When actors and actresses land an extraordinary role, they often go to great extremes to completely embody the character. This can sometimes involve daring practices to quickly transform their bodies.
The famous faces on this list took various approaches to change their weight. Some committed themselves to grueling workouts, while others followed strict eating plans to either bulk up or slim down. Surprisingly, a few even dared to cut water from their diets.
Did these bold moves pay off for these stars? While they may have achieved the desired appearance for their respective films, some actors faced lasting health concerns due to the sudden changes in weight. Ultimately, only they can judge if it was all worth it.
Please be aware: The following descriptions may be provocative for individuals who are dealing with disordered eating.
1. Matt Damon Admits He Went Too Far Dieting For ‘Courage Under Fire,’ Saying It ‘Could Have Killed Me’
Before Matt Damon became a household name with the success of Good Will Hunting, he had a supporting role in the 1996 film Courage Under Fire. In order to portray an Army specialist, Damon went to extreme measures and dropped from 190 pounds to 138 pounds. His weight loss regimen consisted of running approximately 13 miles every day and consuming only chicken breast. However, this drastic change in weight took a toll on his health, as he later revealed:
“I was experiencing dizziness and hot flashes. I kept quiet about it for a while because I was worried that something serious might be wrong with me. I definitely took things too far.”
After finally seeking medical advice, Damon discovered that his adrenal gland had been damaged due to the weight loss and had to start taking medication to repair it. There were also concerns that his heart may have suffered permanent damage:
“A doctor later informed me that I could have permanently shrunk my heart.”
Ultimately, this experience taught Damon a valuable lesson about the importance of his health and the risks involved in pursuing a role:
“I had to go through this ordeal just to be thin, and I followed an unsupervised diet that could have had fatal consequences.”
2. Tom Hanks’s Extreme Weight Loss And Gain May Have Impacted His Diagnosis Of Type 2 Diabetes
Tom Hanks, known as one of the finest actors of his generation, has always been dedicated to his craft. He has never hesitated to fully commit to a role, even if it meant undergoing significant changes to his weight.
Back in 1992, Hanks gained a staggering 30 pounds to portray a baseball coach in A League of Their Own. The following year, he shed 35 pounds to convincingly play a lawyer with HIV in Philadelphia. Then, in 2000, he lost a whopping 50 pounds to depict a malnourished man stranded on an island in Cast Away.
During this time, Hanks had to give up many things, but there was one indulgence he couldn’t resist: French fries. He confessed, “Oh, those FFs, man. Those fries from France… The only thing I did not give up was coffee… Nope, wasn’t about to! Can’t do it!”
Unfortunately, it appears that these extreme weight fluctuations may have taken a toll on Hanks’ health. It was during his weight gain for A League of Their Own that his Type 2 diabetes first came to light.
Nowadays, Hanks seems to have made a conscious decision to prioritize his well-being. Reports suggest that he is actively avoiding roles that would require him to undergo drastic changes to his body. It seems he has decided to no longer put his body through the ringer for the sake of his performances.
3. Jared Leto Dangerously Stopped Eating To Reach His Weight Of 113 Pounds For ‘Dallas Buyers Club’
In order to authentically portray the challenges faced by individuals with AIDS, actors Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey dedicated themselves to significant weight loss prior to shooting the acclaimed film Dallas Buyers Club.
While McConaughey opted for a safer route by adhering to a controlled diet with reduced portions of nutritious food, Leto took a different approach. He decided to completely stop eating, resulting in a substantial loss of around “30 or 40 pounds.” Leto admits that he eventually stopped keeping track of the exact amount.
Reflecting on this extreme weight loss journey, Leto remarked, “It completely transforms your gait, your posture, and even your mindset.”
4. Margaret Cho Ended Up In The Hospital From Kidney Failure After She Was Told She Was Too Overweight In ‘All-American Girl’
The sitcom All-American Girl, which aired in 1994, is not very well-known among people. It was a groundbreaking show as it was the first primetime television series featuring an Asian-American family. The star of the show was stand-up comedian Margaret Cho.
Being the lead in a show that pushed boundaries, Cho faced a lot of criticism, particularly about her appearance. She shared that they were often told they were either “too Asian” or “not Asian enough,” which she found confusing. Furthermore, she was told she was too overweight to play herself.
These constant critiques took a toll on Cho’s well-being. In fact, the pressure became so overwhelming that she resorted to extreme and dangerous measures to lose weight. She ended up in the hospital with kidney failure due to not eating.
Despite these challenges, Cho went on to achieve great success as a comedian. However, her experience serves as a stark reminder of the harmful effects that Hollywood’s pressure can have on an actor’s mental and physical health.
5. Zoë Kravitz Ate Clay To Lose Weight For ‘The Road Within’
In order to portray a woman battling anorexia in The Road Within, Zoë Kravitz made the decision to shed 20 pounds and reach an unhealthy weight of 90 pounds. She achieved this by adopting a regimen of running, consuming pureed vegetables, and an unconventional addition to her diet: clay.
Kravitz aimed to approach her weight loss in the healthiest way possible, despite acknowledging the inherent risks. She resorted to drinking clay, which supposedly aids in body cleansing and provides a sense of fullness. Surprisingly, this practice is not uncommon in Hollywood for shedding weight. However, the consequences of rapidly losing so much weight were clearly evident for Kravitz. She revealed that she initially struggled to even hold a conversation due to persistent lightheadedness.
