Like a second skin
> Interchange star Nicholas Saputra is the latest among a select group of actors who have undergone physical changes for their art
INDONESIAN actor Nicholas Saptura looks dashing in most of his films. But in the Dain Said’s latest film Interchange, which opens in cinemas today, the actor appears as a sinister creature.
Nicholas had to undergo two to six hours of makeup, including putting on prosthetics, to achieve the animal-like look for his role. He is not the first actor to undergo such a drastic transformation.
Below are some Hollywood greats who had gone the extra mile for a film role.
Christian Bale in The Machinist (2004) The actor lost 38kg for his role. He originally wanted to lose 45kg, but was advised against it as it would endanger his health.
Bale’s diet consisted of one can of tuna and an apple a day. His 38kg weight loss is said to be a record for any actor for a film role.
Robert De Niro in Raging Bull (1980) To play the iconic boxer Jake LaMotta, De Niro trained with the legend himself and also fought in three different boxing matches in real life, in order to look convincing on screen.
To portray LaMotta’s later years, De Niro had to put on 27kg. The drastic weight change gave him rashes and breathing issues but he picked up the best actor Oscar for all his suffering.
John Travolta in Hairspray (2007) To play the hefty Edna Turnblad, Travolta wore a 14kg fat suit which caused him to sweat a lot, and underwent more than four hours of makeup. He also had to dance in heels.
Curtis Jackson/50 Cent in All Things Fall Apart (2012) To play a college football player struggling with cancer, the rapper had to drop 25kg.
To do that, he survived on a nine-week liquid diet, and worked out multiple times a day.
Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder (2008) Cruise put his good looks aside to play overweight, middle-aged, and extremely potty-mouthed film producer Les Grossman.
He also donned a fat suit, large prosthetic hands, chest hair wig and a bald cap for his standout role.
Ralph Fiennes in Harry Potter series (2005-2011) To get into skin of Harry Potter’s nemesis Lord Voldemort, Fiennes shaved his head every day, wore fake fingernails, dentures and reptilian skin, and underwent a three-hour makeup session.
Children even burst into tears upon seeing him on set.
Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor (1996) Murphy played seven characters in the film, where he had to wear a fat suit made of polyurethane and spandex, oversized rubber hands, and latex bladders. The film won an Oscar for best makeup.
Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) The handsome actor had to endure