Celebs will go above and beyond in order to nail a major role in a motion picture. Some may even resort to making drastic changes in their outward appearance, so they are as believable as can be in order to have a chance to win an award for their breathtaking movie performance. Some celebs have either lost or gained a considerable amount of body weight, so they could play a pivotal role that wowed audiences. Even the best of actors may need a boost in the appearance department to really make a movie part come to life, and that is just what these 15 impressive celebs did so they could make the role extraordinary.

Some of these impressive actors and actresses really took their weight change to the extreme and some were not quite as huge, yet still a sight to see. Whether they did it all on their own or used the expert help from doctors, nutritionists, and personal trainers, the transformations seen in their physical appearances was beyond impressive. No pain, no gain (or loss) as the popular saying goes!

Have you seen any of the films these celebs gained or lost weight for? You must have been quite impressed by the new physique seen on the big screen. Lots of pre-filming preparation went into their physical transformation and the end results were worth the hard work and effort put forth. Here are the 15 stellar celebs who made a big change in their looks, so audiences would get the full picture of the part they were so eager to portray on screen.

15 Natalie Portman Looked Frail For Black Swan

We all know that Natalie Portman is an incredible actress with many widely-acclaimed films under her belt, but one of her most impressive pieces of work was her role in the hit film, Black Swan. She played the part of a ballerina and reportedly got her weight down to just 98 lbs. from her normal number of 118. The star stands at 5’ 3”, so 98 lbs. is quite a low number to maintain, but she was monitored by nutritionists to be sure she wasn’t in any danger. To play the role, Portman needed that ultra-thin body to really show what a ballerina who is in the midst of a hardworking career truly looks like. Along with changing her diet to lose the weight, Portman exercised often and trained to learn many ballerina dance moves so she’d be believable on screen. She gained her weight back, but that must have been quite a feat as she prepped for the role.

14 Matthew Fox Got Ripped As Hell To Play A Serial Killer

Matthew Fox is a fox and a great actor as well, and he stepped his dedication to the craft of acting up a notch when he lost a whopping 40 lbs. for his role in the movie Alex Cross where he played a serial killer… yikes! In order to get into toned and super-ripped shape, the devoted actor worked out hardcore with a celebrity trainer for 5 gruelling months. He also had to change his regular diet by cutting out carbs like pasta, bread, pies, ice cream, and cookies… all the delicious stuff! He plans to gain some of the weight back eventually, but he is taking it slow. He said he has a major sweet tooth, so overdoing it on the sweet and heavenly goodies can happen all too easily!

13 Chris Hemsworth Got Scary Thin For Heart Of The Sea

The handsome actor Chris Hemsworth is always one to watch on screen, but he was even more interesting thanks to his impressive weight loss for his role in the movie Heart of the Sea. Hemsworth lost 33 lbs. for the part and he said the weight loss not only took a toll on his body, but on his mental state too. It’s not a surprise to hear that, since the actor survived on a mere 500 calories per day so he could lose the weight in a short period of time. He ate not much more than salads and boiled eggs. Sounds boring, but it was a quick way to shed those pounds. He has since put the weight back on and looks like his hunky former self (thankfully). Would he do it again? Maybe if the paycheck was tempting enough!

12 Did War Dogs Cause Jonah Hill To Drastically Change His Image?

While Jonah Hill had to gain 40 lbs. for his role in the movie War Dogs, when it was time to lose the added weight, he went the extra mile and now looks slimmer than ever before. Perhaps he is working on his weight for an upcoming role, or he just made a strategic choice to get into great shape. Hill is no stranger to adjusting his weight for a role – he lost 40 lbs. to act in Moneyball with Brad Pitt in 2011. He then gained for War Dogs, but is now dropping the excess baggage through diet and exercise. It is interesting to see how different the actor looks at various weights, but one thing is for certain – Hill is a gifted actor no matter his shape or size.

