Actors Who Went Above And Beyond For Their Roles

Movies wouldn't be the same without the incredible performances put on by the actors. Sure, the writing, directing and producing all play essential roles, but if there's no one to act out the carefully written scripts, then you're pretty much just experiencing a book being written aloud. Humans are 90% visual beings and performances by actors like Denzel Washington and Leonardo DiCaprio appeal to our interest in drama. These roles inspired stars to go above and beyond in their performances, delivering bone-chilling scenes. See which actors channeled real emotions on camera.

Charlize Theron is Truly a Star

Charlize Theron from Snow White And The Huntsman
Universal Studios
Universal Studios

Charlize Theron is one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood. You might know her from movies like Monster, The Italian Job, and Mad Max: Fury Road, which are all stellar films. She's made a name for herself on-screen thanks to her fantastic work.

There's one film, however, where her acting stands out more than the rest. By standing out, we mean more realistic, and fans will never forget the performance she gave as it was spectacular. Do you know which role we're referring to?

ADVERTISEMENT

Snow White And The Huntsman

ADVERTISEMENT
snow-white-and-the-huntsman_ Charlize Theron yelling
Universal Studios
Universal Studios
ADVERTISEMENT

True fans of Charlize Theron probably already guessed which film we were referring to in the previous slide. That's right; we're talking about Snow White And The Huntsman. There's one scene in the film that didn't require any extra acting from Theron.

ADVERTISEMENT

Theron was the queen, and as such, she commanded much power. When she lets out a piercing screech, she injured some of her abdominal muscles during the scream. The look of despair on her face audiences see is real.

ADVERTISEMENT

Marty McFly

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
actors-who-have-expressed-real-emotion- Michael J fox
Renee Keller/Pinterest
Renee Keller/Pinterest
ADVERTISEMENT

Michael J. Fox's legal name should be Marty McFly because that's how almost everyone remembers him. Back To the Future is an iconic movie franchise, which was largely in part due to Fox's acting. He instantly became one of the most popular actors of the '80s thanks to that role.

ADVERTISEMENT

While on the topic of those films, there's a scene from one of them that might have shocked a few people. Not in a bad way, but a good sense. Ordinarily, not many could have pulled this off.

ADVERTISEMENT

Malfunction On The Set

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
back-to-the-future-part-iii_ michael j fox prop mishap
Universal Studios
Universal Studios
ADVERTISEMENT

This fact might be a little terrifying for some, but everything turned out okay in the end. In Back to the Future: Part III, Marty McFly had to be hanged if you recall correctly.

ADVERTISEMENT

The noose was of course just a prop, but when the cameras began rolling, it malfunctioned. Michael J. Fox ended up gasping for air for several minutes because it didn't go exactly as planned. Accident or not, we can imagine Fox was a little ticked off.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Great Liv Tyler

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Liv Tyler during Parfums Givenchy's New Lipstick
Jun Sato/WireImage
Jun Sato/WireImage
ADVERTISEMENT

Jersey Girl, Armageddon, and The Lord of the Rings are a few titles you would know Liv Tyler from. Tyler had stardom in her genes as she's the daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and model Bebe Buell.

ADVERTISEMENT

We've listed some of her movies, but there is one that stands out from the rest. It might not be what you think, but true fans might already have a clue towards the movie we're referring to right now...

ADVERTISEMENT

On The Ledge With Liv Tyler

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
liv tyler in a scene from The Ledge
Barb Stewart/Pinterest
Barb Stewart/Pinterest
ADVERTISEMENT

Finding strategies to help improve your performance happens across all professional fields. Athletes might lock themselves in solitude before a big game, salespeople might watch a few inspirational videos to get them excited, and in her case, Liv Tyler used a ball gag to prepare for a roll.

ADVERTISEMENT

In The Ledge, Tyler had to film several takes of the same scene with a ball gag in her mouth. It caused her a ton of discomfort, but she said the raw emotions would help on-screen.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Suave Leo

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
 Leonardo DiCaprio arrives at the 86th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the greatest actors of his generation has to be Leonardo DiCaprio. It may have taken him decades to secure the Oscar he so badly wanted, but at least he got it. There have been many films where he could have won that award, but fell short.

