12 Actors Who Immersed Themselves Too Far In Movie Scenes

Charlie Chaplin is the most celebrated silent actor of all time. What made this British legend stand out wasn't just his natural talent but his perfectionism. For the simplest scenes, he performed dozens, even hundreds of takes until he was satisfied with his performance. While shooting City Lights, he filmed an actress giving his character a flower 342 times before it felt "right".

Not only is this level of perfectionism exhausting, it's dangerous. In fact, Chaplin's commitment while shooting The Gold Rush nearly got him killed. In one scene, his character has become so hungry, he has resorted to eating his boots to stay alive. Chaplin knew this scene would require many takes and so had the boot made out of liquorice. (It's not ideal but it's better than eating a real boot dozens of times.)

After 63 takes, Chaplin had consumed so much sugar while filming this scene, he suffered insulin shock and had to be rushed to hospital. If he didn't receive treatment, he could have suffered lethal pancreatitis. I know actors take their craft seriously but no one should risk their life for the sake of a gag.