8 of the most shocking actor transformations from Jared Leto to Christian Bale and Margot Robbie

A plethora of actors have undergone dramatic physical transformations to get into character – and to bag themselves an award.

Some have risked their health shedding or gaining vast amounts of weight, while others have shaved their heads, been tattooed, pierced or simply turned to prosthetics to do justice to a role.

Margot Robbie is the latest A-lister to dramatically alter her appearance in a bid to play a convincing Queen Elizabeth I.

The Australian actress looked unrecognisable with a pale balding head, curly red hair and a puckered face for upcoming historical biopic, Mary Queen of Scots.

In honour of her impressive metamorphose into the Virgin Queen, we’ve rounded up some of the most shocking actor transformations.

1. Christian Bale – The Machinist

Christian Bale left movie-goers fearing for his life when he shed a dramatic amount of weight to play factory worker and insomnia sufferer, Trevor Reznik. Bale dropped 55-60 pounds by surviving on “coffee and apples” and said his wife Sibi Blazic was “absolutely” concerned for his wellbeing. But the actor said losing weight was the only option as it “didn't enter my head that it could be done any other way”.

2. Charlize Theron – Monster

Charlize Theron was voted the World’s Most Desirable Woman in 2003, in the same year that she arguably underwent one of film’s biggest transformations. The actress was unrecognisable as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’ drama, which saw her pile on the pounds, shave her eyebrows, wear rotting dentures and thin her hair.

3. Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey revealed he started losing his eyesight after shedding 43 pounds to play AIDS patient Ron Woodroof. McConaughey said he would have been “embarrassed” if he hadn’t lost the staggering amount – and it clearly paid off as he was honoured with the Academy Award for Best Actor.

4. Jared Leto – Chapter 27

Jared Leto shunned a fat suit in favour of piling on a reported 60 pounds to play Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's killer. He suffered from high cholesterol and gout and said filling out “changed the way that I walked, it changed the way that I talked, it changed the way I felt about myself and the way people looked at me and treated me.”

5. Rooney Mara – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Rooney Mara defied director David Fincher’s pleas to not lose weight and shifted the pounds to play Lisbeth Salander. She also cut her hair, dyed it black, bleached her eyebrows and got multiple piercings including her lip, nose and nipple. Speaking about why she didn’t fake them, she told Allure: “I’m naked quite a lot in the movie, and I thought, she has it in the book, and she should have it [in the movie].”

6. Tom Cruise – Tropic Thunder

Tom Cruise opted to maintain his own weight and good looks and instead donned a fat suit to play psychotic movie mogul Les Grossman. The Hollywood heartthrob swapped his dazzling pearly whites and full head of hair for a bald cap, prosthetic hands and a fake hairy chest.

7. 50 Cent – All Things Fall Apart

50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, shed a shocking 54 pounds to play cancer-stricken football player Deon. He survived on a liquid diet and spent three hours a day on a treadmill to achieve the look. The US rapper – who was friends with Deon – said his transformation panicked his manager who told him to seek out a doctor. But Jackson said he wanted to lose the right amount to do the story justice. “It was like, if I don't get close enough to what my best friend looked like to me at that point before he passed, then I'm not doing the story any justice,” he told Parade.

8. Joaquin Phoenix – I’m Still Here

Joaquin Phoenix trolled the media when he stepped out visibly heavier and sporting a bushy beard and dark sunglasses for Casey Affleck's project. He pretended to be a rambling hip-hop performer who had swapped acting for music and even pranked the Late Show with David Letterman.