4 Method Actors That Went Too Far (& It Wasn't Worth It At All)

Have you ever wondered what drives actors to completely lose themselves in a role? And we know, we know, dedication to craft is admirable, but some performers take method acting to extremes that make you question whether the end justifies the means.

In Hollywood's pursuit for more authenticity, more action, some actors push themselves to bizarre and even dangerous limits. These performers blur the lines between art and madness, all in vain.

So let's dive into four infamous cases where method acting went from impressive to concerning.

Nicolas Cage: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)

If you thought Nicolas Cage was eccentric before, well do we have some news for you! His preparation for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance takes the cake.

He adorned himself with ancient Egyptian artifacts, filled his pockets with crystals, and painted his face to resemble Baron Samedi (an Afro-Caribbean spirit figure). Cage would prowl around the set in complete silence, deliberately trying to unnerve his fellow cast members with his appearance and behavior.

In an interview to Empire Online Cage himself admitted that he fed off their fear like "oxygen to a forest fire." But was it worth it?

As one Redditor, TheeBarkKnight, hilariously but accurately put it:

"If you go in expecting a good Ghost Rider adaption, you'll leave disappointed. If you go in expecting a ridiculous Nic Cage film, that's what you'll get."

And honestly, truer words have never been spoken about Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. The movie flopped with an 18% RT score. That makes us think that sometimes less really is more.

Val Kilmer: The Doors (1991)

During pre-production, things took a dark turn when actress Caitlin O'Heaney came in to read for the part of Morrison's (Val Kilmer) girlfriend. In what should have been a routine audition, O'Heaney experienced firsthand how far Kilmer had gone with his method acting.

O'Heaney later revealed to BuzzFeed News:

"When I got to the room and Val Kilmer picked me up and shaked me, throwing me down to the floor, Stone just stood there the whole time laughing."

The actor went way too far, but so did the director, as it seems from Oliver Stone's reaction.

After the production, Val Kilmer couldn't find his way back after his transformation into Jim Morrison and had to go to therapy to shed Morrison's persona.

Was this all worth it for what turned out to be just an okay movie with 56% RT? We don't think so.

Ashton Kutcher: Jobs (2013)

Method acting doesn't just affect your mental state, and Ashton Kutcher is the perfect proof of that.

In an attempt to fully embody the Apple founder, Kutcher adopted Jobs' strict fruitarian diet. Well, this decision landed him in the hospital with severe pancreas problems (actually mirroring Jobs' own health struggles in a way nobody had intended).

His wife Mila Kunis spoke about the situation on Hot Ones:

"He's downplaying it. He was dumb. He also only ate grapes at one point. It's so stupid."

But the most frustrating part about all of this is that this physical sacrifice was for a film that would soon be overshadowed by Danny Boyle 's Steve Jobs (2015), starring Michael Fassbender.

"This picture [Steve Jobs (2015)] was a vast improvement over "Jobs" and I'm glad that a movie exists that pays proper homage to one of the greatest innovators of the 20th century. Definitely check it out if you haven't already,” Redditor movieguy2004 wrote.

And we can't help but feel sad for Kutcher for suffering this much just to get nothing in return.

Jared Leto: Suicide Squad ( 2016)

That’s where Joker 's madness extended far beyond the camera. We bet by now you must have thought we'd forgotten about this one. But if there was ever a cautionary tale about taking method acting to unnecessary extremes, Jared Leto's preparation for Suicide Squad would be exactly it.

His interpretation of method acting impacted everyone around him in ways that ranged from uncomfortable to downright disturbing.

Leto's approach involved sending his co-stars bizarre "gifts" (if you can even call them that), including a dead pig to the cast and a live rat to Margot Robbie.

Robbie later talked about the rat on Jimmy Kimmel Life, saying:

"Then the landlord of the place I was renting found out I had a rat and said Rat Rat had to go. And so then Jai Courtney, who plays Captain Boomerang, said, 'I'll take Rat Rat.' And then his landlord wasn't cool with that either, and so then one of the costumers on the job took Rat Rat. And then she had to give Rat Rat away, and Rat Rat - she gave him to Guillermo del Toro 's daughters [who] apparently have rats"

If Jared Leto did something right, it was finding a home for Rat Rat, we suppose.

But the overall result of this whole method acting thing? A movie that crashed and burned with critics, earning a measly 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. All that method madness only had fans remembering Leto as arguably one of the worst Jokers of all time.