When portraying Freddie Quell in the film “I’m Still Here”, Joaquin Phoenix really channeled the crazy. Apparently, it’s something you just have to do when playing an actor who is going out of control. And no one knows that better than the insane actor himself.
Phoenix even made an appearance on David Letterman completely in character. The interview ended up being really confusing and a little hard to watch after a while.
Robert De Niro – Taxi Driver and Raging Bull
This legendary actor is not afraid of a challenge, so it's really not surprising to see what he did for some of his films. Even though it's not out of character, his work on "Taxi Driver" really stood out. The actor got himself a fake and illegal taxi license so that he could drive people around New York and get some inspiration.
He also practiced boxing with real-life Jake Lamotta for"Raging Bull", making his boxing skill look super authentic. The actor even at one point broke the guy's ribs and knocked out his teeth. Yikes.
Johnny Depp – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Hunter Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas gave Johnny Depp a real opportunity to show off his acting chops. To get as close as he could to the real-life version he went for some interesting choices, one of which involved sleeping next to explosives. Just like Thompson would do.
The actor also took some hardcore substances during shooting and according to insiders even shows up to the audition in Thompossons clothes that had not been washed for thirty years. The directors obviously really appreciated that.
Nicolas Cage – Ghost Rider
Apparently, Nic Cage's co-stars were pretty afraid of him during the filming of "Ghost Rider ." Portraying the character Johnny Blaze, the actor refused to speak to the other actors between takes, he donned Egyptian symbols to invoke spirits and wore make-up to try to make him look like a corpse.
The whole thing kind of freaked everyone out, making them pretty much stay away from him. We don't blame things. Funnily enough, the actor doesn't even claim to be that much of a fan of the franchise, but clearly, something spoke to him.
Val Kilmer – The Doors
Playing a rockstar is never easy. When Val Kilmer portrayed the Doors frontman, Jim Morrison, he went on a musical journey and learned all about Morrison's song. Seems reasonable. He then went on to learn 50 of the singer's songs. Unfortunately only 15 made it into the final cut.
No wonder he earned himself the name "Jim" on set. He really deserved it.