Know Your Role: The Worst Transformations Actors Have Gone Through For Movies

Some of Hollywood's most stylish actors have taken major L's for the sake of the role.

Jul 08, 2011
Not Available Lead
Image via Complex Original
Not Available Lead
Image via Complex Original

Intro

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

George Clooney

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

George Clooney

Syriana
Gained 40 lbs

When paparazzi photos showed a very overweight Clooney strutting around town, his female fanbase feared that the star had let himself go from People Magazine's “Sexiest Man Alive” to Hollywood Fat Cat. Luckily for them, George only packed on the weight to appear unrecognizable as a disillusioned CIA agent in the political thriller Syriana. He went on to win an Oscar for his troubles and reclaim the “Sexiest Man Alive” throne that next year, ethering the excuses of beer-bellied men around the world.


Christian Bale

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Christian Bale

The Machinist
Lost 62 lbs

Talk about dedication. This dude lost more weight than the director even wanted to play the paranoia and guilt-ridden lead, and tried to lose more before the producers stopped him! Then he had to gain it all back plus 40 pounds more for a little franchise reboot called Batman Begins. Bale has said that if the movie’s worth seeing he has no problem going through extreme changes—words backed up by his weight loss again for his Oscar-winning performance in last year’s The Fighter. So the real question is, would he have done it for Shaft?


Matt Damon

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Matt Damon

The Informant!
Gained 30 lbs

Mark Whitacre was probably flattered when he learned Matt Damon (also a “Sexiest Man Alive” title holder) would be playing him in Steven Soderbergh’s account of his real-life whistle-blowing scandal. The flattery probably faded when the pictures of Damon—usually seen in great shape for the Bourne trilogy and great swag for the Ocean’s trilogy—surfaced and he was sporting ugly suits, beach gear from the “Hawaiian Sophie” video, and an extra 30 pounds of flab. Informant! got good reviews, but earned Damon no Oscars. Advantage, Clooney.


Tom Cruise

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Tom Cruise

Tropic Thunder
Fatsuit, bald cap, prosthetic hands

Cruise’s unpromoted, scene-stealing performance as crazed billionaire Les Grossman in Ben Stiller’s war movie parody took audiences by surprise, earned his respect back from fans who had gotten tired of his couch-jumping, Scientology spouting ways, and did more for “Low” than Flo Rida ever could.


50 Cent

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

50 Cent

Things Fall Apart
Lost 70 lbs

Daaaaaaamn homie! People stopped questioning 50’s new found dedication to the acting craft when he starved himself to the point of emaciation, all to play a cancer-stricken football player in a movie the masses may never even see. When the horrific pictures of his rapid weight loss hit the net with no explanation, no one knew what to think at first; we even heard Ja Rule was plotting a comeback until he learned it was only for a role.


Matt DamonGeorge ClooneyColin Farrell50 CentTom CruiseChristian Bale

Latest in Style