Physical transformation is the most visible aspect of an actor’s commitment. It can entail extreme weight loss or gain, a haircut, makeup, and even the application of prosthetics. Actors often condition their bodies for months to achieve a specific look or acquire certain abilities that their character demands.
Emotional and psychological transformation is equally important. Actors may occasionally delve deep into the emotional life of the character, drawing on personal experiences or research to construct a genuine representation. This can include journaling as the character, rehearsing scenes repeatedly, or even method acting—where the actor remains in character even when not on set.
Christian Bale is well-known for his extreme physical transformations, often going to any lengths to turn into his characters completely. His most radical transformation was for The Machinist (2004), where he lost 63 pounds to play a severely weakened character. He limited his diet to a can of tuna and an apple daily, reaching a skeletal appearance that was one of his most talked-about roles.
After losing weight for The Machinist, he gained a significant amount of muscle mass to portray the physically demanding role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. He adopted a training routine of weightlifting and martial arts so that he could perform the stunts as well as maintain the superhero physique.
When it comes to the actors and actresses at Arcadia High School (AHS), they also seem to share similar experiences when it comes to transforming themselves into characters.
Sophomore Naimah Smith exclaimed, “9 to 5 the musical was such an amazing opportunity to express my passions for singing, dancing, and acting! I have never been in a main stage performance before so this took a lot of preparation to transform into my character.”
“As this play is set in the 70s/80s, we had to do really bold makeup, big hair, and wear heels. Since I was a featured dancer, we did lots of dancing and it took several weeks to learn how to move and dance easily with the shoes.” Smith explained.
“I already have pretty thick hair, so I used a blow dryer to add more volume to make it look more realistic to the time period. We all also did things like bold eyeliner, eyeshadow, and blush.” Smith added. Even the smaller details from makeup to hairstyling helped Smith inhabit her character to the fullest potential and to assimilate into the vibe of the 70s!
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