15 Times actors went on a strict diet for a role

In Hollywood, actors often undergo dramatic physical transformation to bring their characters alive, and this includes rigid diets. Whether bulking up for an action movie superhero role or shedding the pounds to portray a lean, troubled character, their dietary changes can be severe. While some actors are more mindful of balanced, sustainable habits to fuel their performances, others have taken unhealthy measures to achieve their desired look. We dive into 15 times actors went on really tight diets for a role—including healthy and less healthy ways they took in order to do justice to a character.

1) Chris Hemsworth – Thor (2011)

For the role of Thor's God of Thunder, Chris Hemsworth followed a very strict diet that required him to gain bulk in muscles so he could play the role of Thor. His diet consists mainly of lean proteins, which include chicken, fish, and steak, which really helps in muscle growth. Hemsworth also consumed sweet potatoes, brown rice, and quinoa for some complex carbs to provide himself with steady energy. In addition to loads of vegetables, he made sure he was having a balanced intake of vitamins and minerals.

2) Michael B. Jordan – Creed (2015)

For his role in Adonis Creed, Michael B. Jordan went for a strict diet plan coupled with the intense boxing workouts. His diet consisted of mainly lean meats such as chicken, turkey, and fish, accompanied by complex carbohydrates like oatmeal and brown rice. Jordan's diet also included healthy fats to help him recover from an intense workout, such as olive oil and avocado. His coach, Corey Calliet, put him on a high-protein diet that would help build muscle without bulking him up. Jordan was completely devoted to his diet and his fitness routine for the transformation.

3) Natalie Portman – Black Swan (2010)

Natalie Portman, to prepare for her lean and toned body role in Black Swan, had adopted a plant-based, nutrient-rich diet. Portman had worked with a nutritionist to ensure her diet included a lot of vegetables, legumes, and grains. Her diet was aimed at providing her with energy for the tough ballet training without compromising her health. The actress followed a disciplined exercise routine, so her strength and flexibility would not be compromised; meanwhile, her diet remained clean. Portman's adherence to this plant-based lifestyle went beyond the need for transformation in her physical being because it also indicated discipline and dedication to this highly challenging role.

4) Gal Gadot – Wonder Woman (2017)

Gal Gadot's transformation to the Amazonian warrior that is Wonder Woman included dieting in a disciplined pattern that complemented her training routine. Gadot, for instance, was strictly on a Mediterranean-inspired type of eating plan that only included whole, unprocessed foods. Her diet featured lean proteins such as fish and chicken, healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado, and plenty of vegetables. Gadot was also keen on hydration. She drank a lot of water throughout the day.

5) Christian Bale – American Hustle (2013)

Christian Bale is already known for the dedication towards changing his body for roles, and in American Hustle, it was quite the same. The entire diet was heavier to shape him up for Irving Rosenfeld. His goal was to gain 40 pounds through a high-calorie diet that included pizza, ice cream, and cheeseburgers. According to reports, Christian Bale consumed a lot of junk food, but he also ate lean protein and vegetables. He drank a lot of beer and admitted to eating a lot of pie as well.

6) Hugh Jackman – Logan (2017)

Hugh Jackman followed a tough diet before Logan, since it was his last stint as Wolverine. He took a diet high in proteins and moderate in carbs; this was to maintain muscular mass with a low body fat percentage. His diet included chicken, turkey, salmon, vegetables, and healthy fats like nuts, but some carbs like sweet potatoes. In addition to the muscle-building regimen, Jackman followed an intermittent fasting routine that promotes fat burning. It is this combination that would enable him to obtain a more chiseled body in the Wolverine film series.

7) Chris Evans – Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Chris Evans' diet for Captain America was very much thought out to support the drastic physical transformation he would be undergoing. To put on muscle mass, Evans had a diet of chicken, turkey, and eggs rich in protein. He also added whole grains like brown rice and quinoa into his meals to keep energy up all day long. Healthy fats found in the forms of olive oil and avocado helped achieve balance while eliminating processed sugars. Combining diet with weight training and cardio was how Evans finally managed to achieve Captain America's trademark superhero physique—an achievement that takes discipline, but mostly, consistency.

