17 actors who gained weight for movie and TV roles

Kirsten AcunaMay 9, 2020, 02:59 IST

Mark Ruffalo stars on HBO's "I Know This Much Is True."Atsushi Nishijima/HBO

Actors have undergone extreme workouts and diets to pack on the pounds and muscle for their roles as villains, boxers, and CIA operatives.
Mark Ruffalo gained 30 pounds for HBO's new series, "I Know This Much Is True."
From Hillary Swank to George Clooney and Ewan McGregor, keep reading to see actors have gained weight for movie and TV roles.
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Vincent D'Onofrio gained about 70 pounds for his role in "Full Metal Jacket."

Gaining nearly 70 pounds wasn't easy emotionally for D'Onofrio. Warner Bros.

Robert de Niro gained 60 pounds for one scene of "Raging Bull."

Robert De Niro won an Oscar for his efforts in "Raging Bull." MGM

Ryan Gosling gained 60 pounds for "The Lovely Bones" drinking melted ice cream.

Ryan Gosling surprised everyone when he showed up on set overweight. AP / Carolyn Kaster

Charlize Theron gained about 50 pounds for "Tully" by eating at all hours.

Charlize Theron said she was depressed after gaining weight in a short time for "Tully." Focus Features/Ulet Ifansasti, Getty Images

Rob McElhenney spent five months gaining 50 pounds to make his character funnier on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

Rob McElhenney embraced the challenge to gain weight for his FX series. FX

Matthew McConaughey said he ate pizza all the time to gain 47 pounds for his role in "Gold."

Previously, McConaughey had lost nearly 50 pounds for "Dallas Buyers Club." Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Bale recently gained 40 pounds again to take on the role of Dick Cheney.

Bale will play the former Vice President in "Vice." Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images and Annapurna Pictures

Christian Bale gained 43 pounds eating doughnuts, cheeseburgers, and more to bulk up for his role in "American Hustle."

Christian Bale has often lost and gained weight for film roles. Francois Duhamel / Sony Pictures

Bradley Cooper gained 40 pounds for "American Sniper."

Bradley Cooper received an Oscar nod for his role in "American Sniper." Keith Bernstein/Warner Brothers

George Clooney gained more than 30 pounds for his role in "Syriana."

George Clooney wasn't a fan of gaining weight for "Syriana." Warner Bros.

Matt Damon put on 30 pounds for his role in "The Informant."

Matt Damon in "The Informant." screenshot/The Informant

Ewan McGregor gained weight for his upcoming dual role on FX's "Fargo."

Here's one of the characters Ewan McGregor will play on "Fargo." Matthias Clamer/FX

Renee Zellweger was on a 4,000-calorie-a-day diet to gain weight for “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.”

Renee Zellweger in "Bridget Jones" and in 2016 on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon." Universal, Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Tom Hardy gained nearly 30 pounds to play Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises."

Tom Hardy as Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises." Warner Bros.

Mark Ruffalo gained 30 pounds in five weeks to play one twin on HBO's "I Know This Much Is True."

Mark Ruffalo stars on HBO's "I Know This Much Is True." Atsushi Nishijima/HBO

Emma Stone gained 15 pounds of muscle to transform into a tennis legend for "Battle of the Sexes."

Emma Stone as Billie Jean King. Melinda Sue Gordon/20th Century Fox

Ryan Reynolds gained 25 pounds of muscle for "Blade Trinity" and kept it on for "Green Lantern."

The photo on the left shows Ryan Reynolds in May 2004. On the right, you can see him in "Blade Trinity" which came out in December 2004. Donald Weber, Getty Images/New Line

Hilary Swank gained 19 pounds of muscle for "Million Dollar Baby."

Hilary Swank in "Million Dollar Baby." Warner Bros.

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