8 Method Actors Who Nearly Died Making Famous Movies

7. Matt Damon Gets Dangerously Thin For Courage Under Fire

"I went too far. I got sick and I wouldn't do that again because it was just too much. At the same time it helped the performance. I didn't have to act at all - I was a wreck. I was getting dizzy spells and hot flashes. I didn't say anything to anyone for a while because I was afraid I might be really ill." Matt Damon there, on playing a heroin addicted soldier in Courage Under Fire. Let's look how he got to that point. In 1996, unknown actor Matt Damon had something to prove. For Courage Under Fire, which would bring him some much-needed exposure, Damon ran six miles in the morning and six miles at night, and embarked on a strict diet of chicken, egg-whites and steamed broccoli, . The result was a loss of over 40 pounds in just three months. While Matthew McConaughey has recently spoken of his controlled, healthy approach to losing weight for Dallas Buyers Club, Damon's rapid weight loss for Courage Under Fire led to some serious health concerns. A doctor told him he was lucky that his heart didn't shrink, while he was immediately put on medication to correct his blood sugar level. Worth it? By Damon's own admission, "the effects so long-lasting."