ADVERTISEMENT

Titanic, Sutter Island, Inception, and The Departed are just a few that come to mind. As far as going to great lengths to make sure his acting is solid, one movie demanded some pain he was not expecting...

ADVERTISEMENT

Django Unchained, Bring The Pain

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
 Leonardo DiCaprio acting in Django Unchained
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company
ADVERTISEMENT

In one of his most colorful roles, DiCaprio brought fans an exhilarating performance alongside Jamie Foxx. He was super convincing, but one part seemed more real than the rest, maybe because it actually was real.

ADVERTISEMENT

In one of the tensest scenes from the film, DiCaprio hosts Foxx and his friend for dinner. DiCaprio gets fired up and smashes a glass on the dinner table. As he begins to bleed, he continues talking firmly to the others, but that wasn't on purpose, he really did cut his hand and decided to act through it.

ADVERTISEMENT

Starlet Isla Fisher

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Isla Fisher attends the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
ADVERTISEMENT

Whenever you see Isla Fisher, it's like she always has a smile on her face. She has one of the most bubbly personalities in Hollywood, and we're completely fine with that. She's just one of those people that's impossible not to like.

ADVERTISEMENT

One of her funniest roles came from Wedding Crashers when she starred alongside Owen Wilson. Sadly, the part that we're going to bring up next is far more serious and a situation that we hate that she had to experience...

ADVERTISEMENT

Oh No, Fisher!

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
now-you-see-me_11587324 isla fisher almost stuck in water
Summit Entertainment
Summit Entertainment
ADVERTISEMENT

Now You See Me is a movie about magicians. During filming, the crew used many tricks to get the footage that they needed. In the film, she had to go inside a water tank with her wrists and ankles shackled.

ADVERTISEMENT

As dangerous as this already sounds, the chains ended up becoming tangled! Luckily, Isla kept calm and escaped the tank before drowning. We're sure no one would have allowed to her lose her life, but she must have been a little freaked out.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mr. I'm Not Famous Anymore

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Shia LaBeouf attends a photocall for
Karwai Tang/WireImage
Karwai Tang/WireImage
ADVERTISEMENT

At one point in time, Shia LaBeouf was probably the biggest star on the Disney Channel. He figured he'd become too big to continue entertaining children, so he switched his focus to blockbuster movies like Transformers and Eagle Eye.

ADVERTISEMENT

LeBeouf is one of the few actors who take their roles extremely serious. It's no surprise that he ended up on this list, but what he did for a specific movie is wild. It's what makes him unique.

ADVERTISEMENT

LeBeouf Goes The Distance

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
fury_e7d0c9 shia lebeouf cut himself for the role
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
ADVERTISEMENT

Like we already mentioned, LeBeouf isn't one to take roles lightly. He'll do whatever it takes to make it feel authentic, and that's what he did in the film Fury. If you haven't seen it, it's a World War II flick with Brad Pitt and Logan Lerman as well.

ADVERTISEMENT

While on set, LeBeouf thought that the special effect prosthetics weren't authentic looking. As a result, he cut his cheek to make his character look more realistic. Then, he even pulled out one of his own teeth! What won't this man do?

ADVERTISEMENT

This. Is. Butler!!

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Gerard Butler winner Action Movie Star of the Year Award
M. Phillips/WireImage
M. Phillips/WireImage
ADVERTISEMENT

Who remembers the movie 300? Gerard Butler put on an incredible display of acting for that role, and he deservingly received a ton of awards as a result. Strangely enough, that's not the film we're going to be discussing.

ADVERTISEMENT

It seemed like after 300; everyone knew who he was, even if they didn't know his name. They just knew he was the guy who yelled "Sparta" before kicking someone to their doom. Does everyone know this?...

