Every actor is different but the greats all have one thing in common — they’re all method actors . Over the years, this highly unconventional approach to acting has resulted in some of the most spellbinding performances in the history of film.
Each of these actors deserves acknowledgment and respect for the effort that they bring to their performance.
Have a look and check out these 10+ method actors who always stay in character — no matter what!
Jim Carrey.
Jim Carrey went full-on method for his role as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon . So much so, that they made a documentary about it!
Jim claims with absolute conviction that he was ‘possessed’ by the spirit of Andy Kaufman while making the film.
Anne Hathaway.
Anne Hathaway lost 25 lbs for her role in Les Miserables . To achieve this, she ate nothing but dried oatmeal paste for weeks!
Oh, and Anne also chopped off all of her own hair — against the wishes of the film’s hair and makeup team.
Robert DeNiro.
The tales of Robert DeNiro are legendary. My favorite, however, is how he learned to box for his role as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull .
Bob also packed on more than 60lbs in order to film one scene!
Jared Leto.
When Jared had his stint as The Joker in Suicide Squad , he became known for sending ‘presents’ to his fellow castmates.
For instance, he sent a live rat to Margot Robbie aka Harley Quinn, as a gift from her puddin’.
Christian Bale.
When it comes to extreme weight loss/gain, no one does it better than Bale. Christian got down to 122 lbs for his role in The Machinist !
Afterward, he packed on nearly 100 lbs of muscle in order to play Batman!
Adrien Brody.
To embody the proper stature of a concert pianist, Adrien Brody practiced the piano for four hours a day.
He also deprived himself of food, nearly to the point of starvation , so that he could better understand the pains of his character.
Daniel Day-Lewis.
Daniel Day-Lewis wrote the book on method acting. To prepare for The Last of the Mohicans , Daniel spent a month living in the woods.
He learned how to track and skin animals, as well as how to fight with tomahawks.
Shia LaBeouf.
Shia LaBeouf has filed down his own teeth for a role; he’s tattooed his entire chest.
But most recently, for the live table reading of Fast Times at Ridgemont High , Shia got stoned out of his mind while sitting in his truck.
In case it wasn’t obvious, he was reading the part of Jeff Spicoli.
Marlon Brando.
Marlon Brando is a paradox. He was loved by his audience and despised by nearly everyone he ever worked with.
He stayed in bed for a full month in order to understand the pains of being paraplegic for his breakthrough role in The Men .
Ed Harris.
Ed Harris’ name doesn’t normally get tossed around in the method actor’s conversation. But the lengths he went to for his role in Pollack are legendary.
He converted his home into a studio and taught himself how to paint!
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Kate Winslet.
A bad accent can ruin a film, a fact Kate Winslet didn’t take lightly.
For her part in The Reader , Kate kept up her German accent everywhere she went — even while reading her children a bedtime story !
Joaquin Phoenix.
When Joaquin was tapped to portray legendary folk-rock hero, Johnny Cash, he sat down and actually taught himself how to sing and play guitar.
He also insisted that the cast and crew call him J.R., and refused to answer to any other name.
Meryl Streep.
When Meryl met Anne Hathaway on the set of The Devil Wears Prada , she commended the young actress on her talent. She then informed her that from that point on, the niceties would cease.
Meryl was miserable toward Anne for the entire production.
Leonardo DiCaprio.
It’s one thing to say that you never break character. But how many actors have cut their hand so badly mid-scene that they required stitches and kept on filming?
That’s exactly what happened to Leo while filming Django Unchained . That blood that you see, is real.
Heath Ledger.
The rumors of Heath’s method acting in The Dark Knight have been greatly exaggerated. He did, however, lock himself in a motel room for a month in total solitude.
Supposedly, he also kept a journal of The Joker’s inner most thoughts…
