BEYOND THE SCRIPT

60 pounds lost for a film role and 9 other incredible transformations

Image: Avel Chuklanov

Sometimes actors take their jobs very seriously, even perhaps too seriously, going above and beyond the requirements of their role. Long after the cameras stopped rolling, these performers might still refuse to break character in order to be able to bring a sense of authenticity to the silver screen.

From committed method actors to those who just can't seem to shake off their on-screen personas, here are ten actors who took their performances to the extreme.

Image: Noemi Nuñez, CC BY-SA 2.0

In "Man on the Moon," the 1999 biopic on eccentric comedian Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey portrayed the titular role with such commitment to the part that, to the amusement (and mild annoyance) of everyone on set, he found he couldn’t quite shake the character off even long after the cameras stopped rolling. The immersive experience marked the actor so deeply that, on many occasions, he referred to "knowing" Kaufman, despite never having met him while still alive.

Image: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 3.0

Johnny Depp is another actor famous for always taking his commitment to the role a bit too far, and his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow was no exception.

In fact, the Sparrow persona blended so perfectly with his own personality that other cast members found it difficult to tell Depp’s acting from his being serious. One of his former security guards claimed that even outside of the set, he was "basically Jack Sparrow all the time."

Image: teh_defiance, CC BY-SA 2.0

To the chagrin of everyone involved - unwillingly, more often than not - in one of his many eccentric skits, Sacha Baron Cohen's portrayal of the bumbling and politically incorrect journalist Borat is mind-bogglingly intense. His immersive acting has a purpose though, and that is to catch people off guard and induce them to act in a genuine manner.

However, as his humor often treads dangerously close to the edge of social acceptability, Baron Cohen has confessed that another reason he never breaks character is because things can go very wrong if the thin veil of disbelief is lifted, "someone might even call the police."

Image: Mingle Media TV, CC BY-SA 2.0

In "Les Misérables," Anne Hathaway gives a haunting portrayal of Fantine, a poor factory worker forced into desperate means to support her daughter. Hathaway took the role perhaps too seriously, as she cut off all of her hair and embarked on a "starvation" diet that led her to lose a ton of weight.

To make matters worse, she reportedly had an identity crisis during filming, likely exacerbated by the demanding transformation process she underwent for the movie.

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In Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," Leonardo DiCaprio took on the role of Calvin Candie, a ruthless plantation owner. Well-known for his painstaking dedication to his craft, DiCaprio fully embraced the sinister persona of Candie, reportedly even holding back real pain when he cut his hand with broken glass during a particularly emotionally charged scene.

Of course, the director Quentin Tarantino kept the broken glass take in the movie, making the portrayal of this terrifying character even more chilling.

Image: Ivan Gonzalez from Badalona, España, CC BY 2.0

In Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Viggo Mortensen portrayed Aragorn, the reluctant hero and rightful heir to the throne of Gondor. Although he was not the first pick for the role, both the director and producers felt he was perfect for the role as soon as he arrived on set.

Mortensen's commitment went beyond mere acting; he learned to speak Elvish, trained in sword fighting, hiked to some of the film's most remote locations, and performed many of his own stunts, even though most of this was not actually required to play the part.

Image: Andrea Raffin, CC BY-SA 3.0

In "The Reader," Kate Winslet delivered a powerful performance as Hanna Schmitz, a former Nazi prison guard with a dark secret. Winslet immersed herself in the complexities of her character, capturing both Hanna's own vulnerability and her capacity for cruelty.

To pull off a perfect German accent, she kept talking like her character even behind cameras, to the point where her children regularly complained and asked her to stop making "funny voices."

Image: Siebbi, CC BY 3.0

In Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York," Daniel Day-Lewis delivered a tour de force performance as Bill the Butcher, a ruthless gang leader in 19th-century New York City. One of the most acclaimed method actors in the world, Day-Lewis reportedly spent months researching the time period and even learned how to speak in a 19th-century New York accent.

