Top 10 Method Actors Who Went Too Far

Talk about taking it too far! For this list, we’ll be looking at actors who endangered their own health or just really inconvenienced or annoyed those around them in order to prepare for a role. Our countdown includes Ashton Kutcher, Jared Leto, Halle Berry, and more! Would you be a method actor? Why or why not? Let us know!

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[WatchMojo]

Would you be a method actor? Why or why not? Let us know!

[canadaknighte]

I cant believe Christian Bale for the Machinist was not on the list. That could have even been the #1.

[HeartEyesMF]

Robert Pattinson said it: “I always say about people doing Method acting, you only ever see people doing Method when they’re playing an asshole. You never see someone just being lovely to everyone going, 'I’m really deep in character”

[ajtaylor]

The Man on the Moon documentary really showed just how much Jim Carrey regretted taking it too far while portraying Andy Kaufman. It's a great insight into how far is too far when trying to be an actor, even if it will lead to a great performance.

[nickgabis]

Jacquen Phoenix literally had an addiction during his role as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line.
Heath Ledger locked himself in a closet for weeks, and did the movie on 2 hours of sleep. In the Dark Night
Christian Bale went Balemic in the Machinist.
Shia Labouf Tripped on Acid for a movie role.
The fact that these didn't get an Honorable mention is crazy.

[ClaytonStation]

You mentioned Jared Leto‘s shitty performance but yet leave out Christian Bale

[flyingtiger]

Very surprised you didn’t include Christian Bale in American Psycho and if you think Jared Leto went too far for the Joker then you must not have heard of what Heath Ledger did.

[robertbouley]

I’ve always been more impressed when an actor could turn it on/off, like a professional.

[robertdubs]

I would've given Eddie Redmayne and Daniel Day-Lewis honorable mentions for their work in "The Theory of Everything" and "My Left Foot" as their method acting did some physical damage to themselves.

[DokkaChapman]

Jarad Leto has ruined the idea of Method Acting for a generation. He's turned the whole idea into an egotist shake n bake that will take years to stumble back from.

[charltonium]

Here's some that I'm surprised weren't even honorable mentions:
- Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant: Although the director made working conditions hard enough, DiCaprio willingly ate a raw bison liver instead of the fake one he was given (and he's a vegetarian, too).
- Russell Crowe in Master and Commander: He demanded that everyone call him "captain" even while off-camera, and he went so far as to demand that everyone wear color-coded clothes according to their characters' ranks.
- Daniel Day-Lewis in The Crucible: He never bathed for the entire duration of filming, and he insisted on building his own house himself (which was used in the movie)
- Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog: His character was a chainsmoker, so he actually smoked excessively during filming to the point where got nicotine poisoning three times.

[scottlefaivre]

The interaction between Jim Carrey and Andy Kaufman's daughter was beautiful. She really had a sense in her mind that she was talking to her dad for the first time and she really felt it it was amazing what Jim did for her in her life to obtain some sort of closure

[trinaq]

Just goes to show that outside of the "50 Shades" franchise, Jamie Dornan is a charismatic, likable actor, who deserves more than those shoddy scripts. Thankfully, he didn't take his methods as far as Paul Spector, his "The Fall" character, did!

[audreypatrick]

Eric Stoltz deserves a spot on the list. He lost the chance to be Marty Mcfly from Back to the Future since he annoyed the heck out of the crew for not breaking out of character. He didn’t even play Marty well.

[yesterday.is.dead.]

The amount of weight Christian Bale lost for his role in “The Machinist” was shocking.

[renatacantore]

Dustin Hoffman was going through a divorce and child custody battle during KRAMER VS. KRAMER. He was essentially playing himself & showing what he was going through. For this he won an Oscar.
I am Horrified to hear how he Abused Meryl Streep. He should apologize to her for taking out his anxieties on her.

[BokuWaHikikomori]

No Christian Bale? The guy went through extreme measures for his Machinist role!

[tommcglone]

Even with Shia LeBeouf being Shia LeBeouf, Fury is still a brilliant film. Depicting war in a raw and unglamourous fashion by relgiously avoiding glittering up the reality of the situation the film is set which has been a failing of many war films.

[TheOmegaa]

I'm surprised Peter Sellers wasn't on this list. He got so wrapped up in his characters he forgot how to be himself. When talking about his problem he said, "There is no me. I do not exist."

[raddastronaut]

Haven’t seen jungle fever in forever. It’s crazy how eye catching she is even back then, and she pulled that role off well. Hats off to Halle.