# What’s the most outrageous thing an actor has done for a role? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-outrageous-thing-an-actor-has-done-for-a-role/583236 "2011-05-26T01:53:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-outrageous-thing-an-actor-has-done-for-a-role/583236/101 "2013-01-24T12:12:12Z")
> [@SeldomSeen](#): > > Kate Winslett had an interesting scene in **Holy Smoke** wherein she stood nude and peed on the ground. With her well-known penchant for realism she attempted to do the scene…realistically. ISTR seeing Chris Meloni naked and pissing in a bucket in _Oz_. It has made watching _SVU_ more interesting. Also, Bjork reportedly got so into her role in _Dancer in the Dark_ that when it was over she **ate her costume**. Weird chick (but an intense performance). ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-outrageous-thing-an-actor-has-done-for-a-role/583236/102 "2013-01-24T12:28:31Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > Looking over this thread and thinking about it a bit, I think the massive quantity of stunt work that Jackie Chan has done over his career probably wins. The man’s broken every bone in his body. in particular, dropping down from a five-storey high clock tower with only two filmsy canopies to break the fall. ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-outrageous-thing-an-actor-has-done-for-a-role/583236/103 "2013-01-24T13:52:24Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > Probably Christian Bale’s devastating weight loss for his role in The Machinist. This… it is truly amazing the depths he went to. I read Bale ate ONLY a single apple and one can of tuna every day for 6 months. He also stated he regretted it and would never do it again. Another - not nearly as crazy - transformation would be Ed Norton bulking up for American History X. He stated his body could not maintain that weight and that he filmed Fight Club just 6 months later and had lost all the muscle. ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-outrageous-thing-an-actor-has-done-for-a-role/583236/104 "2013-01-24T14:08:27Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Demi Moore did it first for _G.I. Jane_. Correction [Persis Khambatta](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persis_Khambatta) did it first in the first Star Trek movie (and had a million dollar insurance policy in place in the event her hair never grew back! Damn… beat to it… by over a year! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-outrageous-thing-an-actor-has-done-for-a-role/583236/105 "2013-01-24T15:26:42Z")
All of this craziness recalls Dustin Hoffman running long distances to get himself into his character both physically and mentally for his role in _Marathon Man_. It was during a scene after one of the long runs that his co-star, Sir Laurence Olivier, turned to the method actor and asked, “Dear boy, wouldn’t it be easier to just act?” ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-outrageous-thing-an-actor-has-done-for-a-role/583236/106 "2013-01-24T16:05:02Z")
Matthew McConaughey went from muscular in _Magic Mike_ to scary [skinny](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://content.hollywire.com/sites/default/files/styles/main_image_teaser/public/2012/10/09/Matthew-McConaughey-skinny_0.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hollywire.com/2012/10/why-matthew-mcconaughey-so-freakin-skinny&h=266&w=494&sz=22&tbnid=v4NxNJi_BJ5TlM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=167&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmcconaughey%2Bskinny%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=mcconaughey+skinny&usg=__WAGqMLRCKgpkeyU0Ojx0-gl8FV8=&docid=eMY-H1aRdJVl3M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=o1oBUYbwKoOh2QXux4CIBA&ved=0CDgQ9QEwAw&dur=2891) for _The Dallas Buyers Club_. There’s no way in hell I could ever diet like that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-most-outrageous-thing-an-actor-has-done-for-a-role/583236.md?page=5)