He was so committed to authenticity that he refused to wear anything else than his period-accurate - and not very toasty - clothes while filming in the midst of winter, leading him to contract pneumonia, for which he also refused treatment with modern medicine. Later, he said that taking these risks is important for his process and that he considers it sort of an "occupational hazard."

Image: Lance Cpl. Hope Straley, Public domain

In "The Machinist," Christian Bale underwent a shocking physical transformation to portray Trevor Reznik, an insomniac factory worker plagued by guilt and paranoia. Bale famously lost over 60 pounds for the role, reducing himself to a skeletal figure.

To achieve this, his diet reportedly consisted of only an apple, water, coffee, and the occasional whiskey, equivalent to roughly 100 calories per day. His intense commitment to the character's downward spiral into madness is evident in every haunting scene, making "The Machinist" a visceral and unforgettable cinematic experience.

Image: Dick Thomas Johnson, CC BY 2.0

Hilary Swank earned an Academy Award for Best Actress for her magnetic portrayal of Maggie Fitzgerald, a young woman who defies all odds to pursue her dream of becoming a professional boxer.

To fit into the part, she trained just like an aspiring professional boxer would, gaining nearly 20 pounds of muscle in the process. Swank was so immersed in the role that she didn’t notice a blister on her foot developing into a dangerous staph infection that required immediate medical intervention.

KNOW YOUR BRANDS

Discover the Backstories of These 10 Iconic Brand Names

Image: Slidebean

In the vast consumer goods marketplace, brands often become more than just names on labels; they become symbols of quality, trust, and innovation.

However, behind every successful brand lies a unique backstory, often filled with ingenuity, perseverance, and sometimes even a tad of serendipity. Read on to find out the intriguing stories behind 10 household names that have left an indelible mark on the world.

Image: Bryan Angelo

Amazon has been around for 25 years now, but before becoming the giant that it is, it shapeshifted several times. Jeff Bezos, its creator, first built an online bookstore intending to offer an unparalleled selection of titles and exceptional customer service. This brand was named "Cadabra", a clear reference to "abracadabra," a magic word.

However, Bezos’ lawyer at the time considered it an obscure name, and in 1994, Bezos and his wife started exploring other names and registered several domains, like "relentless.com" just in case one of those was going to be the one. Eventually, he decided he wanted a brand starting with the letter A, the first in the alphabet, and, after perusing the dictionary, he landed on the word Amazon, the largest river on the planet. The superlative had the winning factor and the rest is history.

Image: Pawel Czerwinski

Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two graduate students at Stanford University began collaborating on a search engine project in 1996. Their initial goal was to create a more efficient way to navigate the World Wide Web. Originally named "Backrub" due to its focus on analyzing backlinks, the project eventually evolved into what we now know as Google, but the name was actually the product of a misspelling.

Sean Anderson, a Stanford graduate, pitched the term "googolplex" in a brainstorming session for the name change. However, Page countered a simple version of it "Googol", which denotes a colossal number in mathematics: the digit 1 followed by a hundred zeros.

When checking the availability of the domain, Anderson accidentally typed Google and Page liked this version of the name best. They secured it on September 15, 1997, marking the birth of a digital giant.

Image: wu yi

Originally founded as "Blue Ribbon Sports" in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman, the company’s beginnings were quite humble. Knight, a former middle-distance runner at the University of Oregon, and Bowerman, his coach, shared a passion for improving athletic performance. They joined forces to import Japanese sports shoes from the Onitsuka factory to the United States.

The pivotal moment of the company came in 1971 when they rebranded it as Nike, a name inspired by the Greek goddess of victory. In Greek mythology, Nike is often depicted as a divine figure symbolizing victory, strength, and speed. This name, together with the presentation of the Swoosh logo marked the beginning of a new era.

Image: Laurenz Heymann

Steve Jobs may be the one you think of when you think of Apple, but the brand was co-created with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976. The name, however, was in fact Jobs’ invention and it has more than one backstory. In Jobs’ biography by Walter Isaacson, the creator himself admits that he came up with the name while he was on a fruitarian diet. He mentions having visited an apple farm and considering the name because it was "fun, spirited and not intimidating." This story was confirmed by Wozniak who drove him back from the airport after that trip.

