20 actors that did bizarre stuff for a role

11) Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry

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Hilary Swank took her acting to extreme dimensions to play the role of Brandon Teena, a transgender man, in Boys Don't Cry. Swank stayed male for a month before filming by cutting her hair short, binding her chest, and lowering her voice to achieve the full character image. She even introduced herself as "Brandon" on all her visits, being in character not only during shooting but also in everyday life. Her commitment paid off with an Academy Award for Best Actress, but the taxing involvement also left her drained emotionally at the end of production.

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