10 Completely Insane Ways Film Actors Scored Famous Parts

8. Madonna - Evita

She's received mixed reviews for her acting in the past, but that didn't stop Madonna thinking that she was perfect for Evita. The queen of pop wrote a letter to Alan Parker begging him for the role, claiming that she was perfect for it. "She said that she would sing, dance and act her heart out, and put everything else on hold to devote all her time to it should I decide to go with her," Parker later recalled.

Madonna also personally met with the Argentinian president when the crew were denied permission to film on Eva Peron's famous balcony in the Plaza De Mayo in Buenos Aires; she claims that at the point, she felt possessed by Peron.

The immersion in the role paid off. The film was nominated for five Oscars, and Madonna earned a Golden Globe for her role as well as a Guinness World Record; her 85 costume changes were the most in a film, twenty more than Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra.