




























See Also
See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 29 Fotos
Mark Wahlberg
- Mark Wahlberg really committed himself to his role as Father Stuart Long, the real-life boxer-turned-priest for his 2022 film 'Father Stu.' He told ET he had to put on about 30 lbs (13.6 kg) in six weeks for the role, and detailed the stomach-turning lengths he went to do it. "I started with 7,000 calories for the first two weeks and then 11,000 calories for the final four weeks,” Wahlberg said. “None of it was fun, except for the first meal was amazing, because I hadn’t eaten anything up until that point. But after that, when you’re already full and you have to eat again, and at my age it’s just not a healthy thing to do, to try to put on that kind of weight in that amount of time.” The 50-year-old tried to do it the healthiest way, which involved maintaining a workout schedule but also drinking olive oil by the glass. "The first two weeks were high proteins. The second two weeks were a lot of carbs. The last two weeks starches, and then sodium, just to kind of get as bloated as possible. So not a lot of fun," he shared.
© BrunoPress
1 / 29 Fotos
Joaquin Phoenix
- Joaquin Phoenix is one of those actors who isn't afraid to push himself to extremes to give the best possible performance. He looked gaunt and terrifying when he took on the role of Joker, completely changing his gait and the way he carried himself. Not to mention the fact that the lost 52 pounds (24 kg) to achieve the director's ideal image of the character. Phoenix has since gone in the other direction for his latest movie, 'Disappointment Blvd.' He was spotted on set looking like a completely different person. He has gained quite a bit of weight and is rocking grey hair. When he became extremely thin for 'Joker' (2019), Phoenix shared that he enjoyed the physical aspect but said that the weight loss had a severe impact on his mental health.
© BrunoPress
2 / 29 Fotos
George Clooney
- For his film, 'The Midnight Sky,' George Clooney shed nearly 28 lbs (13 kg) to play the role of an astronomer who survives an apocalyptic event, The Mirror reports. Despite his incredible dedication, losing the weight so fast meant he compromised his health, and four days before he was due on set, he was rushed to the hospital with stomach pains eventually diagnosed as pancreatitis. He was forced to spend weeks recovering, "But it certainly helped with the character," he said.
© Getty Images
3 / 29 Fotos
50 Cent - According to the Daily Mail the actor lost almost 25 kilos to play the role of a young man with cancer in 'All Things Fall Apart' (2011).
© BrunoPress
4 / 29 Fotos
Hilary Swank - To play the role of a boxer in 'Million Dollar Baby' (2004), Swank underwent an intense training program to attain an athletic physique, gaining nine kilos in muscle tissue, according to Exercise Reports.
© BrunoPress
5 / 29 Fotos
George Clooney - To play the main role in 'Syriana' (2005), the actor put on 14 kilos, as reported by Female First.
© BrunoPress
6 / 29 Fotos
Jared Leto - CNN said that the actor had to lose between 14 to 18 kilos for his part in 'Dallas Buyers Club' (2013).
© BrunoPress
7 / 29 Fotos
Matthew McConaughey - To play the role which won him an Oscar in 'Dallas Buyers Club' (2013), the actor reportedly lost about 21 kilos, according to the BBC.
© BrunoPress
8 / 29 Fotos
Chris Hemsworth
- Famous for his role as Thor, the actor had to lose roughly 14 kilos when he played James Hunt, a British racing driver, in 'Rush' (2013), according to Hollywood Life.
© BrunoPress
9 / 29 Fotos
Jake Gyllenhaal - Business Insider reported that the actor lost 14 kilos for his role in 'Nightcrawler' (2014).
© BrunoPress
10 / 29 Fotos
Jake Gyllenhaal - The actor played a boxer in 'Southpaw' (2015), and underwent intensive training in order to gain seven kilos of muscle in just six months, according to the Daily Mail.
