Halle Berry doesn’t shy away from digging deep. And that certainly shows in “Jungle Fever” where she played a street worker and addict. The actress didn’t shower for two weeks and would often visit institutions for people struggling with addiction.
The actress underwent a total transformation revealing her amazing acting chops. The actress went on to repeat that in future films.
Hilary Swank – Boys, Don’t Cry
Hillary Swank was really gunning for that Oscar when she portrayed Brandon Teena in "Boys Don't Cry." Completely immersed in the role, Swank behaved as if she was completely male for the duration of the shoot. She bound up her chest, used male pronouns, and even wore a prosthetic male appendage.
When portraying a real-life person, it's important to take it as far as possible. Of course, all that effort really paid off in the end and Hillary Swank ended up winning the Oscar that year. The world will now forever remember the awful tragedy of Brandon Teena.
Jamie Dornan – The Fall
Jamie Dornan time and time again reveals his tremendous commitment to the parts he plays. Forget about "50 Shades of Grey", his work on the BBC series "The Fall", Dornan experienced some creepy behavior while preparing to portray a serial murderer by following a woman off the train.
This was how he taught himself to prey on someone, admitting that “It felt kind of exciting, in a real sort of dirty way. I’m sort of not proud of myself.” That leaves us all kinds of questions for "50 Shades of Grey"
Jamie Foxx – Ray
To accurately represent both his idol Ray Charles, as well as the blind community, Jamie Foxx wanted to make a lasting impression on folks. What did he do? He wore prosthetic eyelids for half the day, every day, and stayed completely in character.
He even had people guiding him around between takes. His methods certainly worked because that year the Academy Award for Best Actor went to him.
Kate Winslet – The Reader
The Reader was one of the best films to come out in the year 2008 and that was largely due to Kate Winslet's superb acting. Playing the role of a Nazi concentration camp guard, the actress spoke of the serious emotional toll it took her, saying that it took her months to truly rid herself of the character.
This is just why she is considered one of the greats today. The actress even compared the feeling of escaping a serious car accident when describing how she felt leaving that character behind.