8 Hollywood stars who went too far in the name of 'acting'.

Acting is definitely a skill that requires a whole lot of imagination and research. 

But then again, there are some actors who perhaps went a little too far in nailing a character for their film.  

In fact, it happens often. There are plenty of Hollywood giants who have refused to shower, gotten themselves pierced and even some who have pulled out their own... teeth.

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Here are eight actors who took method acting to a whole new level. 

Jude Law for Firebrand.

Jude Law for Firebrand. Image: Supplied.

Jude Law has admitted to perhaps committing a bit too much to his role as Henry VII in the upcoming film, Firebrand. 

The actor spoke openly about the extent he would go to in order to play the role accurately, telling Variety he had employed help to smell the part. 

"I read several interesting accounts that you could smell Henry three rooms away. His leg was rotting so badly. He hid it with rose oil," he explained. "I thought it would have a great impact if I smelt awful."

Law went on to say he hired a perfume artist to concoct the perfect stinky mixture for him

"She makes wonderful scents, and she also makes awful scents. She somehow came up with this extraordinary variety of blood, faecal matter and sweat," he said.

Even Firebrand director Karim Aïnouz agreed, saying: "When Jude walked in on set, it was just horrible."

Jared Leto for Suicide Squad. 

Jared Leto as Joker in Suicide Squad. Image: Warner Bros. Pictures.

The Joker is among on the most famous supervillains of all time and several of the actors who have taken on the role have gone to extreme measures to give an incredible performance. 

However, in Jared Leto's case, his method of inhabiting the character seemed to get a bit out of hand. The actor reportedly acted cruelly on set in order to encapsulate the role. 

On one such occasion, he sent a huge black rat and used condoms to his co-star Margot Robbie while they were filming. According to reports, he meant the gift to be a prank, in the spirit of the Joker's "dark humour".

Shia LaBeouf for Fury.

Shia LaBeouf for Fury. Image: Sony Pictures.

Apparently, LaBeouf stank while filming Fury with Brad Pitt.

The actor didn't shower for weeks while playing a WWII soldier, in order to achieve a grotty trench feel. 

He also apparently pulled out his own tooth with no antiseptic and remained drunk on moonshine during production. 

Rooney Mara for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. 

Rooney Mara for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Image: Columbia Pictures.

Mara locked down the role of a lifetime with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and she made sure to take every opportunity to encapsulate the role. 

The actor, who had a dedication to applying herself to the role made sure to really pierce her face. 

Jamie Foxx for Ray.

Jamie Foxx in Ray. Image: Universal Pictures.

Foxx played the blind singer Ray Charles in the biopic Ray and was intent on committing himself to the role entirely. 

To do this, the actor spent pretty much the entire filming — 14 hours a day — blind. He apparently even went so far as to let the makeup artists glue his eyelids shut. 

He might have gotten his first Academy Award by playing the role flawlessly but it came with a price. Foxx suffered multiple panic attacks and spent most of the time hungry as he attempted to lose weight to resemble Charles' slim figure. 

He also had a dentist chip off some of his teeth to more closely resemble the singer. 

Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant.

Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant. Image: 20th Century.

The Titanic actor played frontiersman Hugh Glass in The Revenant, an epic survival drama set in 1823. 

DiCaprio shot in freezing cold climates, slept inside a dead carcass and even ate raw bison liver while filming. Considering the actor is widely known for his environmental activism and vegetarianism, it says a lot about his commitment to the role. 

Adrien Brody for The Pianist.

Adrien Brody for The Pianist. Image: Studio Canal.

Adrien Brody learnt how to play as a professional piano player despite never touching one before he got the role. 

The actor also shed a lot of weight by living off of potatoes. Brody's girlfriend at the time actually dumped the actor because of his dedication to looking and being impoverished. 

He sold his car, apartment and a lot of his belongings. 

Natalie Portman for The Black Swan. 

Natalie Portman for The Black Swan. Image: Getty.

Natalie Portman's role in The Black Swan was disturbing but the cult psychological thriller became one of the actor's most acclaimed performances. 

However, it came at a cost. 

She lived off a strict diet of almonds and carrots. The tiny amounts of food kept Portman petite enough to portray a perfectionist dancer. She also spent five hours a day practising dancing and undergoing cardio. It became so intense for Portman that she suffered concussions and dislocated ribs. 

She even trained in ballet for 10 months prior to filming.

In an interview, Natalie Portman explained how the intense approach to method acting impacted her. 

"The physical discipline of it really helped for the emotional side of the character because you get the sense of the monastic lifestyle of only working out, that is a ballet dancer's life," she said. 

"You don't drink, you don't go out with your friends, you don't have much food and you are constantly putting your body through extreme pain, so you get that understanding of the self-flagellation of a ballet dancer."

Feature Image: Getty.

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