Hoffman Didn’t Sleep
Dustin Hoffman was trained at the celebrated Actor’s Studio in NYC. In “Marathon Man”, he played opposite Laurence Olivier, a classically trained actor. When Hoffman had a scene in which his character did not sleep for three nights, Hoffman stayed up for three nights.
Legendarily, when he told Olivier his method, the response of the classically trained actor was, “Why don’t you just try acting?” Hoffman had the last laugh. Method acting made him a two-time Oscar winner (“Kramer vs. Kramer” and “Rain Man”).
Seriously Method Acting
When it comes to method acting, Robert De Niro is the champ. He had his teeth shaved down for "Cape Fear" and worked as an NYC cabbie preparing for his iconic role in "Taxi".
What he does to prepare for roles is truly astounding. No wonder he is considered one of the best in Hollywood.
De Niro Got Ripped
Portraying Scorsese’s "Raging Bull" star, world champion boxer Jake LaMotta, took role prep to an entirely new level. De Niro packed on a mind-blowing 60 pounds, ameliorating the ripped boxer physique he trained for in the first part of the film.
He achieved the authentic old Italian guy look by traveling to Sicily and consuming as much pasta as possible while hanging out with elderly Italians. He won the Oscar for Best Actor.
Then There Was the Slap
But it took a toll. Sleep deprivation nearly compromised his sanity. Hoffman narrowly averted a psychotic break. And in "Kramer vs. Kramer", he went overboard accosting Meryl Streep in off-camera clashes.
On camera, an unscripted slap in the face was as unwelcome as his heckling of the actress over her recently deceased boyfriend.
Kate Winslet Became a Prison Guard
There is more to Kate Winslet than diving ships and Shakespearean plays. In "The Reader" Winslet dove into a role of a prison camp guard, taking place in WWII Germany.
She annoyed her kids when she took on a German accent and kept using it off the set. She didn’t break character, not even when she read them bedtime stories. They said, “Mum, just be plain. Don’t do any funny stuff like voices.”