10 Actors Who Conducted Insane Research For Iconic Movie Roles

6. Rooney Mara - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)

David Fincher's American remake of Swedish noir flick The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo drew its fair share of criticisms (given that the original is a great film in its own right, so why remake it?), though nobody could argue with Rooney Mara's stunning lead performance, one which saw her completely immersed in the character of hacker/goth chick Lisbeth Salander. It was as sensational as it was provocative, and Mara was rightly acclaimed for her efforts.

So how did she prepare? Got a few fake piercings, slapped on the white make-up and guessed at a Swedish accent, right? Not so! Mara insisted on doing everything exactly right, and started by getting four real piercings in her ears, one of her brow, and one on her nipple (which she's kept, apparently, in case there's a sequel). Then she learnt to skateboard, drive a motorcycle and kickbox, and took courses in computing and dialect training.

It didn't end there. To get even deeper into Lisbeth's psyche, Mara moved to Stockholm (the setting of the movie) for a brief period, and proceeded to live there alone. All of this intricate research amounted in an Oscar nomination for the young actress, though unfortunately she was running against Meryl Streep that year, which means that she might as well have not even bothered to turn up.

Speaking of Meryl Streep...