However, there is another reason why the brand was named "Apple," and that is because, just like with Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, Jobs intended to have consumers find his brand before his competitor Atari in the phone book.

Image: Henry & Co.

You drink their coffee every couple of days, and you probably use their space as an office and a place of recreation, but have you ever wondered why Starbucks is called Starbucks? The coffee company is a titan of the industry with good reason, and the story behind its name is just as interesting.

Bowker, Baldwin, and Siegl - Starbucks’ founders - set off with a simple goal: finding a powerful name. According to marketing specialists st****- words have that strength. The three men started scouting around for a name and came across a small town called Starbo, on a mining map. That was enough for Gordon Bowker to think of Moby Dick’s character, Starbuck.

As the company itself states, this name evokes "the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders."

Image: Zheka Kapusta

We bet that if you take your eyes off this article and look around, you’ll find at least one thing from IKEA, isn’t that right? That is because IKEA is part of our everyday life, and leaving their stores empty-handed is almost impossible.

We have Ingvar Kamprad to thank for this amazing creation, and if you pay close attention, you already know where the name comes from. That is right, IKEA is an acronym and the two first letters belong to the founder’s initials.

As for the E and the A in it, the first stands for Elmtaryd, which is the name of the farm Kamprad grew up on, and the second stands for Agunnaryd, the name of his village. Put it all together and you get IKEA, and probably a piece of furniture too.

Image: NIKHIL

Pepsi has carved out a sparkling legacy spanning more than a century. Its journey has been one of continuous evolution making it an iconic global drink. This beverage originated as a remedy for stomach discomfort, thanks to Caleb Bradhma, a pharmacist in North Carolina. Seeking a name that better encapsulated its essence, Bradham eventually settled on "Pepsi-Cola" in 1902, having purchased the moniker "Pep Kola" from a local competitor.

Interestingly, the name "Pepsi" finds its roots in "dyspepsia," a medical term that means indigestion. By the 19th century, this was a very common affection, and products to cure it contained animal pepsin, a digestive enzyme. Although Pepsi never included this ingredient in its list, Bradham used this to his favor to sell Pepsi around!

Image: Jason Leung

Nintendo, a household name in the gaming industry traces back to 1889, when it embarked on its journey with the humble venture into the playing card business. The moniker "Nintendo" was chosen for this initial foray, which comes from the Japanese language, as its creator.

Nintendo, which means "leave luck to heaven" is not just a label, it is the founder Fusajiro Yamuchi’s philosophical approach towards the nature of card games. Fast forward to the 1970s, and Nintendo made a pivotal shift into the burgeoning realm of video games. Despite the drastic change in industry and product, the company opted to maintain the original name. This decision was about both brand continuity and a testament to Ninendo’s enduring commitment to innovation.

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McDonald's is the number one titan of the fast-food industry and it dates back to 1940. It all began with a modest barbecue restaurant established by Richard and Maurice McDonald. Little did they know that their journey would evolve into a global phenomenon.

Even if the company takes its name from the owners, the pivotal moment came when Ray Kroc, a tenacious milkshake machine salesman entered the picture. He acknowledged the potential of the kitchen setup and saw an opportunity for expansion. Under Kroc’s leadership, McDonald’s underwent a transformative journey and became an empire of golden arches spanning across the continent keeping the name of the family that first created the brand and honoring it with the many variations of it we can find in the name of the dishes.

Image: Babak Habibi

What began in 1969 as a modest enterprise has blossomed into a global powerhouse, leaving an indelible mark on industries ranging from electronics to finance and beyond. At the heart of Samsung’s identity lies its name, a beacon of aspiration and promise.

In Korean, Samsung translates to "three stars," a poignant reflection of founder Lee Byung-chull’s lofty ambitions for the company. To him, the name was more than a mere designation, it embodied a vision of brilliance, strength, and enduring radiance. Each star symbolized a face of his vision: largeness, abundance, and resilience. And they have certainly honored this story as it has rapidly become an icon of innovation and enterprise with unwavering determination.