Movies Which acting performance had the highest degree of difficulty?

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Not not necessarily the best performance or the most chameleon like performance. But which looked the most difficult to do if you had to choose.

I'd say Robert De Niro in Raging Bull and Christian Bale in The Machinist.

In Raging Bull De Niro had to not only get really fit, but also had to learn how to be professional boxer and than gain 60lbs later in the role. And then you top it off with the emotional intensity of the role. It has to be up there as one of the toughest roles to ever play imo.

In The Machinist Bale became an anorexic basically, I believe he went down to 110 lbs in his 6 feet frame. That's insane amount of weight loss and the dedication is just unreal.

 

[Zer]

Gotta look at stuff like Jackie Chan films or any film with insane stuntwork

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Gotta look at stuff like Jackie Chan films or any film with insane stuntwork

That's a good point about Jackie Chan, his stunt work is legendary. He's one of a kind indeed.

 

[Sobek]

I'm not sure who to nominate but I really enjoy an actor that gets out of their comfort zone and is considerably different to their normal selves.

Maybe Tom Berenger in Platoon.
Robert Shaw in Jaws.
Jeffery Wright in Shaft.

If you've seen their previous work before those films (or interviews) you'll notice how far from themselves they went, and in convincing performances

 

[Kyler Ruxin]

 

[jimbob27]

Shelly Duvall, and all the psychological abuse she took from Stanley Kubrick on the set of The Shining.

127 takes for this scene alone...

Spoiler: Honorable mention...

All the women who "did what it took" to get cast in Weinstein films /SPOILER]