A Crazy Method or Methodical Madness?: 10 Examples of the High Price Actors Are Willing to Pay for Truth on Screen (11 photos)

Are Hollywood stars willing to do anything for a role? Some go so far as to blur the line between genius and self-destruction.





These stories are about extreme transformations, from shocking blows to dangerous diets, where pain becomes part of the craft.

1. Dustin Hoffman's Slap and Provocation



During the filming of Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Dustin Hoffman stunned Meryl Streep with genuine aggression. He hit her without warning and made mocking remarks about her late co-star John Cazale. Hoffman justified his actions by using the method, but Streep later admitted the experience was extremely painful and manipulative. His cruelty went far beyond what was necessary for the role.

2. Choi Min-sik's Hot Wire Burn





For the film "Oldboy" (2003), Choi Min-sik insisted on authenticity in the torture scene. He burned his own skin with a hot wire, preferring the real pain to makeup. The director suggested alternatives, but the actor refused, believing that the character's suffering must be entirely genuine. The scar remained with him long after filming, a physical testament to his dedication.

3. Shia LaBeouf's Facial Cuts



Shia LaBeouf found the fake wounds for "Fury" (2014) insufficiently convincing. Determined to make the injuries believable, he cut his own cheeks. Every day, the actor reopened these wounds, causing them to bleed. Colleagues called this behavior extreme, but LaBeouf defended it as the harsh truth necessary for his role as a soldier.

4. Jamie Foxx's Blindness Experiment



While portraying Ray Charles in the biographical musical drama film Ray (2004), Jamie Foxx allowed his eyelids to be permanently glued shut using makeup. He lived in a state of near-total blindness for up to 14 hours a day. Foxx admitted that the experience left him panicked and claustrophobic. Crew members had to walk him around the set. His disorientation mirrored Charles's world, but it came at a huge cost.

5. Ashton Kutcher's Diet



In preparation for his role as Steve Jobs in the drama "Jobs" (2013), Ashton Kutcher mimicked his fruitarian diet, eating almost exclusively fruits and nuts in hopes of achieving authenticity. The results were disastrous. Kutcher developed pancreatitis and was hospitalized twice during filming. He later stated that such a diet could lead to serious health problems.

6. Tom Cruise's Shattered Ankle



Tom Cruise is known for performing all of his own stunts. While filming Mission: Impossible 6 (2017), one of his jumps went awry. The actor hit his foot on the edge of a building, instantly breaking the bone. The injury was caught on camera, but Cruise, surprisingly, continued running to complete the take. Filming was suspended for several months, but this frightening, yet moving, moment remained in the film.

7. Tom Hanks' Fatal Infection



While filming Cast Away (2000), Tom Hanks cut his leg, which led to sepsis. He initially dismissed it, but the infection spread. Hanks said doctors warned him, "It was eating its way through your leg." The infection reached such a level that the actor was hospitalized, risking the loss of his limb and his life.

8. Isla Fisher's Near-Drowning



In the film "Now You See Me" (2013), Isla Fisher performed a stunt in which she was chained underwater. During filming, the mechanism malfunctioned, and the actress was unable to surface. She frantically thrashed about in the water, and the crew initially mistook her panic for acting. "I was actually drowning," Fisher later admitted, describing the horror of the incident.

9. Ben Foster's Steroid Bet



While portraying cyclist Lance Armstrong in the biopic "Dope" (2015), Ben Foster went beyond the usual methods. He injected himself with real performance-enhancing drugs to thoroughly understand their effects on the body. Foster later said it was a scary decision, but he wanted to experience the condition from the inside. This choice put his health at serious risk.

10. Aaron Eckhart's Support Group Scam



In preparation for his role in "Rabbit Hole" (2010), Aaron Eckhart attended a real-life grief counseling group. The problem was, he lied about having experienced such a loss himself. He admitted that entering such a unique space was emotionally difficult. Sitting among people distraught with grief, he composed heartbreaking details, absorbing their suffering as material for his work.