8) Christian Bale – The Machinist (2004)

Christian Bale's weight loss in The Machinist is one of the most extreme physical transformations made by any actor in Hollywood. A man who had severe insomnia, Bale limited his calorie intake drastically and relied solely on one apple and a can of tuna per day, which left him dreadfully underweight, weighing off around 63 pounds. Bale's love for the role was stretched to its limit by body and mind, but of course, at the most considerable cost to his overall health.

9) Anne Hathaway – Les Misérables (2012)

To portray the character of Fantine in Les Misérables, Anne Hathaway was extremely dieting and was rumored to have been eating as little as 500 calories in a day. This measure was part of her preparations to portray the devastating collapse of the character into poorness and sickness. The extreme weight loss had been made up of mainly two squares of dried oatmeal paste per day on Hathaway's diet. Although it gave her the emaciated look, the diet was unhealthy and made Hathaway feel drained both physically and mentally.

10) Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Jared Leto, who portrayed Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club, lost a remarkable 30 pounds for his role, where he was to portray a transgender woman suffering from AIDS. His diet included extreme calorie restriction, drinking more liquids instead of eating even small amounts of food. He has said that he was eating very little, like a couple of portions of low-calorie meals, and even stopped eating after a point. Although Leto's dieting helped him to assume the fragile character, extreme dieting is unhealthy and hard to maintain.

11) Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Matthew McConaughey followed a very strict diet for Dallas Buyers Club in which he lost more than 40 pounds to depict the AIDS patient Ron Woodroof. His diet included almost no carbs with hardly any food intake; he survived off of a few key items that gave him vital nutrients while cutting calories. It was a very intensive weight loss, and McConaughey himself admitted it was quite tiring and a pain in the neck. The diet left him severely depleted of energy and made it difficult to concentrate, but the dedication to the role was clear.

12) Tom Hanks – Cast Away (2000)

Tom Hanks lost a tremendous amount of weight for the role of Chuck Noland in Cast Away. This was achieved by following an unhealthy diet stringently. Tom Hanks was on a crash diet where he intakes minimal amounts of food, accompanied by intense physical training. He lost around 50 pounds due to this extreme weight loss process. Although the transformation was essential for the role, rapid weight loss was draining for his body and needs constant monitoring by doctors so that his health is not affected in the process.

13) Renée Zellweger – Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

Renée Zellweger gained 30 pounds for the role of Bridget Jones, but for the sequel, she followed an unhealthy dieting regimen to shed the same amount of weight quickly. She was put on an extremely calorie-restricted diet along with rigorous exercise and went through severe dieting to lose the weight very rapidly. Thus, losing weight at this rate was physically exhausting for her. Although Zellweger was able to transform fully into the character, doing this through crash dieting certainly concerned people about the reality of such extreme weight change to the body.

14) Robert De Niro – Raging Bull (1980)

In the movie Raging Bull, to play the character of boxer Jake LaMotta, Robert De Niro gained too much weight, eating junk food and high-calorie diets. He gained about 60 pounds in a few months. This was achieved through pizzas, pasta, and other high-fat, unhealthy foods. While De Niro's transformation helped him play the post-career, out-of-shape LaMotta, his body suffered from the excess weight. Later, De Niro went through an exercise routine to lose all his weight and get back to his shape.

15) 50 Cent – All Things Fall Apart (2011)

50 Cent did an extreme and unhealthy amount of weight loss for the role in All Things Fall Apart. The rapper who became an actor lost more than 50 pounds within nine weeks through a diet of only liquids, most of which were protein shakes, with small servings of food. He also underwent extreme cardio to burn off calories as quickly as possible. The extreme weight loss was significant to his character as that of a football player in a battle with cancer.