While Kravitz understood that losing weight within such a short period was unhealthy, she confessed that this was not a foreign concept to her. She had battled eating disorders in the past, similar to the character she was portraying. Reflecting on this, she expressed her belief that most young women face similar struggles. Society bombards them with countless images dictating how they should look at various ages, creating a confusing and relatable challenge for every woman.
6. Hillary Swank Had To Wake Up In The Middle Of The Night To Drink Protein Shakes To Gain Muscle For ‘Million Dollar Baby’
When Hillary Swank was chosen to play a boxer in Million Dollar Baby, the producers wanted her to pack on 10 pounds of muscle. However, her dedication to intense workouts and a strict eating regimen resulted in a total muscle gain of 19 pounds.
So, what did her training routine entail? In her own words, Swank explained that she dedicated two and a half hours each day to boxing, along with another hour and a half to two hours for weightlifting. This grueling schedule was followed six days a week.
But the real secret to her impressive muscle gain was her protein intake. Swank revealed that she had to consume a whopping 210 grams of protein daily. However, the body can only absorb so much protein at once, so she had to eat smaller portions every hour and a half. To make things easier, she would drink egg whites with her meals since eating 8 to 12 egg whites in one sitting was not exactly enjoyable.
Consuming such high levels of protein also forced Swank to interrupt her much-needed nine hours of sleep. She would have to wake up during the night to drink protein shakes because going that long without eating was not an option for her muscles.
In summary, Swank’s training for Million Dollar Baby was a rigorous routine of boxing for several hours a day, combined with weightlifting sessions. Her impressive muscle gain was largely attributed to her high protein diet, which required her to consume protein every hour and a half, even during her nightly sleep.
7. Henry Cavill Would Dehydrate Himself For Days Before Filming Shirtless ‘The Witcher’ Scenes
Have you ever wondered how Hollywood actors manage to look so ripped in those shirtless scenes? Well, as it turns out, they go to extreme lengths and dangerously dehydrate themselves.
Henry Cavill, the star of The Witcher, recently revealed the shocking practice he used to achieve his impressive physique for a shirtless scene. He shared, “That’s the worst part of it. Like diet is difficult, and you’re hungry. But when you’re dehydrated for three days, it gets to the point where you can smell water nearby.”
And when Cavill says three days, he really means it. He explained, “On the first day, you’ll have a liter and a half [of water]. And the second day, half a liter. And then the third day, no water; and your shoot is on the fourth.”
Now, you might be wondering why anyone would subject themselves to this dehydrated hell. Well, it turns out that this near-death experience of thirst actually has a purpose. It makes the actor’s skin incredibly thin, which in turn makes the muscles underneath more visible.
So, next time you see a Hollywood actor flaunting their ripped abs on screen, remember the extreme measures they go through to achieve that look.
8. Christian Bale’s Daughter Liked When He Gained 40 Pounds For ‘American Hustle’
Christian Bale has gained a reputation for undergoing significant weight transformations for his roles. In 2004’s The Machinist and The Fighter in 2010, he lost a massive amount of weight. However, for his role in American Hustle in 2013, Bale went in the opposite direction and gained over 40 pounds. When asked about his technique, he revealed, “I ate lots of doughnuts, a whole lot of cheeseburgers and whatever I could get my hands on. I literally ate anything that came my way.”
Interestingly, it seems that someone in Bale’s life particularly enjoyed his weight gain – his 8-year-old daughter. Bale shared, “She found it funny. Having a big old gut and a bald head, she would slap it and tease me. She had lots of fun and found it amusing.”
9. Austin Butler Ate Dozens Of Donuts And Melted Ice Cream To Bulk Up For ‘Elvis’
When it came to eating ice cream, most people would do anything to prevent it from melting. But not Austin Butler.
During the filming of Elvis, Butler needed to put on some weight to accurately portray the later years of Elvis Presley. To achieve this, he decided to try a trick that Ryan Gosling had apparently used before – microwaving ice cream and drinking it. As Butler himself put it, “It’s fun for a week or so. And then you feel awful with yourself.”
To supplement these makeshift shakes, Butler would also go all out by buying two dozen doughnuts at a time and devouring every single one of them.
However, all of this effort turned out to be unnecessary in the end, as Butler ended up wearing a body suit to portray Elvis in his later years.
10. Rob McElhenney Felt ‘Great’ After Gaining 50 Pounds For ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’
Sometimes actors undergo weight loss or gain for the sake of their characters, like when they need to portray someone fighting a disease or facing starvation. However, in the case of Rob McElhenney, he gained 50 pounds between seasons six and seven of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia simply for comedic purposes. McElhenney was tired of the trend where as a show becomes more popular, the actors become wealthier and more attractive.
To achieve his weight gain, McElhenney followed a three-month plan of consuming five 1,000-calorie meals per day. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel lethargic during this time; in fact, he felt great and full of energy. He described himself as “jolly as f***” due to the constant fuel he was providing his body.
Once the joke had run its course, McElhenney decided to do a complete 180 and shed all the weight he had gained within a few months.