ADVERTISEMENT

Surf's Up, Butler

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
chasing-mavericks_ Gerard Butler almost drowned
Walden MediaDeuce/Three Productions
Walden MediaDeuce/Three Productions
ADVERTISEMENT

Gerard Butler in a surfer movie equates to tons of shirtless scenes, which many people like to see, so it only makes sense that the production studio chose him to star in Chasing Mavericks. Butler didn't expect something like this to happen.

ADVERTISEMENT

While surfing, he fell off his board amid intense ocean waves. He then became trapped underwater for a few minutes before the crew rescued him. Imagine having your life almost end on the set of a movie.

ADVERTISEMENT

The World Famous Jackie Chan

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Jackie Chan promotes his new album 'I Am Me'
VCG/VCG via Getty Images
VCG/VCG via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

What's not to like about Jackie Chan? The martial arts master, actor, singer, and man with secret doors in his home is one of the most personable people in Hollywood. Everyone who's worked with him raves about how great of a person he is.

ADVERTISEMENT

Chan has starred in over 100 movies in case you lost count. He likes to do his own stunts as well, so that could place him in sticky situations. What do you expect? Not everyone has that same courage...

ADVERTISEMENT

No Ankle, No Problem

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
jackie_chan_leaping onto a boat and breaking his ankle
Light Yagami/Pinterest
Light Yagami/Pinterest
ADVERTISEMENT

In 1995, Chan starred in the crime film called Rumble in the Bronx. Chan played a policeman from Hong Kong coming to New York for his Uncle Bill's wedding. One thing led to another, and Chan had to take matters into his own hands.

ADVERTISEMENT

In one of the scenes, he leaped onto a boat from a great enough distance to break his ankle. All he did was place a sock over his cast, which they made to look like a shoe, and continued filming like nothing happened.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mr. Rocky

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sylvester Stallone accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award onstage during the 21st Annual Huading Global Film Awards
Christopher Polk/Getty Images
Christopher Polk/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Sylvester Stallone is another one of those faces that you automatically recognize from a film. He's been doing this for decades now, so the younger generation even knows about his accomplished career that included a barrage of Rocky movies.

ADVERTISEMENT

The ripped actor is one of Hollywood's macho-men, and he didn't have to take off his shirt to prove that. He showed how tough he was in 1982 during the shooting of First Blood. We don't think anyone else might have been able to pull this off...

ADVERTISEMENT

Ribs Aren't That Important, Are They?

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sylvester Stallone breaks ribs in First Blood
Carolco Pictures
Carolco Pictures
ADVERTISEMENT

Stallone's list of iconic movies goes on and on. Decades ago, he provided fans with non-stop action and continues acting to this day. The film First Blood certainly applies. While filming the movie, Stallone's ego got the best of him.

ADVERTISEMENT

This was John Rambo's introduction to the world, so Stallone didn't want his stuntman to step in for him. As a result, he ended up breaking two of his ribs while filming. It was no big deal for him as he stood up and finished the scene like the champion he is.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Superstar Channing Tatum

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Channing Tatum attends the 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

As far as star power goes and making girls yell at the sight of him, Channing Tatum might be at the top of the totem pole. He's played many roles that showcased his immense talents and range of acting skills. Who could forget Step Up or even 21 Jump Street?

ADVERTISEMENT

During his time filming Foxcatcher, the hunk might've taken things a little too far. If you've seen the movie, then you probably already know what we're referring to, but click ahead to be sure...

ADVERTISEMENT

Watch Yourself, Tatum

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
acting-performances-that-are-real
Light Yagami/Pinterest
Light Yagami/Pinterest
ADVERTISEMENT

Being a macho-man takes a lot out of you. It isn't for everyone, but Tatum seems to be okay with it. The actor had a scene in Foxcatcher that required him to show his frustration, something actors and actresses regularly do.

ADVERTISEMENT

Tatum had to smash his head into a mirror. The thing is, the mirror was a prop designed to protect him, but because Tatum hit his head so hard, the protection didn't help. He ended up cutting his head open and bleeding.