10 Method Actors Who Went Unnecessarily Extreme For Movie Roles

4. Russell Crowe - Body Of Lies

russell crowe body of lies
Warner Bros.

In this spy thriller directed by Ridley Scott, Roger Farris (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) are CIA agents on a hunt for a terrorist named Al-Saleem; a hunt that takes them on action-packed adventures across the world. Or, at least DiCaprio's character does. Crowe's character spends most of his time driving his kids around town, walking around the house at all hours of the morning attached to an earpiece phone, or, as you may have guessed, eating.

Crowe gained a total of 62 pounds for this role. The massive differences in weight helped to portray Hoffman as the fat, lazy counterpart to the much more fit and athletic Farris, which also conveyed the differences between the two when it came to how they worked their job.

I wouldn't completely knock Crowe's performance, as he brings at least some charisma to the role, but perhaps he should have saved it for something more worthwhile. "Body of Lies" is an easily forgettable film.

Contributor
Contributor

From a small town in Connecticut, all that I had growing up was movies and TV shows. An aspiring writer and film critic, I am also working towards a Master's in Interactive Media. Follow me on Twitter @Fhantom87. My website: www.cinematicescapes.com.