Matthew McConaughey is one of most recent actors to undergo a massive weight change for a role in ‘Dallas Buyers’ Club’. It is widely known that a significant increase or decrease in mass for the sake of a film is a sign of true acting prowess, so without further ado, here are some examples of performers who have either lost or gained a whole heap of flesh for the sake of their craft (Please note: ‘Out In Perth’ does not in any way advise doing this to yourself):
1.      Matthew McConaughey: Dallas’ Buyers’ Club
Matthew McConaughey lost a whopping 21kg to play AIDs patient Ron Woodruff. Many found this shocking considering that the net worth of McConaughey’s torso had skyrocketed after ‘Magic Mike.’
2.      Jared Leto: Dallas Buyers’ Club
Jared Leto is our biggest repeat offender and changes his size as frequently as a blowfish suffering from hyperventilation. Not only did he lose 13kg for ‘Dallas Buyers’ Club’, but he also gave up 11kg of his person for ‘Requiem For a Dream’.
3.      Michael Fassbender: Hunger
Michael Fassbender shed 16kg (roughly the weight of one fully grown King Penguin) to play Irish Republican Bobby Sands.
4.      Hilary Swank: Boys Don’t Cry
Hilary Swank reportedly reduced her body fat to 7% to play Brandon Teena in the classic tragedy.
5.      50 Cent: Things Fall Apart
The notoriously beefy rapper lost 24kg to play an American football player with cancer in his film ‘Things Fall Apart.’
6.      Christian Bale: American Hustle
Christian Bale proudly sports a comb over and a paunch after gaining 19.5 kilos for ‘American Hustle’.
7.      Charlize Theron: Monster
Charlize Theron put on 13kgs to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos in this biopic.
8.      Renee Zellweger: ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’
Miss Zellweger famously put on 13kg for the role of Bridget Jones, and freaked everyone out when, after the film, she lost it seemingly immediately.
9.      Russel Crowe: ‘Body of Lies’
Russel Crowe put on 28kgs to play a character with a sedentary lifestyle in this spy thriller.
10.  Jared Leto: ‘Chapter 27’
Jared Leto appears again, this time putting on the weight of one fully grown Golden Retriever to play John Lennon’s murder in ‘Chapter 27’.
Sophie Joske