11 Chris Pratt Obtained Hunk Status In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Actor Chris Pratt used to be a bit “doughy,” but when it came time for the popular star to prepare for his stellar role in Guardians of the Galaxy, he had to get rid of all that excess baggage and tone up. In the process of getting in tip-top shape, Pratt lost 60 lbs. in the time span of 6 months. To lose the weight and bulk up, Pratt worked out for 3 to 4 hours per day. Pretty gruelling. He would swim, run, box, kickbox, and more. He drank lots of water and actually increased his calorie intake per day to 4,000 calories. This way he could work out strenuously and build some major muscle. Pratt is still looking fit and fans can’t help but swoon over the “new and improved” star.

10 Matthew McConaughey Played An Incredible Role In Dallas Buyer's Club

Matthew McConaughey is one of the best and most sought-after actors in Hollywood today, and if you are a fan of the star, you know why. He plays every role with the ultimate conviction and is super-handsome, so it is a true thrill to see him larger-than-life on the big screen. But for his role in the acclaimed movie Dallas Buyer’s Club, the beloved actor went the extra mile and lost a shocking 38 lbs. so he could play the part of a man with HIV/AIDS. To lose the massive weight for the film, McConaughey did lots of cardiovascular exercise and severely cut down on his food intake. The results were evident and he played the role impressively with the physique to match. What did he want to devour after shooting wrapped? A po' boy or a cheeseburger. Sounds pretty tasty, Matthew!

9 Christian Bale Was Advised That He Could Die If His Weight Got Any Lower

Actor Christian Bale went to extreme measures to lose an enormous amount of weight for his role in the movie The Machinist. In the film, Bale played an insomniac and the role required him to look frighteningly thin. Therefore, Bale lost a shocking 65 lbs. in order to portray the most realistic version of the character. To keep himself from feeling hungry (which he surely was), Bale took up cigarette smoking. And what did he eat? Just a can of tuna fish and one apple per day! Word has it that the actor was interested in losing even more weight for the role, but he was advised medically that he could die if his weight plummeted any lower. He regained the weight after the film wrapped by noshing on ice cream and pizza.

8 50 Cent Went From 214 lbs. To 160 lbs. For Things Fall Apart

Rapper 50 Cent is better known for his hit music than for his acting roles, but the celeb gives it his all no matter what he puts his mind to. For his role in the movie Things Fall Apart, 50 Cent lost over 50 lbs. to play the role of a football player-turned-cancer patient. How did the star lose all that weight you may wonder? He went on an all-liquid diet and ran on a treadmill for an astounding 3 hours per day. He weighed in at 160 lbs. at shooting time, and for his 6-foot frame, that was a quite a drop from his usual weight of 214 lbs. He has since put his muscle back on, but this transformation shows that 50 Cent is devoted to his work in acting as he is in the music world.

7 The Informant Allowed Matt Damon Regular Trips To McDonald's

Matt Damon has played a number of great and memorable roles over the course of his impressive acting career, and part of his appeal are his good looks that his fans swoon over. But for his role in the movie The Informant, Damon packed on a hefty 30 lbs. to play the part. How did he do it, you may wonder? He enjoyed chowing down on greasy fast food like McDonald’s and drank a ton of beer. He also munched on snack food like high-fat Doritos! He said it was fun to indulge for a while, and he gained the weight pretty quickly. But we all know that Damon doesn’t normally binge like that, so once filming wrapped, he surely got back to his regular diet. No more shakes, burgers, and fries for the A-lister!

6 Jared Leto Put On Some Major Pounds For Chapter 27

Actor Jared Leto has both lost and gained weight for roles, and the film Chapter 27 was no exception. As reported, the handsome actor packed on a whopping 67 lbs. so that he could play the part of Mark Chapman, the man who assassinated the beloved musician John Lennon. Not only did Leto look the part as a chubby Chapman, but he got a case of the illness gout and developed high cholesterol in the puffing up process! We all know that Leto lost the weight after filming wrapped, but the fact that he got ill in order to play a role is surely a sign of devotion to his craft, if not anything else. He lost the weight by going back to his usual routine and by performing with his band, which is an active gig. Maybe this lesson will teach Leto to never gain too much weight for a role again, but losing too much couldn’t have been very good for his health either.

