10 Actors Who Went Through Hell To Win An Oscar

Director Lenny Abrahamson's 2015 adaptation of Emma Donoghue's novel (inspired, though not directly based on the horrific crimes of Josef Fritzl) gave Brie Larson a career-changing role as a mother who has raised her 7 year old child in captivity.

The claustrophobic conditions (the room set being reportedly 11 ft × 11 ft) combined with the nature of the material obviously made the film an intense and emotionally draining experience for Larson.

The actress consulted a specialist in sexual abuse trauma. She also followed the advice of a nutritionist to best represent someone who has lived on a limited diet, without going outside, bathing or even brushing their teeth, for such a long period of time.

Even so, Larson has dismissed claims that Room is a harrowing film, insisting she views the film as first and foremost "a story of love and freedom and perseverance."