From piling on more than 20kg to forgoing exercise and refusing make-up, these actresses showed bravery in changing their appearance for the worse because the job demanded it
Sometimes the ideal actor or actress isn't on the casting books. That has led many Hollywood professionals to undergo remarkable body transformations to look the part for certain films " think Christian Bale's dramatic weight loss and skeletal figure in The Machinist or his perfectly buff investment banker in American Psycho.
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For women, such extreme physical transformations are tougher given the intense scrutiny their physical appearance is under on a daily basis. Still, that hasn't stopped some of Hollywood's top talent from risking an "ugly" look to give proper consideration to the character they're playing. Here are five examples of women who changed their appearance for the "worse" because the job demanded it.
Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones's Diary
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Never do your make-up in the back of a taxi . . #danielcleaver #bridgetjones #bridgetjonesbaby #bridget #bridgetjonesdiary #edgeofreason #theedgeofreason #reneezellweger #markdarcy #markdarcyforever #danielcleaver
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One of the most famous " even celebrated " examples of an actress putting on weight for a role was when Renee Zellweger signed up to play Bridget Jones, a 32-year-old unmarried woman with concerns about how much she weighed. Zellweger added 30 pounds (13.6kg) for both of the first two Bridget Jones films. For the sequel that meant jumping from a size 4 to a size 14.
Charlize Theron in Monster
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"Monster" (2003). Charlize Theron underwent an incredible physical transformation to portray the real life serial killer prostitute. It is interesting that Charlize Theron took on a heavy role like this, because her mother shot her own father and killed him, yet she never faced any jail time. Theron has said it was a difficult role for her to play.
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A nearly unrecognisable Charlize Theron gained 30 pounds of flesh for Monster. For such dedication to her craft and her superb acting as serial killer Aileen "Lee" Wuornos, she received numerous awards including the Oscar for best actress in 2003. Theron has stated that it "wasn't about getting fat" for the role, but about attempting to understand Wuornos' mindset: "With my body " physically I'm very athletic " I don't know that I would have felt the things Aileen felt with her body. It was about getting to a place where I felt closer to how Aileen was living."
Jennifer Aniston in Cake
More revelation than transformation, for 2014 movie Cake Jennifer Aniston agreed with a bold move to film the entire movie without any make-up (save for added facial scars). Aniston plays Claire Bennett, a former defence lawyer traumatised by a car accident that killed her son. Director Daniel Barnz was the one who suggested Aniston forgo make-up to better embody the kind of character, one who had given up caring about herself, that he imaged Bennett to be. For her part, Aniston said the experience was "liberating" and "empowering".
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At a Q&A at the Toronto Film Festival she explained, "As women, we do feel that we have to live up to an expectation whether it is on camera or going to the market or whatever it is. The truth of the matter is, that is not always the way it is. We don't always have our high heels on. We don't always have our hair and make-up on. And this character is basically someone who had just given up, just on even waking up sometimes."
Charlize Theron in Tully
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Another example of Theron's commitment to her craft, for Tully she played Marlo Moreau, a mother-of-two expecting a third and unplanned baby. In press for the film, the actress said she gained 50 pounds (22.7kg) to play the character and that she put on the weight by eating portions of macaroni and cheese during the night. Later, Theron claimed that it took her nearly 18 months to shed all the weight.
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Gwyneth Paltrow in Country Strong
Gwyneth Paltrow gained 20 pounds for her role as drunk and disorderly country music singer Kelly Canter. Normally extremely health conscious, Paltrow said it was a nightmare that she had to stop working out once she agreed to the film. She told the press: "At first I panicked so I would work out a little bit, and then I had to lie and be like, 'No, I didn't work out'. I'd be on the treadmill and be like, 'I really have to stop this'. My body didn't really fall apart until right after we finished the movie, and now I'm having problems."
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