Playing Lance Armstrong In 'The Program', Ben Foster Joins These Actors In Commitment To Startling Transformations
Was Screen Glory Worth All The Effort For These Stars?
Caroline Frost— The Huffington Post UK
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Editor's note: 'The Program' hits Australian cinemas on Thursday, November 26, 2015. Check out Ben Foster's amazing transformation (along with some other actors) below, courtesy of our friends at The Huffington Post UK.
Lance Armstrong's stunning rise and devastating fall from grace has already proved ripe fruit for documentary analysis, and now he's getting the full feature film treatment, with Stephen Frears' 'The Program' bringing to screen the US superstar and his achievements on the road with the bike, and in the caravan with the drip.
Playing Lance Armstrong through the course of nearly two decades is no mean feat - incorporating his time as a (relatively) normal blossoming athlete, in hospital as the emaciated sufferer of testicular and brain cancer, and through his years of chemically-induced strength on two wheels.
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Ben Foster gives it his all as shamed champion Lance Armstrong in 'The Program'
To get into the mindset of the shamed former champion, Ben Foster embedded himself with the world-renowned Garmin pro-cycling team for two weeks, also meticulously studying archive footage of Armstrong riding in tournaments. Foster even adopted his distinct hunchbacked riding style, as if he “wants to break the bike”. Notably, Foster recently revealed that he covertly took performance-enhancing drugs, as Armstrong infamously did, as part of his research for the role.
In doing all this, Ben has joined those actors willing to sacrifice their good looks in favour of full immersion into the role. Others have been just as committed, but instead of changing shape, they've opted to adopt their own 'method', living in the environment of their character, however testing. Here is how far Ben went, and some of his acting peers willing to throw it all in... There's a big Oscar haul in this list, but is it worth it?
Transforming Stars
Will Smith - Ali (2001)(01 of09)
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In order to portray the boxing legend Mohammad Ali, Will Smith had to change his ‘movie star’ looks. His workout routine to beef up for the role required an exhausting 6 hours of training a day, 5 days a week, as well as bench pressing 365 lbs. He even trained in Miami so he could get used to the humidity of Africa, where a large portion of filming took place. (A doffed cap here to to Jake Gyllenhaal, Sylvester Stallone and the daddy of screen boxers, Robert De Niro.)
Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher (2014)(02 of09)
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In Foxcatcher, Mark Ruffalo had a wealth of evidence at his disposal to embody Dave Schultz, the real-life wrestler tragically murdered in 1996. In addition to speaking to Dave’s widow and changing his walk to better resemble Dave (studied from archive footage), Ruffalo even wore Dave Schultz’s actual glasses throughout the whole of filming.
Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club (2014)(03 of09)
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McConaughey "chewed a lot of ice" to lose the 47 pounds needed to play Texan rodeo-riding electrician Ron Woodroof who campaigned for HIV drugs to be made accessible to all. He also listened to taped interviews with Woodroof, and was given Ron's private diary to read by his family. It all worked, with McConaughey bagging himself an Oscar, and saying the weight loss made him hyper, with all the energy he lost from below the neck moving to his head.
Tom Cruise - Born on 4th July (1989)(04 of09)
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Real-life paralysed Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic had not been at all sure that Tom Cruise would be the right man to play him on screen - until Cruise turned up at his house in a wheelchair, which he stayed in throughout filming the role, which would earn him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. Tom Cruise's action stunts for later films have passed into screen legend.
Hilary Swank - Boys Don't Cry (1999)(05 of09)
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In order to play the part of a transgender, based on the real life story of Brendon Teena, two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank lived as a man for five whole weeks in her hometown; she had her neighbours convinced she was a cousin from Iowa named Billy.
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose (2007)(06 of09)
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For the biopic about the singer Edith Piaf which won Marion Cotillard an Oscar in 2007, the actress spent three months learning to sing in the same distinct style as Piaf – even though she knew none if it would be used! The lip synching technique was employed instead.
Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln (2012)(07 of09)
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Daniel Day Lewis won his third Oscar for his outstanding portrayal of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. How exactly do you play a real life figure where no one knows what they sound like? The actor essentially created his own dialect, all the while not breaking character for three months: he sent texts to Sally Field from 'Abe' and even made director Steven Spielberg call him Mr. President!
Charlize Theron - Monster (2003)(08 of09)
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To play infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos, Charlize Theron gained 30lbs as well as shaving off her eyebrows and wearing heavy amounts of blotchy makeup. To get into Aileen’s state of mind, Charlize read a number of private letters Wuornos had sent to friends while on death row.
Christian Bale - Terminator Salvation (2009)(09 of09)
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The famously intense Christian Bale was so committed to his role of John Connor during the filming of 'Terminator: Salvation' that he forgot to switch off his character's American accent when he was dishing out a verbal barrage to an unfortunate crew member who was "walking around in the background" of a scene. "You and me, we're done professionally" and "No, I will not take a minute" are two of the few repeatable phrases that made its way to the TMZ website, via a leaked tape. Oops. Christian did better with 'The Boxer', another sports transformation, another Oscar.
'The Program' will be released in UK cinemas on 16 October.