Sometimes, to really pull off a role, it's necessary to go 'method'. This usually involves an actor making a direct physical or psychological connection with his or her character in order to portray them, often living as the character or at last echoing their mannerisms as closely as possible in their private life. Actors famously associated with method acting, making huge physical or emotional sacrifices for their art, include cinema heavyweights such as Robert De Niro and Daniel Day-Lewis. De Niro famously became a boxer for his role as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, going through a rigorous physical regime and even entering three fights (he won two) while being trained by the man himself. He then gained 60lbs to portray the physical deterioration of LaMotta in later life. Crazy stuff, but De Niro, Day-Lewis and others have all been honoured by the acting community for their dedication to the craft, so it was all worth it in the end. But what about those actors that go above and beyond the call of duty for a part with no reward though? What if they lost 40lbs for a part only for the film to flop? Or if they spent six months limping around the house only for the part to get cut? This is a list of such examples. Many of the actors are highly respected in the industry, but things just didn't quite work out here.