© BrunoPress
11 / 29 Fotos
Chris Pratt
- Used to play the slightly overweight Andy in the series 'Parks and Recreation,' Pratt followed an intense diet and training routine to get this body for 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014). According to Men's Fitness he lost about 27 kilos in six months.
© BrunoPress
12 / 29 Fotos
Jared Leto - The Hollywood Reporter said that the actor had had to put on 30 kilos for his part in the movie 'Chapter 27' (2007).
© BrunoPress
13 / 29 Fotos
Tom Hanks
- Hanks lost approximately 23 kilos when he acted in 'Cast Away' (2000), according to The Telegraph.
© BrunoPress
14 / 29 Fotos
Robert De Niro - For one of the most iconic roles of his career, the actor underwent two transformations. To play Jake La Motta, in 'Raging Bull' (1980), the actor trained for a year, just like La Motta, according to Men's Fitness.
© BrunoPress
15 / 29 Fotos
Robert De Niro - Later on in the movie, De Niro had to gain 27 kilos, according to The Telegraph, after his character underwent a complete physical transformation.
© BrunoPress
16 / 29 Fotos
Bradley Cooper - To play the part of Chris Kyle in 'American Sniper' (2014), the actor underwent training to gain seven kilos in muscle, according to Men's Health.
© BrunoPress
17 / 29 Fotos
Jason Segel - The Daily Mail reported that Segel had lost almost 16 kilos to play one of the main roles in 'The Five-Year Engagement' (2012).
© Getty Images
18 / 29 Fotos
Natalie Portman - The actress reportedly lost nine kilos for her starring role in 'Black Swan' (2010), according to E News.
© BrunoPress
19 / 29 Fotos
Margot Robbie - For the role of Tonya Harding in the movie 'I, Tonya' (2017), the actress did ice skating training for four months, according to Popsugar.
© BrunoPress
20 / 29 Fotos
Hilary Duff - The actress played Sharon Tate in an independent movie. You can see how much the production had to work to make her look like her character.
© BrunoPress
21 / 29 Fotos
Charlize Theron - According to FoodsForBetterHealth, the actress had to put on 14 kilos when she played a serial killer in the movie 'Monster' (2003).
© BrunoPress
22 / 29 Fotos
Matt Damon - 'Courage Under Fire' (1996) saw the actor lose approximately 18 kilos, according to the Daily Star.
© BrunoPress
23 / 29 Fotos
Anne Hathaway - The Daily Mail claimed that for her role as Fantine in 'Les Miserábles' (2012), the actress had to lose 11 kilos.
© Getty Images
24 / 29 Fotos
Christian Bale - To play the starring role in 'The Machinist' (2004), the actor lost 28 kilos, according to Men's Health.
© BrunoPress
25 / 29 Fotos
Russell Crowe - Shape reported that for 'Body of Lies' (2008) the actor had to put on 29 kilos.
© BrunoPress
26 / 29 Fotos
Mila Kunis - For her role in 'Black Swan' (2010), Kunis followed a strict diet to lose nine kilos, according to the Daily Mail.
© Reuters
27 / 29 Fotos
Jonah Hill
- For the role of a police officer in '21 Jump Street' (2012), the actor had to lose 14 kilos, according to an article by the NY Daily News. See also: Famous white actors who played people of color
© Getty Images
28 / 29 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 29 Fotos
Mark Wahlberg
- Mark Wahlberg really committed himself to his role as Father Stuart Long, the real-life boxer-turned-priest for his 2022 film 'Father Stu.' He told ET he had to put on about 30 lbs (13.6 kg) in six weeks for the role, and detailed the stomach-turning lengths he went to do it. "I started with 7,000 calories for the first two weeks and then 11,000 calories for the final four weeks,” Wahlberg said. “None of it was fun, except for the first meal was amazing, because I hadn’t eaten anything up until that point. But after that, when you’re already full and you have to eat again, and at my age it’s just not a healthy thing to do, to try to put on that kind of weight in that amount of time.” The 50-year-old tried to do it the healthiest way, which involved maintaining a workout schedule but also drinking olive oil by the glass. "The first two weeks were high proteins. The second two weeks were a lot of carbs. The last two weeks starches, and then sodium, just to kind of get as bloated as possible. So not a lot of fun," he shared.
© BrunoPress
1 / 29 Fotos
Joaquin Phoenix
- Joaquin Phoenix is one of those actors who isn't afraid to push himself to extremes to give the best possible performance. He looked gaunt and terrifying when he took on the role of Joker, completely changing his gait and the way he carried himself. Not to mention the fact that the lost 52 pounds (24 kg) to achieve the director's ideal image of the character. Phoenix has since gone in the other direction for his latest movie, 'Disappointment Blvd.' He was spotted on set looking like a completely different person. He has gained quite a bit of weight and is rocking grey hair. When he became extremely thin for 'Joker' (2019), Phoenix shared that he enjoyed the physical aspect but said that the weight loss had a severe impact on his mental health.
© BrunoPress
2 / 29 Fotos
George Clooney
- For his film, 'The Midnight Sky,' George Clooney shed nearly 28 lbs (13 kg) to play the role of an astronomer who survives an apocalyptic event, The Mirror reports. Despite his incredible dedication, losing the weight so fast meant he compromised his health, and four days before he was due on set, he was rushed to the hospital with stomach pains eventually diagnosed as pancreatitis. He was forced to spend weeks recovering, "But it certainly helped with the character," he said.
© Getty Images
3 / 29 Fotos
50 Cent - According to the Daily Mail the actor lost almost 25 kilos to play the role of a young man with cancer in 'All Things Fall Apart' (2011).
© BrunoPress
4 / 29 Fotos
Hilary Swank - To play the role of a boxer in 'Million Dollar Baby' (2004), Swank underwent an intense training program to attain an athletic physique, gaining nine kilos in muscle tissue, according to Exercise Reports.
© BrunoPress
5 / 29 Fotos
George Clooney - To play the main role in 'Syriana' (2005), the actor put on 14 kilos, as reported by Female First.
© BrunoPress
6 / 29 Fotos
Jared Leto - CNN said that the actor had to lose between 14 to 18 kilos for his part in 'Dallas Buyers Club' (2013).
© BrunoPress
7 / 29 Fotos
Matthew McConaughey - To play the role which won him an Oscar in 'Dallas Buyers Club' (2013), the actor reportedly lost about 21 kilos, according to the BBC.
© BrunoPress
8 / 29 Fotos
Chris Hemsworth
- Famous for his role as Thor, the actor had to lose roughly 14 kilos when he played James Hunt, a British racing driver, in 'Rush' (2013), according to Hollywood Life.
© BrunoPress
9 / 29 Fotos
Jake Gyllenhaal - Business Insider reported that the actor lost 14 kilos for his role in 'Nightcrawler' (2014).
© BrunoPress
10 / 29 Fotos
Jake Gyllenhaal - The actor played a boxer in 'Southpaw' (2015), and underwent intensive training in order to gain seven kilos of muscle in just six months, according to the Daily Mail.
© BrunoPress
11 / 29 Fotos
Chris Pratt
- Used to play the slightly overweight Andy in the series 'Parks and Recreation,' Pratt followed an intense diet and training routine to get this body for 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014). According to Men's Fitness he lost about 27 kilos in six months.
© BrunoPress
12 / 29 Fotos
Jared Leto - The Hollywood Reporter said that the actor had had to put on 30 kilos for his part in the movie 'Chapter 27' (2007).
© BrunoPress
13 / 29 Fotos
Tom Hanks
- Hanks lost approximately 23 kilos when he acted in 'Cast Away' (2000), according to The Telegraph.
© BrunoPress
14 / 29 Fotos
Robert De Niro - For one of the most iconic roles of his career, the actor underwent two transformations. To play Jake La Motta, in 'Raging Bull' (1980), the actor trained for a year, just like La Motta, according to Men's Fitness.
