Actors and Actresses who've been asked to GAIN weight for a movie role

It's common for actors to be asked to lose weight for movie roles, but some have been asked to gain weight, almost always to their horror.

I can think of a few:

The classic example is Robert DeNiro for RAGING BULL. I don't know how much he was asked to gain, but it was a lot.

Patricia Arquette for BEYOND RANGOON. I believe it was twenty pounds.

Russell Crowe for BODY OF LIES. I think it was thirty or forty pounds.

George Clooney for SYRIANA. It was thirty pounds.

And the more interesting question: how did they all lose it? It would seem to me that this would take a horrible toll on your body.

Seriously, can anyone here think of movies where actors/actresses were asked to gain significant amounts of weight?

I mean, she was shapely and well rounded, but to call her 'titanic' is a bit of overstatement.

Well played.

For "Monster"

About 30 pounds.

She so deserved to win the Oscar, and any other award that she won for that movie!

so, it's easier for them to take it off when it's time.

One reason it may be so easy to take it off. Plus, looking good is their 9-5 job. Few of us can devote all day to working out.

For "Bridget Jones's Diary"

Her face just looks weird at her "normal" weight.

She makes such funny faces. Like she's sucking on a lemon. It's bizarre.

DeNiro had to gain at least 30 pounds to accurately portray Jake LaMotta in later life.

thirty pounds worth, according to her.

That was a fantastic movie.

Gained a world record 70 pounds.

Between 20-30 lbs.
Renee for Bridget Jones Diary and Meryl for The Bridges of Madison County. Meryl also packed on more muscle for The River Wild and Hillary bulked up for Million Dollar Baby.

Curves were a must for her role as a passionate, sexy immigrant. I didn't like the accent she put on, but the weight was glorious.

Evidently they wanted her to look like she could really work on a farm.

In Notorious and supposedly he is diabetic. Good movie by the way.

And I think Tom Hanks lost lots for Castaway and Philadelphia.

I think it would be much harder to lose weight than gain weight for a role. The hard part about gaining the weight, is trying to lose it again.

I belive Matt Damon gained some weight for a recent role.

I think he had to gain something like 60 pounds back. He actually overshot his goal and was billed "Fatman", so then he had to go on a diet again!

YES INDEED

Why not get an actor who is already of a desired weight rather than asking someone to gain weight?

if you eat the right foods to put on the weight, then take it off through proper diet and exercise, no long term harm will be done.

That guy would lose his job if his cheeseburger belly went away.

Although half of her weight in this film is her makeup. How can you go wrong with a film that includes Mae West, Timothy Dalton, Dom Deluise, Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, George Hamilton, Alice Cooper, Rona Barrett, Keith Moon, Regis Philbin, and Walter Pidgeon? Well, it's rated 2.3 out of 10 on imDb.

I think Matt Damon did, too, for an upcoming movie.

I am pretty sure it was about 30 lbs.

Just joshin!

My husband said Toby McGuire gained a lot of muscle weight for "Spiderman".

"Chapter 27"

About John Lennon's assassin. I haven't seen it, but read about his weight gain for the part.

I saw it first on a flight, and I didn't realize it was Will Smith until about halfway through. Granted, I had no sound as it was a seat mate, not I who was actually watching it, but still.

Maybe a different kind of weight gain than you were thinking, but still, according to the google he put on 35-45 pounds

Okay, okay, it was on the teevee.

:hide:

He said in an interview that he used to slag people who couldn't lose weight (ie they just weren't trying), but said he NEVER would again, because it was so hard to lose the weight. I remmeber he said he had five very small meals a day of mainly lean protein, and worked out for several hours a day -- mainly cardio.

Also, Brooke White in "Silence of the Lambs."

Ate a lot of pie.

and i don't think he ever really took it all off again.

Will Smith gained MASSIVE size for Ali.