JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images; StudioCanal UKBen Foster went to some pretty drastic lengths in preparation for his role as Lance Armstrong in the upcoming flick, The Program.
The actor admitted in a recent interview that he used performance-enhancing drugs in order to step into the now-infamous cyclist's shoes.
"I don't want to talk about the names of the drugs I took," he explained to The Guardian. "Even discussing it feels tricky because it isn't something I'd recommend to fellow actors. These are very serious chemicals and they affect your body in real ways. For my own investigation it was important for me privately to understand it. And they work."
Foster further shared that he "lost his f--king marbles" while filming the highly anticipated film, adding, "Doping affects your mind. It doesn't make you feel high. I've only recovered physically. I'm only now getting my levels back."
But Foster isn't exactly the first actor in Hollywood to take method acting to a whole other level. Below are our picks for the most famous men on screen who've taken their craft extremely, perhaps too, seriously…
1. Shia LaBeouf: The former Disney star isn't afraid to get his hands dirty when it comes to a role he's passionate about, but it was his performance in Charlie Countryman that really caught everyone's attention. It turns out that LaBeouf admitted to taking acid while on set to prepare him for the scene, and as luck would have it, the scene actually involved his character taking an entirely different drug altogether.
2. Matthew McConaughey: The beloved actor ended up taking home the Oscar for his role as AIDS-afflicted electrician turned activist Ron Woodroof—but first he shocked fans with his drastic 38-pound weight loss. McConaughey revealed details about his diet for the role, including how many hours a day he spent working out and day-dreaming about food.
3. Christian Bale: Similarly to McConaughey, the British Academy Award winner reportedly weighed in at only 110 pounds when filming The Machinist. His frighteningly frail frame was on display during one scene in particular where he was shirtless and stretching in his apartment.
4. Jake Gyllenhaal: The hunky star is no secret to going method for a role, including Nightcrawler where he lost several pounds or even Southpaw which saw him gain weight in pounds (upon pounds) of muscle, and he once opened up about why he feels the need to go to such extremes for films. "I believe that freedom's the other side of discipline. I'm not sharp enough to just show up and deliver. It takes a lot of preparation," he told Time Out. "I'll take anything I can get in order to fill out a character, along with classical technique."
5. Daniel Day Lewis: What's a list about method actors without the one and only Mr. Lewis, right? For years now, he's been gracing the screen with countless memorable roles that the actor has worked tirelessly to master. From learning to speak Czech to only eating food he hunted himself, it's no wonder why Lewis is in a class all on his own.
6. Joaquin Phoenix: All throughout the promotional tour for his documentary I'm Still Here, Phoenix posed as a spaced-out version of himself with dreams of making it big as a rapper. During his appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman, Phoenix refused to break character and didn't warn the late-night host about his plans to make it one of the most uncomfortable interviews ever.
7. Sacha Baron Cohen: It doesn't have to always be serious roles that take actors to new lengths. Cohen showed up to a number of events during red carpet season when promoting The Dictator in full costume and even pranked Ryan Seacrest mid-interview with an urn.