Top 10 Shocking Movie Transformations by British Actors

Top 10 Shocking Movie Transformations by British Actors

When it comes to getting those big film roles, some actors will stop at nothing. Welcome to WatchMojo UK, and today we'll counting down our picks for the Top 10 Shocking Movie Transformations by British Actors.

For this list, we will be looking at Hollywood celebrities who endured huge physical changes as part of the preparations for a specific role, all without the use of make-up or prosthetics. With Simon Pegg’s newly ripped physique ready for his upcoming movie, “Inheritance" here’s 10 other times that Brit actors went above and beyond!

#10: Kit Harington
“Pompeii” (2014)

For him to get into the right shape to play Milo, Kit Harrington had to get ripped – and fast! Although Harrington was said to be proud of the end result, he reportedly suffered from body dysmorphia – a mental disorder concerning obsessing over assumed flaws in one’s appearance – due to the amount of time he spent working out. Such was his dedication to build muscle mass, he went to the gym three times a day for six days a week and even suffered from a case of exhaustion.

#9: Gerard Butler
“300” (2006)

In order to gain a Spartan Physique, Gerard Butler had to maintain a monumental workout regime. The Scottish actor stated himself that he needed to have a warrior’s mentality to go along with the warrior’s body, but his training sessions were so intense that Butler often would feel queasy afterwards. Rather fittingly, his routine was designed by a record-holding mountain climber and involved Olympic lifts. All of this combined with learning the lines and weapons training makes for a pretty busy schedule, but the fruits of Butler's intense labour are apparent on screen.

#8: Lily James
“Cinderella” (2015)

Now from bulking up to slimming down. For her part in this fairytale remake, Lily James was put on an unenviable liquid-only diet throughout filming. This was so that she would not only be able to fit into her corset, but also so she could digest food. A risky diet by all counts, it started out a worrying health trend in which people aimed for the ‘Cinderella waist’. Unsurprisingly, this received a lot of backlash and criticism, with some people accusing “Disney” of digitally reducing her waistline even further, which they denied.

#7: Daniel Day-Lewis
“The Crucible” (1996)

This acting great is notorious for becoming immersed in his characters, and for this film, Daniel Day-Lewis did what he does best! To get himself into the mindset of a 17th century East Coast landowner, DDL allegedly lived on the replica village used for the film set, which was on an island off the coast of Massachusetts. There was no running water or electricity, such was its authenticity, meaning that he apparently didn’t bathe for the entirety of the shoot. Good job smellovision hasn't been invented.

#6: Karen Gillan
“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)

So that she would look right to play Nebula – the evil adopted daughter of mighty galactic warlord, Thanos – Karen Gillan actually shaved off her trademark long, flaming red hair. This was a pretty bold move by the former “Doctor Who” companion, especially given how much of any red head's image is tied to their hair – however, for Gillan, who was still establishing herself in the industry beyond “Who”, it was a necessary move. Afterwards, she spoke of how strange that time was for her, with strangers calling her ‘sir’ but said that she ultimately enjoyed the change.

#5: Andrew Garfield
“Silence” (2016)

A far cry from his “Spider-Man” days, Andrew Garfield lost 40 pounds to become Father Sebastião Rodrigues which was almost double what his co-star, Liam Neeson, had to shed. Taking on a thread-bare diet and even attending a silent retreat in Wales when getting ready for the role, it’s clear to see during the Scorsese feature that Garfield's body looks radically different. He has since expressed how important he found his extreme fasting, as it gave him a greater understanding of 17th century missionaries and their struggles.

#4: Tom Hardy
“Bronson” (2008)

From the time he was given the part, Tom Hardy had a tight time frame of just five weeks to transform into the notorious titular criminal. The actual Charles Bronson – that is, the crim' born Michael Gordon Peterson – wasn't that impressed with Hardy portraying him initially, however, just weeks later there were clear signs of physical transformation. There were intense sessions of push-ups and resistance training for Hardy, but chicken, rice, pizza, and Häagen-Dazs greatly contributed to his two and a half stone weight gain. Bronson later stated that Hardy looked more like him than he did himself.

#3: Lily Collins
“To the Bone” (2017)

In a film that depicts the important issue of anorexia nervosa, its star underwent a dramatic weight loss. Collins wanted to break the taboo surrounding the illness, one that she herself suffered in her teenage years. In fact, during the preparations Lily was kept under a close watch by professionals and her family so that she didn’t relapse. However, she was also able to tap into her history with the condition to better inform her performance. Collins’ weight loss was quite drastic, and although it isn’t confirmed how much she lost, it was definitely a shocking transformation.

#2: Sir Ben Kingsley
“Gandhi” (1982)

Looking at the revered Indian activist on screen, it's hard to believe this is the same actor who played the foul-mouthed Don Logan in “Sexy Beast”. In what can be considered as his breakthrough role, Sir Ben Kingsley not only shaved his head, but he also dropped 20 pounds whilst adopting Gandhi’s vegetarian diet. Not stopping there, he also took up meditation and learned how to spin cotton using a wooden wheel – truly losing himself in the role. The result is a massive transformation and an almost unrecognisable Mr Kingsley.

#1:Christian Bale
“The Machinist” (2004)

When playing severe insomniac Trevor Reznik, Christian Bale slimmed down by 63 pounds - that’s 4 and a half stone – by adopting a diet of just one can of tuna fish and an apple per day. He has since revealed the expected extreme physical and emotional impact it had on his body! On the other end of the scale, Bale had to gain around 3 stone for his role “American Hustle”, while doing the same plus shaving his head and adopting a slouched posture – resulting in a herniated disc - for “Vice”.