Five actors who took method acting way too far
Method acting has grown in popularity among actors in the last decade or so. This approach to acting encourages sincere and expressive performances through identifying with, understanding, and experiencing a character’s inner motivation and emotions.
This is done through the actors making use of experiences from their own lives to bring them closer to the experience of their characters. They completely immerse themselves into the role through extreme transformations and changes in activities and personalities.
Film veteran Marlon Brando is one of the most prominent faces of method acting, having used the approach to create terrific performances such as in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Despite method acting being cited as a useful and impressive technique that deserves praise, as its teachers “have set the standard of its success”, it does come with controversy. This can be due to the character being rather problematic in their actions. The actor emulates this and exerts inappropriate actions onto others without their consent.
There are other famous cases of method acting that are just too extreme when considering the actor’s well-being. Actors who dedicate themselves to the roles in this way can put themselves in harm’s way.
Here are five actors who went a little further than needed.
Five actors who took method acting way too far
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant
Leonardo DiCaprio began his acting career during his childhood, appearing in Critters 3 and Poison Ivy. However, his performance in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? made him a breakout star when he was 19.
During the 2010s, a running joke emerged about DiCaprio still waiting for his first Oscar win. This finally came to fruition in 2016 when he claimed victory for his performance in The Revenant, a drama about a frontiersman who is forced to survive alone in the wilderness. The actor pulled no punches in replicating the survival aspect. Like his character, he ate raw bison and slept in animal carcasses during shooting.
Jamie Foxx in Ray
Jamie Foxx is one of Hollywood’s most talented actors, having dominated both dramas and musicals during his career. He has recently explored the comic book genre, playing villain Electro in The Amazing Spiderman and Spiderman: No Way Home.
His performance as Ray Charles in the biopic Ray earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film follows the true story of musician Ray Charles who, despite being blind, mastered the piano. In portraying a character with a disability, Foxx had his eyelids glued shut, resulting in panic attacks.
Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV
Sylvester Stallone dominated the sports film genre through the acclaimed and beloved Rocky franchise. These films follow boxer Rocky Balboa during his emotional journey from a rookie to one of the sports finest. Due to their iconic music video style montages and powerful fighting scenes, the Rocky movies are timeless classics.
Stallone is extremely dedicated to Rocky’s character and the authenticity of the films. This was tested during the filming of Rocky IV, where he encouraged Dolph Lundgren, who played his rival Ivan Drago, to punch him during fight scenes. This landed Stallone in ICU for nine days and filming being postponed.
Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs Kramer
Dustin Hoffman is most known for his performances in The Graduate, Marathon Man and All The Presidents Men. He has been described by fellow film legend Robert De Niro as “an actor with the everyman’s face who embodied the heartbreakingly human”.
In 1979, Hoffman starred alongside Meryl Streep in the family drama Kramer vs Kramer, a film about a messy divorce and parenting. Hoffman decided a good way to accurately depict a fighting couple would be to bring those emotions and actions to the reality behind the scenes. He reportedly slapped Streep across the cheek and would toss out some extreme and personal insults.
Jamie Dornan in The Fall
Many today recognise Irish actor Jamie Dornan as the seductive Mr Grey from the Fifty Shades franchise. He has also appeared in Marie Antoniette, Anthropoid, and Belfast. As a character actor, he often portrays solemn, steady characters.
Dornan has also played roles in television series, such as The Fall where he played serial killer Paul Spector who is tracked down by Gillian Anderson. In an attempt to think like a serial stalker and killer, Dornan purposely followed a woman in London without her knowledge. The actor claims he “kept his distance” and is “not proud of himself”.
