11 Times Actors Didn’t Just Act— They Expressed Real Emotions

It’s a well-known fact that some of the greatest performances that come from actors are ones that are grounded in acting with real emotion. Acting with emotion is no easy feat. Some of the best-trained actors in the world struggle with getting to the center of a character’s true personality. Occasionally, actors get so caught up in the moment they are playing out, they can forget their surroundings, lose sight of what they’re doing, and on rare occurrences, they end up hurting themselves in the process.

There are many different methods for bringing a character to life through acting, but we won’t get into that today. Acting and theatre have been around since the earliest recorded histories in Ancient Greece, and will no doubt continue to be an integral part of our culture for years to come.

1. Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained:

DiCaprio didn’t avoid trauma either. In one of the most powerful scenes in Django Unchained, furious slaveholder Candie (Leo) had to hit a table. The actor really got into character and accidentally smashed a crystal glass.

Despite the unbearable pain and dripping blood, he continued to perform and pronounced his angry monologue brilliantly. When filming ended, brave DiCaprio required stitches.

2. Sylvester Stallone, First Blood:

In the first movie about John Rambo, a veteran of the Vietnam War, Sylvester’s hero had to jump off a huge rock to escape from policemen. Though this trick was really challenging, the actor didn’t want stuntmen to perform it.

It cost Stallone 2 broken ribs: he landed badly but played the scene until the end, and his painful cry made this moment even more tense and spectacular.

3. Channing Tatum, Foxcatcher:

During the filming of Foxcatcher, a mysterious event happened to Tatum (who played Mark Schultz). The actor should have hit a mirror on his head. The mirror was covered with protective plastic for the actor’s safety.

But Channing’s emotions ran out of control: he hit the mirror 3 times and smashed it and his head, so the blood there wasn’t fake. In Tatum’s words, he doesn’t understand how it happened.

4. Charlize Theron, Snow White, and the Huntsman:

Charlize took on the role of the evil queen and stepmother in another movie about Snow White. To feel all the anger and gloom of this character, artists sewed uncomfortable dresses, and this fact made her really unhappy.

Charlize had lots of bruises and cuts because of heavy jewelry. On top of that, she had to scream a lot and accidentally injured her abdominal muscles. That’s what professionalism and devotion look like!

5. Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood:

Different dangerous situations always happen with this actor during filmings. Colleagues even joke, “If Daniel doesn’t break a couple of ribs, a film won’t be successful.”

There Will Be Blood didn’t become an exception: playing Plainview, a businessman, the actor fell 15 meters (50 feet) into a coal mine. Fortunately, the actor only injured his ribs, though the consequences could have been more serious.

6. Shia LaBeouf, Fury:

This actor is quite young, but he managed to become famous because of his talent and extraordinary actions. While filming the military drama Fury, Shia decided that a scar on his face drawn by makeup artists wasn’t enough.

To make his image more realistic, Shia cut his cheek, always traumatized the wound, and even pulled one of his teeth. His colleagues were really excited by these actions, and Brad Pitt called the young talent one of the greatest actors.

Continue on for Liv Tyler, Jackie Chan & More!