10 Actors Who Totally Committed to ‘Method’ Acting

First up on our list of actors who committed to method acting is Jamie Foxx. In 2004’s Ray, Jamie Foxx didn’t just play Ray Charles—he became him. Foxx went all in, wearing prosthetic eyelids sealed shut for 14 hours a day during filming. He forced himself to navigate the world without sight, just as Charles did.

But that was just the start. Foxx also spent months mastering Charles’ piano style and mannerisms. He studied hundreds of hours of footage, learned to match his speaking patterns, and even lost 30 pounds to better match the musician’s physique.

In the end, the commitment paid off. Charles even gave Foxx his blessing after hearing him play, and the performance earned Foxx an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Next, for Dallas Buyers Club, Matthew McConaughey shed a whopping 47 pounds to play Ron Woodroof, a Texas electrician diagnosed with AIDS in the 80s. Beyond the dramatic weight loss, McConaughey also lived in isolation for weeks, keeping detailed diaries to understand the character’s mindset. He studied hundreds of recordings to nail Woodroof’s thick Texas accent.

The role was a far cry from McConaughey’s previous rom-com persona. Living on a diet of fish, egg whites, and a few vegetables, he pushed his body to its limits. The transformation earned him an Oscar for Best Actor. And it marked a turning point in his career, proving his range went far beyond charming roles.

Also Read: The Best Romance Movies of the 70s

Notably, in Rocky IV, Sylvester Stallone took method acting to another level. His preparation to play his iconic role of Rocky Balboa meant grueling daily training sessions. He truly pushed himself like a real heavyweight contender. During filming, that commitment proved nearly fatal when Stallone asked Lundgren to punch him for real, sending him to intensive care for nine days.

Yet even after that brush with death, both actors continued throwing real punches throughout filming, refusing to compromise on authenticity. While Stallone walked away injured, his dedication gave us some of the most authentic fight scenes ever captured in boxing film history.

Related: The Top 10 Most Provocative Movies of the 80s 

Another actor who committed to method acting was Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestley in The Devil Wears Prada. When she stepped into those designer heels to play the queen fashion magazine editor, Streep gave method acting a try for one of the first times in her career. And let’s just say, it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park!

Her co-star Emily Blunt called her performance both “amazing and slightly terrifying.” While the rest of the cast was having fun between takes, Streep deliberately chose to stay in character, isolating herself in her trailer. She could hear the laughter happening outside but committed to maintaining Miranda’s ice-queen vibes. Later, she confessed that the experience was “horrible” and left her feeling totally miserable.

Unlike some actors who thrived while diving deep into character, Streep discovered that channeling this cold character wasn’t her cup of tea. But her portrayal still snagged her a 14th Oscar nomination. And it turned Miranda Priestley into one of cinema’s most unforgettable characters.

For his role as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, Robert De Niro also embraced method acting. I mean, seriously! He actually got his NYC taxi license and spent a month driving real passengers around the city for 12-hour shifts to truly understand the gritty reality of his character’s world.

To transform into the Vietnam vet, De Niro also dropped a dramatic 35 pounds, giving Bickle that lean look that made him so memorable. Even crazier, during his downtime, he would listen to recordings of Arthur Bremer’s diaries to get inside the mindset of someone driven to violence by isolation.

His commitment to becoming Travis Bickle helped create one of cinema’s most unforgettable characters. This ultimately also earned him an Oscar nomination and cemented his reputation as one of Hollywood’s most dedicated method actors.

Although not claiming to be a method actor, Tom Hanks also used method acting techniques to portray Chuck Noland in Cast Away. For the film’s earlier scenes, Hanks embraced his inner couch potato, letting himself get that “average middle-aged guy” look.

But then, production literally took a year-long pause so Hanks could undergo a dramatic transformation. He lost weight, let his hair grow, and even refused to bathe to truly get that deserted island look. This was fine until he got a staph infection, leading to production shutting down for three weeks. Now talk about committing to your craft!

Next up on our list is Charlize Theron’s method acting in The Devil’s Advocate. At director Taylor Hackford‘s encouragement, everyone on set was pushed to stay in character during production, creating an experience that drained Theron.

Speaking on the SmartLess podcast with Jason Bateman and crew, Theron discussed her struggles with this approach. Theron discovered that staying in character constantly left her miserable and exhausted, which is definitely not the ideal state for diving into dark material.

Heath Ledger’s transformation into the Joker for The Dark Knight is another one of the most intense examples of method acting. For this role, Ledger isolated himself in a hotel room for weeks, crafting the character’s twisted persona.

During production, he kept a disturbing diary filled with the Joker’s thoughts and developed that unforgettable voice and haunting stare. On set, Ledger never broke character. But this deep dive into darkness came at a devastating personal cost.

Tragically, Ledger passed away at just 28 from an accidental overdose before the film’s release. However, his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor cemented his performance as one of cinema’s most memorable villains.

Christian Bale’s portrayal of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho also stands as a masterclass in method acting. Taking immersion to new heights, Bale disappeared so completely into Bateman’s world that costar Chloë Sevigny said she’d never witnessed such extreme dedication from an actor.

Throughout filming, Bale lived and breathed Patrick Bateman’s persona. He maintained his American accent whether the cameras were rolling or not and devoted hours to sculpting his physique with the same dedication as his character. Perhaps most striking was his complete social isolation on set. Bale chose not to interact with his fellow actors between takes, staying locked in Bateman’s headspace rather than breaking character for conversation. This commitment to inhabiting Bateman’s disturbing mindset helped create one of cinema’s most chilling performances.

Also Read: The Biggest Female Stars of the 70s

Lastly, capping our list of actors who committed to method acting is Leonardo DiCaprio. He transformed into Hugh Glass for The Revenant. To embody the frontiersman who survived a brutal bear attack, DiCaprio dove headfirst into a journey that pushed him to his limits.

He threw himself into the harsh Canadian wilderness, braving temperatures that plunged to -40°F. Perhaps most notably, DiCaprio, who was actually a vegetarian at the time, committed to eating raw bison liver on camera. And not even just a prop, but the real thing, to capture his character’s desperate fight for survival.

DiCaprio’s dedication earned him more than just critical acclaim. It finally secured him his first Academy Award for Best Actor after five previous nominations. And it cemented his spot on our list, too.