5 In Monster, Charlize Theron Did Not Look Like Her Normal Self

Known for her breathtaking beauty and fit figure, it was quite the shock to see actress Charlize Theron pack on the pounds for her role in the hit film Monster. Not only did the awesome actress gain weight, but she was nearly unrecognizable with her messy hair, unflattering presence, and overall “uglied-up” look. It has been reported that Theron gained 30 lbs. to play the role of the real-life serial killer, Aileen Wuornos. To pack on the pounds, Theron reportedly munched on plenty of potato chips and fattening donuts. To get back in shape, Theron went back to her normal routine and soon the pounds melted off. As we all saw, Theron wowed audiences who came to see her in Monster, and the celeb continues to impress us with every new role she takes.

4 Renee Zellweger Made A Sacrifice For Her Iconic Role

Renee Zellweger is one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, and normally, she is super-fit and in great shape. But when it comes time for her to prep for a movie, she may gain weight to better reflect the character she is playing. This was evident when Zellweger played the part of Bridget Jones in the movie Bridget Jones’s Diary. It has been said that the actress put on an additional 30 lbs. to play the part in the original as well as the movie’s sequel. She was able to gain the weight by eating lots of high-calorie and fattening ice cream. Zellweger was surely a hit in the rom-com movie and it seems she had little trouble losing the weight after wrapping. Hey, if you get paid to nosh on delicious ice cream, the job can’t be all that bad!

3 Jake Gyllenhaal Took His Character Seriously For Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal is a popular actor known for his handsome looks on the big screen and superb acting chops in all the roles he takes on. He seems to take his work very seriously and this was proven to be so when he dropped an astounding 30 lbs. for his role in the film Nightcrawler. To lose the weight, the actor cut down on how much food he consumed each day. He chewed plenty of chewing gum to curb his food cravings and drank tea. If he had to nibble on something, it was just a few bites of salad, meat, or crackers. He would exercise on a stationary bike and run from home to the set which was 15 miles away. The hard work paid off and the actor achieved the physical look he was aiming for.

2 Tom Hanks Really Did Look Like He Was Deserted On An Island

Actor Tom Hanks is arguably one of the best in the biz, and he went to the ultimate extreme for his role preparation for the 2000 film Cast Away. It has been reported that the seasoned actor shed an unbelievable 55 lbs. to play a man who became deserted on an island. He drank lots of water to remain hydrated, but much of his usual diet was replaced by vegetables and fruit. He also ate crabs and drank coconut milk. Along with the restricted diet, Hanks worked out 2 hours per day. If you have seen the film, it is evident that Hanks worked on his body vigorously in order to play the role with believability. He’s a great actor, but the way he appeared on screen further boosted his performance in the unforgettable film.

1 JK Simmons Got BUFF AF For Justice League

While it is not clear how much weight, if any, actor JK Simmons gained or lost for his role in Justice League, when you see the before and after pics of the awesome actor, it is evident that he has been hitting the gym big time so he can get in super-muscular shape for his role as Commissioner Gordon in the film Justice League. While Simmons was never seriously out of shape, his recent display of bulging muscles is shocking. The actor is over 60-years-old, so seeing such a tremendous transformation was a surprise to fans. Simmons is living proof that a person can whip themselves into top-notch shape with sincere dedication to training and watching their diet. Will Simmons continue to pump iron post-filming? Hopefully he will to remain healthy and fit. We’ll be watching!

Sources: usmagazine.com, telegraph.co.uk, popworkouts.com, dailymail.co.uk, celebrityfitnesstraining.com, people.com, eonline.com, moviepilot.com, huffingtonpost.com, foods4betterhealth.com, shape.com, businessinsider.com