© BrunoPress
15 / 29 Fotos
Robert De Niro - Later on in the movie, De Niro had to gain 27 kilos, according to The Telegraph, after his character underwent a complete physical transformation.
© BrunoPress
16 / 29 Fotos
Bradley Cooper - To play the part of Chris Kyle in 'American Sniper' (2014), the actor underwent training to gain seven kilos in muscle, according to Men's Health.
© BrunoPress
17 / 29 Fotos
Jason Segel - The Daily Mail reported that Segel had lost almost 16 kilos to play one of the main roles in 'The Five-Year Engagement' (2012).
© Getty Images
18 / 29 Fotos
Natalie Portman - The actress reportedly lost nine kilos for her starring role in 'Black Swan' (2010), according to E News.
© BrunoPress
19 / 29 Fotos
Margot Robbie - For the role of Tonya Harding in the movie 'I, Tonya' (2017), the actress did ice skating training for four months, according to Popsugar.
© BrunoPress
20 / 29 Fotos
Hilary Duff - The actress played Sharon Tate in an independent movie. You can see how much the production had to work to make her look like her character.
© BrunoPress
21 / 29 Fotos
Charlize Theron - According to FoodsForBetterHealth, the actress had to put on 14 kilos when she played a serial killer in the movie 'Monster' (2003).
© BrunoPress
22 / 29 Fotos
Matt Damon - 'Courage Under Fire' (1996) saw the actor lose approximately 18 kilos, according to the Daily Star.
© BrunoPress
23 / 29 Fotos
Anne Hathaway - The Daily Mail claimed that for her role as Fantine in 'Les Miserábles' (2012), the actress had to lose 11 kilos.
© Getty Images
24 / 29 Fotos
Christian Bale - To play the starring role in 'The Machinist' (2004), the actor lost 28 kilos, according to Men's Health.
© BrunoPress
25 / 29 Fotos
Russell Crowe - Shape reported that for 'Body of Lies' (2008) the actor had to put on 29 kilos.
© BrunoPress
26 / 29 Fotos
Mila Kunis - For her role in 'Black Swan' (2010), Kunis followed a strict diet to lose nine kilos, according to the Daily Mail.
© Reuters
27 / 29 Fotos
Jonah Hill
- For the role of a police officer in '21 Jump Street' (2012), the actor had to lose 14 kilos, according to an article by the NY Daily News. See also: Famous white actors who played people of color
© Getty Images
28 / 29 Fotos
David Harbour and other actors who totally transformed their bodies for a movie
David Harbour lost 80 lbs for season four of 'Stranger Things'
© Getty Images
To get some movie parts, not only do you need to have talent and the ability to get into character, but you've also got to have a will strong enough to completely immerse yourself in your role—even if that means making impressive physical changes.
'Stranger Things' star David Harbour's weight loss was as dramatic as his character's storyline in season four. The actor recently revealed that he shed a whopping 80 lbs (36 kg) for the role, and that he's never doing it again! He told GQ that he began intermittent fasting and pilates to lose the weight over eight months. Harbour's attitude toward such dramatic transformations is that they're unnecessary and that special effects technology can do the work. When it comes to method acting, which often goes hand in hand with major physical changes, it all sounds like "nonsense" to Harbour. "Not only is that stuff silly, it's dangerous, and it actually doesn't produce good work." There are quite a few actors on this list who would disagree with him!
Check out the gallery to see which stars had to undergo drastic changes for movie roles.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU


































MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week
-
1
CELEBRITY Relationships
-
2
LIFESTYLE Royalty
-
3
LIFESTYLE Occult
-
4
CELEBRITY Education
-
5
CELEBRITY Retrospective
-
6
LIFESTYLE War
-
7
HEALTH Hacks
-
8
MOVIES Film
-
9
MUSIC Miracles
-
10
TRAVEL Names