Daniel Day-Lewis returned to acting after an eight-year hiatus in Anemone (2025). Inevitably, his return brings with it a renewed interest in the acting technique known as method acting, given that Day-Lewis is one of its most well-known practitioners. Method acting is when an actor tries to fully immerse themselves in a role. For example, to embody an athlete, an actor may adopt a grueling exercise routine similar to that of a professional athlete.
Method acting can be controversial because some actors’ determination to remain in character can go too far, leading to poor behavior on set or negatively impacting their colleagues. Recently, Day-Lewis bemoaned that some actors have utilized method acting to excuse extreme behavior. Whether for positive or negative reasons, numerous method acting performances have made headlines over the years, and here’s where you can watch the 10 most extreme cases on platforms like Tubi, Apple TV+, and more.
Daniel Day-Lewis - My Left Foot (1989)
Day-Lewis is known for his extreme method acting, but few instances garnered as much media attention as his preparation for My Left Foot. To accurately portray painter Christy Brown, who has cerebral palsy, Day-Lewis spent all of production in a wheelchair, forcing his co-stars to wheel him about and spoon-feed him. He even demanded to be called Christy off-screen. Director Jim Sheridan’s daughter, Kristen Sheridan, told media outlets at the time that Day-Lewis’s method “was madness.”
Day-Lewis’s extreme methods worked, as he fully embodied Brown, capturing his passion and essence with accuracy and delicacy. My Left Foot sensitively portrays the painter’s brilliance and struggles, telling a profoundly moving story about acceptance. It’s an excellent movie if you’re looking for influential films with disability representation, such as Out of My Mind (2024) and The Elephant Man (1980).
Tom Hanks - Cast Away (2000)
Tom Hanks made headlines for his near-fatal method acting techniques for Cast Away. To embody the role of Chuck Noland, a man stranded on a remote island, Hanks decided to give up bathing, shaving, and cutting his hair for a period of time. He also had to gain 50 lbs to portray the pre-stranded Chuck, then lose 55 lbs to reflect Chuck’s weight loss on the island. His refusal to bathe led to a staph infection that began eating away at his leg and could have poisoned his blood if not caught in time.
Cast Away is a fascinating survival drama that dives deep into human resilience and the impact of isolation. Meanwhile, Hanks delivers the performance of a lifetime, beautifully and poignantly capturing Chuck and the state of his mind, evoking sympathy and intense emotion. It’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for a gripping, intense survival drama akin to The Martian (2015) or Society of the Snow (2023).
Choi Min-sik - Oldboy (2003)
Choi Min-sik made headlines for his method acting and physical commitment to portraying Oh Dae-su in Oldboy. Determined to make the torturous experiences of Dae-su look realistic, Choi insisted on doing his own stunts and avoiding special effects when possible. Since Oldboy is filmed nonlinearly, Choi continuously lost and gained weight during production to reflect Dae-su’s condition. He also branded himself for every year Dae-su was in prison and consumed live octopuses for one scene, despite being a Buddhist vegetarian.
Choi’s method acting pays off in Oldboy as he mesmerizes viewers by capturing the depravity and feral nature of a man held captive for 15 years. The action sequences are just as intense as Choi’s performance, with scenes like the single-shot corridor fight becoming some of the most memorable action sequences in cinema. Viewers who love action-packed, revenge thrillers like John Wick (2014) and I Saw the Devil (2010) will enjoy Oldboy.
Jamie Foxx - Ray (2004)
Jamie Foxx’s method of acting in Ray garnered attention from the media, which reported on how he essentially became blind for the movie. To portray legendary musician Ray Charles, who is blind, Foxx had his eyes glued shut with silicone underneath prosthetic eyelids to play the role convincingly. The inability to open his eyes initially caused him to hyperventilate, but he later became accustomed to the setup, managing to go hours without seeing while filming. In addition to gluing his eyelids, he also lost 30 lbs for the role.
Ray is an excellent watch for fans of musical biopics. Foxx’s transformation alone is reason enough to watch, but Ray is also a heartfelt tribute to Charles, successfully giving fans a deeper and more intimate understanding of him. It parallels What’s Love Got to Do with It? (1993) and Rocketman (2019) in quality and depth.
Christian Bale - The Machinist (2004)
Christian Bale made headlines for the shocking transformation he underwent to portray insomniac Trevor Reznik in The Machinist. Media outlets have often called his preparation for the role one of the most extreme examples of method acting. To portray the frail, troubled Reznik, Bale shed 62 lbs, dropping down to just 120 lbs in body weight by sticking to a diet predominantly of cigarettes and whiskey.
