10 Ridiculous Ways Actors Got Into Character For Oscar Nominated Roles

10. Nicolas Cage Got Drunk And Videotaped Himself - Leaving Las Vegas

Nicolas Cage is the kind of guy who goes all out in order to get into a role. At least, he used to be, long before all that tax evasion stuff left him in massive debt and he was forced to appear in every awful movie ever made (Season of the Witch/The Runner/Pay The Ghost). Still, at one time, Cage exemplified the mania of "doing ridiculous things in order to win an Oscar." The most notable instance of such a thing, perhaps, occurred during the making of the horribly bleak and depressing drama Leaving Las Vegas (the film that won Cage Best Actor back in 1995 - and deservedly so, before you claim otherwise). In order to prepare for his role as an alcoholic who drives out to Las Vegas to drink himself to death, Cage got drunk on his own several times and then videotape his antics. Now, this might sound like fun on paper, but can you imagine anything worse than looking back at hours of cringeworthy footage of yourself whilst drunk? No, that is a horrific thought.