In the acting game, it doesn't necessarily pay to take an enormous amount of time in between gigs. There has to be a degree of commitment - indeed, in order for any performer to hit the big time, they have to put the work in in order to stand out - but like any other job, steady, regular work in acting is what's required to pay the bills. At the same time, most actors take pride in putting the hours, days or weeks into preparing for a performance. Most of the greats didn't just show up to the set having done zero research or having spent no time at all getting into the character's head-space. When those days and weeks turn into months or even years of preparation, however, you know have a seriously committed actor on your hands. Often, it's a "passion project" that causes an actor to sink their precious time (and sometimes their own money) into. Actors who've previously seemed lackadaisical in their approach can push themselves harder than anyone ever imagined of them when it comes to material they feel they simply have to do. Alternatively, an actor's lengthy preparation time could be down to continuous filming delays, or the fact that the actor in question is already an especially dedicated thesp just taking things that bit further. Only rarely does an actor allow one role take over a chunk of their life, but it has happened.