometimes with unsettling results. These actors blurred the lines between performance and reality, often alienating colleagues and engaging in questionable behavior.
10. Ashton Kutcher Gave Himself Pancreatitis
The race to capture Steve Jobs’s life on film after his death was fierce. Ashton Kutcher, known for his role in Punk’d, took on the role of Jobs in the 2013 biopic Jobs. Determined to be seen as a serious actor, Kutcher mirrored Jobs’s lifestyle, including his fruitarian diet.
Jobs, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, adhered to a strict fruit and vegetable diet. Ironically, Kutcher’s attempt to emulate this diet, mainly by consuming excessive amounts of carrot juice, led to him being hospitalized with pancreatitis. This extreme method resulted in a painful health scare for the actor.[1]
9. Michael Fassbender Starved
In Steve McQueen’s 2008 film, Hunger, Michael Fassbender played Bobby Sands, an Irish Republican Army member who died during the 1981 hunger strike. This role marked one of Fassbender’s first major dramatic performances.
To fully embody the character, Fassbender underwent a drastic weight loss. Despite warnings from a nutritionist, he reduced his diet to just 600 calories a day for four weeks, consuming only berries and sardines. This extreme method led to Fassbender losing over 50 pounds, transforming him into a shadow of his former self. His dedication highlighted the severe physical toll of Sands’s protest.[2]
8. Dustin Hoffman Abused His Co-Stars
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) is a classic legal drama known for its powerful performances, especially from Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman played Ted Kramer, a self-absorbed workaholic, a stark contrast to his real personality.
Hoffman took his role to disturbing lengths to enhance the tension on screen. He targeted his co-stars’ vulnerabilities, particularly Streep, with insults and even physical acts like slapping her. He also upset young actor Justin Henry by telling him he wouldn’t see his friends from the crew again. Hoffman’s methods were seen as abusive and crossed professional boundaries.[3]
7. Jamie Foxx Glued His Eyes Shut
Portraying Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray required Jamie Foxx to fully embody the musician’s physical and emotional characteristics. Foxx’s performance earned him an Academy Award, but his methods were extreme.
To authentically portray Charles’s blindness, Foxx initially attempted to have his eyes glued shut. This proved impractical, so he used prosthetics that rendered him unable to see during filming. This commitment to replicating Charles’s experience, though risky, demonstrated his dedication to the role.[4]
6. Jim Carrey Feigned Possession
Jim Carrey’s portrayal of Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon (1999) was fraught with unusual behavior. Carrey remained in character throughout the entire shoot, embodying not just Kaufman but also his alter egos, like Tony Clifton.
Carrey claimed to be possessed by Kaufman’s spirit, antagonizing the cast and crew. Director Miloš Forman stated he never worked with Jim Carrey, only with Kaufman. Carrey even stayed in character when interacting with Kaufman’s parents, creating a bizarre and challenging environment. His commitment tested the patience of everyone involved.[5]
5. Adrien Brody Abandoned His Life
Adrien Brody’s role in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist (2002), where he played Władysław Szpilman, a Jewish pianist and Holocaust survivor, was deeply immersive. Brody went to great lengths to connect with his character’s experiences.
Brody sold his car, ended his relationship, and adopted a rigorous piano practice and starvation diet. He isolated himself to mirror Szpilman’s experiences, becoming physically and mentally ill. After filming, he struggled to readjust to his old life. His dedication earned him an Academy Award, but at a significant personal cost.[6]
4. Shia LaBeouf Cut Up His Face
In David Ayer’s Fury (2014), Shia LaBeouf took his method acting to shocking extremes. The World War II film featured a cast committed to realism, but LaBeouf’s approach stood out.
LaBeouf refused to shower or shave, leading to discomfort among his castmates. He also had a tooth pulled and cut his own face to create realistic war wounds. His behavior, aimed at embodying a soldier’s life, alienated his colleagues and raised concerns about his well-being.[7]
3. Robert Pattinson Wet His Pants
Robert Eggers’s The Lighthouse is a psychological thriller featuring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as lighthouse keepers descending into madness. Pattinson’s commitment to his role was intense and unconventional.
Pattinson would growl, mumble, and eat mud before scenes to immerse himself in his character’s deteriorating mental state. During scenes where his character drank kerosene, Pattinson vomited and wet himself. His extreme behavior tested the patience of his co-star, Dafoe, and pushed the boundaries of method acting.[8]
2. Leonardo DiCaprio Slept in an Animal Carcass
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant (2015) demanded extreme physical and mental endurance from Leonardo DiCaprio. The film, set in the early 1800s, tells the story of fur trapper Hugh Glass.
DiCaprio immersed himself in the harsh conditions of the film. He plunged into frozen rivers, slept in animal carcasses, and ate raw bison liver. His dedication, aimed at winning an Academy Award, pushed him to his physical and mental limits, illustrating the brutal reality of the frontier.[9]
1. Jared Leto Gifted His Used Condoms
Jared Leto’s portrayal of the Joker in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad (2016) is a cautionary tale of method acting gone awry. Fresh from his Oscar win in Dallas Buyers Club, Leto fully embraced the Joker’s persona.
Leto remained in character throughout the shoot, isolating himself from his co-stars and sending them disturbing gifts, including rats, bullets, anal beads, and used condoms. His behavior, intended to create a chaotic atmosphere, was widely criticized and contributed to the film’s negative reception. Leto’s antics became infamous, highlighting the potential pitfalls of extreme method acting.[10]
These actors illustrate the varying degrees to which method acting can be taken. While dedication to a role is admirable, these examples show how it can sometimes lead to disturbing and counterproductive outcomes.
What do you think about these extreme method acting examples? Leave your comment below!
