9 Actors Who Totally Overdid It for a Film

You may have heard that Shia LaBeouf went Method for his new film, The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman, meaning that he actually dropped acid in order to immerse himself in the role. That's nuts, The Frisky notes—and these eight other actors went to similar extremes for their craft:

• Christian Bale: Dropped 63 pounds without even being asked to do so for his role in The Machinist. At just 120 pounds, his health was in danger.
• Adrien Brody: While playing a man getting psychological treatment in The Jacket, he actually asked to get strapped into a straightjacket ... and left inside a morgue drawer.

• Daniel Day-Lewis: He pretty much always goes too far. For My Left Foot, he stayed in a wheelchair for the entire shoot and let the crew spoon feed him. For In the Name of the Father, he lived in an abandoned jail eating prison rations. And so on.
• Robert De Niro: For his role as a criminal in Cape Fear, De Niro actually had a dentist grind his teeth down and make them look severely messed up.

Click for the complete list, including an actress who said she needed therapy after an oral sex scene—and another who ate dog poop. (Or check out pictures of a shockingly skinny Matthew McConaughey, who also has slimmed way down for a role.)