10 Actors Who Received Super Specific Training For Movie Roles

10. Sigourney Weaver Learned How To "Speak Gorilla" - Gorillas In The Mist

Sigourney Weaver received the second of her three Oscar nominations to date for her superb performance as slain naturalist Dian Fossey in Gorillas in the Mist, and it was certainly a well-earned nomination given the measures she undertook to convincingly perform opposite real gorillas.

First and foremost, Weaver worked with tropical field biologist and conservationist Ian Redmond, who trained her to not only understand gorillas' complex vocalisations but also perform them herself.

In effect, Weaver was taught to speak gorilla, allowing her to comprehend the subtleties of their spoken sounds and communicate with them in a rudimentary way.

Though some sequences were filmed using people in gorilla suits for reasons of practicality and safety for all involved, this training nevertheless allowed Weaver to completely convince as someone who dedicated their life, in the most ultimate sense, to the conservation of the mountain gorilla.