Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Some actors commit to the role they are given with a certain amount of grit. It is not unheard of for committed actors to go all out and physically alter their bodies for the roles they are chosen for. Such is the case with Rooney Mara, for the filmThe Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
TheNightmare Alleyactress not only augmented her body but also got tattoos and piercings to emulate the character more accurately, as she is depicted in the source material, a novel of the same name by Stieg Larson.
Also Read:“It isn’t that important”: Rooney Mara Had To Learn “Extreme Things” While Preparing For Her Role Opposite Daniel Craig in Classic Film
Rooney Mara lost a lot of weight for the role
Mara had a lot on her plate when the character was given to her. The alterations to her body were numerous, including piercings, hair huts, and tattoos, a lot of which Mara got done herself, for authenticity and the sake of the source material. However, the tattoos and piercings were an important part of the acting process. Speaking toAllure, the actress said:
“Because of all the tattoos and the makeup and the piercings, and the physical transformations my body has to go through, it would always feel sort of like I was in costume. “
The extreme alterations contributed to the actor’s perception of the character, allowing her to embrace the role and act it out more authentically. After all, this secured Mara an Oscar Nomination, competing with brilliant and groundbreaking talent such as Mery Streep, nominated forThe Iron Lady, Viola Davis, who starred inThe Help, and Michelle Williams who starred inMy Week with Marilyn.
Also Read:“I’d never done that”: Joaquin Phoenix Felt His Future Wife Rooney Mara Hated Him While Filming $48M Movie With Scarlett Johansson That Pushed Joker Star to Stalk Her Online
A lot of actors resort to altering their bodies for roles they are given
Mara is not the first actress to put herself through a punishing regiment to get her body in a shape that is more desirable for the character. While Mara had a book to go off of to model her look, plenty of other actors have gone the extra mile just for authenticity’s sake. Christian Bale infamously dropped 63 pounds to play the character of Trevor Reznik, an insomniac in the filmThe Machinist. Another pretty shocking example of an extreme alteration was Chris Hemsworth’s inThe Hear of the Sea, who lost 15 pounds while actively shooting for the period piece. And sometimes, it’s not just about losing weight. Vincent D’Onofrio reportedly gained 60 pounds for the filmFull Metal Jacketand even shaved his hair.
Such drastic alterations to the bodies of actors, especially in the case of actors like Christian Bale, opened up conversations about bodily health among actors in Hollywood. While actors like Natalie Portman (forBlack Swan)and Christian Bale reduce their diets to increasingly dangerous levels, others choose to upset their body’s metabolism by gaining weight. While alterations to hairstyles might not have such drastic effects, it does make one wonder about the state of actors in the often-considered glamorous world of Hollywood.
Also Read:“We realized that what the character/movie needed was different”: Scarlett Johansson Replaced Oscar-Nominated Actress for Role That Became a Nightmare for DC Star
Anuraag Chatterjee
Content Writer
Articles Published :1633
Anuraag Chatterjee, Web Content WriterWith a passion for writing fiction and non fiction content, Anuraag is a Media Science graduate with 2 year’s experience with Marketing and Content, with 3 published poetry anthologies. Anuraag holds a Bacherlor’s degree in Arts with a focus on Communication and Media Studies.
