20 times actors went method and nailed the role

Modified Nov 03, 2024 21:38 ET

20. Nicolas Cage - Birdy

Nicolas Cage in Birdy | Image Source: Apple TV+

One of the greatest method performances by Nicolas Cage is in the early career war drama Birdy, from 1984. In this film, Cage plays a Vietnam veteran who has been severely disfigured and comes to visit his friend, played by Matthew Modine, in a psychiatric hospital. To prepare for his role, 19-year-old Cage went to the extreme. He had all of his wisdom teeth extracted without anesthesia so he would understand the physical pain that his character endures and then spent weeks with bandages wrapped around his face to replicate that pain and isolation.

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Edited by Sarah Nazamuddin Harniswala