19 roles that took a toll on the actors who played them

Modified Jan 28, 2025 09:09 ET

Gangs of New York, Image Source - Miramax Films

5) Adrien Brody in The Pianist

The Pianist, Image Source - Focus Features

The film The Pianist is about a talented Jewish pianist whose life is destroyed as anti-semitic laws are passed throughout Europe. The film is about survival and the power of art. To prepare for his role in the movie, Adrien Brody had to lose 30 pounds, change his lifestyle, and take up intense piano training. He even gave up his apartment, sold every materialistic thing that belonged to him, and went to live in loneliness. Isolation took a very intense psychological toll on him, and detaching from the character posed to be a challenge.