Bale’s dedication to the role elevates The Machinist to an unsettling and thought-provoking psychological thriller. It takes viewers to the darkest, deepest corners of regret, guilt, paranoia, and delusion. Meanwhile, fans of Bale will marvel at his sheer commitment to the role. If you enjoy dark films that blur the lines between reality and delusions, like Jacob’s Ladder (1990) and Joker (2019), you’ll love The Machinist.
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby (2004)
In 2005, Hilary Swank made headlines for the grueling preparation she underwent to portray boxer Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby. Her regimen included spending six days a week at the gym for three months and consuming 210 grams of protein a day, which resulted in her gaining 19 pounds of muscle. However, her commitment almost became fatal when she popped a blister on her foot and experienced a staph infection, which she only narrowly treated quickly enough to avoid serious complications.
Million Dollar Baby is a unique sports drama that avoids the cliches of the genre. While most sports dramas lean into melodrama and sentimentality for inspiration, Million Dollar Baby is a dark, gritty depiction that explores the tragedy of shattered dreams and how one defines one’s worth. Fans of darker sports dramas like Cinderella Man (2005) and The Fire Inside (2024) will be especially intrigued by Million Dollar Baby.
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Meryl Streep’s performance as the frigid, cruel fashion magazine editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly, in The Devil Wears Prada earned her critical acclaim, but also made headlines as the role that turned her away from method acting. To capture Priestley’s essence, Streep decided to maintain her aloofness from her colleagues offscreen. Her performance earned her an Oscar nomination, but she later revealed to the media that the experience was so miserable and lonely that she opted never to try method acting again.
The Devil Wears Prada is a clever and mesmerizing comedy. Streep’s Priestley offers one of comedy's best villains, while the film serves as a sharp commentary on the fashion industry and the toxicity of fashion culture. Sharp, witty, and bursting with iconic performances, The Devil Wears Prada is a must-see for fans of fashion industry movies like The Intern (2015) and Cruella (2021).
Natalie Portman - Black Swan (2010)
While Natalie Portman has denied ever fully committing to method acting, the media has often described her grueling preparation for Black Swan as containing method acting techniques. She began preparing for the role of Nina in Black Swan a year in advance, undergoing at least five hours of training per day, including three hours of ballet, swimming a mile, and toning for two hours. Once she started choreography for the movie, her training extended to eight hours a day. Her training allowed her to convincingly perform an alleged 80% of the dances in Black Swan.
Black Swan is a dark, intense psychological thriller that delves into the cost of perfection. Portman dazzles as Nina, a role that won her the Oscar for Best Actress. The intensity and psychological thrills are comparable to the likes of Suspiria (1977) and Whiplash (2014).
Jared Leto - Suicide Squad (2016)
Jared Leto made headlines after his co-stars revealed some of the drastic measures he took to portray The Joker in the DCEU’s Suicide Squad. Leto tried to embody the DC villain’s unhinged persona by sending his co-workers creepy “gifts,” like delivering a dead pig to Viola Davis and sending a live rat to Margot Robbie. Given the disturbing nature of the gifts, Leto drew criticism for his method acting. His performance as The Joker also earned him a Golden Raspberry nomination for Worst Supporting Actor.
While Leto’s performance is divisive, Suicide Squad still has some merits. Robbie and Davis dazzle as Harley Quinn and Amanda Waller, offering some of the best iterations of the characters to date. It was also one of the earlier big franchise films to cater to fans of darker, unconventional superhero movies. It will appeal to those who enjoy anti-hero movies like Birds of Prey (2020) and Thunderbolts* (2025).
Austin Butler - Elvis (2022)
Austin Butler so fully embodied Elvis Presley for the musical biopic Elvis that he needed a dialogue coach to stop speaking in the musician’s iconic drawl. Since his accent lingered for nearly a year after Elvis’ release, headlines as recent as 2023 delved into the phenomenon of his method acting. It was particularly attention-grabbing because it was a rare instance where audiences could actually see the lasting psychological and physical impact of his immersion into the role.
Butler’s method acting was fruitful, considering his electric performance drives the success of Elvis. He and the film tackle the iconic singer with a palpable energy that does justice to his larger-than-life persona and serves as an excellent tribute to Presley, even if it does take some creative liberties. It’s on par with biopics like A Complete Unknown (2024) and Walk the Line (2005).
