Hollywood stars often go to extraordinary lengths to disappear into a role, transforming their appearances through dramatic weight changes, elaborate prosthetics and hours in the makeup chair.
From Christian Bale’s dramatic four-stone weight loss to Jacob Elordi’s grueling 10-hour makeup sessions, stars have undergone remarkable transformations — and now Tom Cruise is joining the list with his latest makeover for Digger.
Hollywood's most dramatic makeovers
Tom Cruise – Digger
Tom Cruise underwent a dramatic transformation to play oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, sporting thinning white hair, a prosthetic belly and a thick Southern accent.
The Mission: Impossible actor said his initial transformation took six hours, but he pushed the team to make the process more efficient.
By timing each step and rehearsing the routine, they eventually shortened the process, with cooling machines helping Cruise stay comfortable under the prosthetics.
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, the film follows Digger as he is tasked by the U.S. president, played by John Goodman, with saving the planet after triggering a global ecological crisis. Cruise filmed the movie during a six-month production in the UK.
Jacob Elordi - Frankenstein
Jacob Elordi endured an intense transformation to play the Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, spending up to 11 hours a day in makeup.
His look required 42 prosthetic components, along with fake dentures, a custom wig and extensive body makeup.
Elordi landed the role just nine weeks before filming began after Andrew Garfield exited due to scheduling conflicts.
The Euphoria star also adopted a Yorkshire accent for the character, inspired by the blind man he meets in the film.
Christian Bale - The Machinist
For his role in 2005’s The Machinist, Christian Bale dramatically slimmed down, losing 62 pounds to portray the emaciated Trevor Reznik.
He dropped from 182 to 120 pounds in four months, reportedly following an extremely restrictive diet while continuing to exercise.
The drastic weight loss was not originally planned—the character’s weight was reportedly based on a typo in the script.
Sydney Sweeney – Christy
Sydney Sweeney underwent a major physical transformation to portray boxing legend Christy Martin in Christy, gaining around 30 pounds and training three times a day for three months.
Her preparation included boxing, strength training and a calorie-heavy diet featuring plenty of Chick-fil-A, Smucker’s, milkshakes and protein shakes.
Sebastian Stan – A Different Man
Sebastian Stan revealed that wearing full-face prosthetics for A Different Man left him feeling “isolated and scared” while filming.
On one occasion, he walked around New York in character, experiencing firsthand how it felt to visibly stand out.
Created by prosthetics designer Mike Marino, the elaborate makeup took hours to apply and was designed to move naturally.
