 Method acting. For some actors, just playing a part is not enough, and performing for an audience is not enough. Some actors have to step into the shoes of their character, literally becoming them both on and off camera. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Matt Rogers and join me today as we delve into the world of method acting and when it's taken too far. Although not as extreme as some modern techniques, method acting can be traced back to some old school actors who went above and beyond to give their best performance. Marlon Brando, for example, in the 1950 movie The Men, spent a whole month in a veterans hospital to get himself in the mindset for his role, which was a recovering army veteran. A few modern day examples would be James Franco, who reportedly directed the disaster artist entirely in character as Tommy Wiseau. Another being Robert De Niro in his movie Taxi Driver, who actually worked full 12 hour shifts as a taxi driver both before and even during filming when he was between takes. Robert De Niro has been known for throwing himself into roles like this, and I'll admit he may have gone too far in the movie Cape Fear when he paid a dentist to grind his teeth down just to look scarier, which brings us to the more extreme cases. Starting with Christian Bale, who infamously lost 63 pounds for his role in The Machinist. Apart from mineral water and vitamin supplements, all he had was a black coffee, a can of tuna and an apple every day. Bale had this to say about the transformation. Quote, it just didn't enter my head that it could be done any other way really. I just realised, okay, I have to lose weight. I just had no idea how much I would have to lose in order to get the look I was searching for, end quote. Obviously extremely dangerous, but as if he didn't put his body through enough, he then put it all back on plus bulked up in just six short weeks for Batman Begins, which brings us to Batman's most iconic nemesis, Joker. In 2019's solo movie Joker, we see that the Joker can slim down too. Star Joaquin Phoenix is just skin and bone in his unique take on the Clown Prince of Crime. The role of Joker seems to attract method actors. Take Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, for example, who locked himself away in a room for six weeks finding the character's mannerisms and voice. People like to think that the role of the Joker took Heath Ledger to such a dark place that it indirectly caused him to take his own life. However, those that worked with him on set, even Christian Bale himself said that there was no issue for him to break character and be his usual charming self as soon as the camera stopped rolling. I guess the preparation of locking himself away was as method as Heath got. Eerily, if you watch the documentary I Am Heath Ledger, he always said that he got the feeling that he won't be around for long and he had to get everything that he wanted to get done now. Always comparing himself to artists that died young like Kurt Cobain. But according to the documentary, the most logical explanation for his death was that his sleeping medication was not working for him and he likely upped the dosage and mixed too many different drugs. To this day, his death is such a tragedy and his documentary is a really beautiful tribute for anyone that's interested. Speaking of the Joker, we now move on to Jared Leto, notorious for becoming the characters he plays. For example, losing 30 pounds and waxing his entire body for his role as a transgender woman in Dallas Buyers Club. On the other side of the scale, he gained 62 pounds to play John Lennon's killer in the film Chapter 27, a forgettable film made more bearable by his performance. The role, however, caused the actor to not only get gout but also severe cholesterol issues due to binging pizza, pasta and worst of all melted tubs of hug and dust ice cream with soy sauce and olive oil for maximum weight gains. More recently though, we had Suicide Squad and his controversial modern take on the Joker. Leto said with an interview with E, quote, I did a lot of things to create a dynamic, to create an element of surprise, of spontaneity and really break down any kind of walls that may be there, end quote. Leto sent horrific gifts to his fellow classmates, like a love letter alongside a live rat to Margot Robbie who was Harley Quinn. Will Smith an envelope full of bullets and ordered a henchman to drop off a dead hog to Viola Davis, also sending them all used condoms and anal beads. All this method acting is all well and good. It just doesn't make up for the fact that just wasn't a very good take on the Joker. For me, I was sort of looking forward to a live action version of the new 52 Joker, who is amazing, but it is hard to judge because apparently a lot of his roles ended up on the cutting room floor. Sticking with the theme of Batman villains, one actor that isn't as recognized as a method actor and who you wouldn't normally see as an actor that takes things too seriously is Jim Carrey in the 1999 movie Man on the Moon, which followed the life and times of comedian Andy Kaufman, infamous for his quote unquote trolling of his audience back in the day. During the filming of Man on the Moon, Carrey completely transformed into the late comedian and his alter ego Tony Clifton. People on set, actors, producers and even the director had to talk to him as Andy and Carrey would not break character for anything. Netflix has an entire documentary called Jim and Andy, which concentrates on Carrey's process. And if you're interested in the topic of method acting or just acting in general, I really recommend this film, as it's interesting to see how Carrey took the role so seriously that even Andy's real-life family were treating him as if it really were Andy. The end of the documentary actually ends up getting quite existential, but well worth a watch. If you have seen it, let me know what you thought. Moving now from comedians to a bit more serious roles. The Pianist is a 2002 movie based on a true story of a concert pianist named Spillman, who was in hiding during the German occupation of Poland in World War II. The title role is played by Adrian Brody, who at 29 became the youngest person to win an Oscar for Best Actor for the role, and boy did he earn it. Director Roman Polanski made Brody learn the piano for four hours every day until he could do a perfect impression of Chopin. But that was just the beginning. For some reason, Brody felt so connected to the role that he felt that he needed to rid himself of everything he held dear. This included breaking up with his girlfriend and leaving his whole life behind. He said in a BBC interview, quote, I gave up my apartment, I sold my car, I disconnected the phones, and I left. I took two bags and my keyboard and moved to Europe, end quote. But Brody wasn't done yet. Because Spillman, who Brody was playing, had to scrounge around for food, Brody, like many other of these actors, took on a dangerous diet. For six whole weeks his day would consist of two eggs for breakfast, a small portion of chicken for lunch, and a very small amount of fish or chicken with steamed vegetables for dinner. Brody got down to a measly 130 pounds, which for a man of his height is dangerously underweight. Brody hasn't done too much acting since, and I wouldn't blame him if this is what it takes for a role. Which brings us to probably the most celebrated method actor, Daniel Day Lewis. One of the only actors to have won not one, not two, but three Oscars for best actor. Lewis probably takes the cake for completely immersing himself in every role he's been given. For example, during the entire production of his movie The Crucible, he stayed on a Massachusetts island in the film set, which was a replica of a 17th century village. He didn't have electricity or running water, and farmed with 17th century tools, even building his character's house himself, not bathing at all the entire time. Just for a role, Daniel Day Lewis has spent entire production in a wheelchair, two nights in jail, learned to speak Czech, to box, and even texted co-star Sally Field in character as Abraham Lincoln for the film Lincoln. However, the 61-year-old actor has announced that his 2017 movie Phantom Thread will be his last acting role, so he might not be seeing much more of him. But all of these crazy methods that these actors use beg to question, is it worth for an actor to be method? Well, if Oscars are anything to go by, I'd be inclined to say yes. But what do you think? What's the craziest thing you've heard an actor do for a role? I'll be chatting with you guys in the comments. But, until next time, thanks so much for hanging out. If you had a good time, then spank that like button. And if you subscribe during this video, then walk them aboard. This is Matt Rogers, and that is all.