Celebrities Who Made A Major Body Transformation For A Role

This is why they pay them the big bucks! The dedication and determination that got celebs like Halle Berry, Alison Brie, and Gal Gadot insanely fit for film roles deserves an Oscar in itself. From hardcore workouts to specialized diets, these A-listers didn’t mess around when it came to transforming their bodies. Two, sometimes three-a-day workouts and detailed meal plans under Hollywood’s most sought after trainers and nutritionists helped transform a handful of your faves into MMA fighters, pro wrestlers, and even strippers. Take a look back at some of the most impressive—and unrecognizable—transformations.

No, that wasn’t Tonya Harding portraying herself in I, Tonya. Margot Robbie had moviegoers convinced when she portrayed the figure skater in the 2017 drama. To get into triple axel shape, the Australian actress trained four hours a day, five days a week for five months.

Surf’s up! Kate Bosworth completely transformed her frame in 2002’s Blue Crush by training like an actual pro surfer. "That was the most intense physical experience I have ever gone through," Kate said, revealing she spent seven hours a day doing high intensity cross training to prepare for the part. "[It] took four hours of surfing and an hour of weight training and an hour of either running the beach or running under the water with a rock."

Jennifer Lopez had to hustle for that Hustlers bod! In a vlog on her YouTube channel, J.Lo admitted that working the pole is harder than it looks—even for an experienced dancer like herself. "It's rough on your body," Jennifer said, explaining she wanted to appear "convincing" in the film. She worked under the guidance of choreographer and instructor Johanna Sapakie for six weeks, leaving her legs and arms covered in bruises.

"Ripped" would be an understatement for those Peppermint biceps. Jennifer Garner added boxing and martial arts to her routine on top of her beloved daily workout sessions with dance cardio guru Simone De La Rue. On top of the rigorous schedule, the actress—who played a vigilante mom out for revenge in the flick—engaged in daily cryotherapy sessions. "This was to avenge your child's death, and there's no bigger reason to go out and get into really good shape and then kill people," she said at CinemaCon.

Let’s just preface this by informing you it took six months of preparation for Gal Gadot to become Wonder Woman—and six hours of training a day. Yes, SIX HOURS A DAY! "I did two hours gym work, two hours fight choreography, and two hours horseback riding. Which is super hard," Gal revealed on Live With Kelly And Ryan. She alsohoned in on her diet. The actress' trainer, Hayley Bradley, told InStyle the key was to "balance each meal with equal amounts of protein and greens, and to be wary of seemingly healthy choices like green juice, which can be highly caloric thanks to the large amounts of natural sugars in some fruits and veggies."

Blake Lively had to be in a bikini just months after welcoming her daughter James for her role in shark attack drama The Shallows. "I was working out 13 hours a day because shooting was working out," Blake told Entertainment Tonight. "It was neat to be able to do that, and it was neat to have that challenge after having a baby, because you think your body is so different—you think no matter what, it's never [going to be] totally be the same. I thought, 'That's really encouraging.'" To prepare, she worked out with trainer Don Saladino and restricted her diet, eliminating soy and gluten. "It's all in moderation," she told People. "You just have a balance of protein, carbs, and vegetables. And it wasn't the worst. Like, I was eating rice and sushi."

The Oscar winner gained 12 pounds of pure muscle to portray Lara Croft in Tomb Raider under the guidance of Magnus Lygdback, who also trained Gal Gadot for Wonder Woman. For seven months prior to filming, the 5-foot-5 actress endured MMA-fighting training for an hour a day for six or seven days a week in addition to rock climbing, swimming and intensive strength training to bulk up.

"Shook" pretty much sums up the internet’s reaction to Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani’s insane transformation for Marvel’s Eternals. "I found out a year ago I was going to be in Marvel’s Eternals and decided I wanted to transform how I looked. I would not have been able to do this if I didn’t have a full year with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world," he admitted alongside a since viral shirtless Instagram photo in which his ripped body is on full display. "I'm glad I look like this, but I also understand why I never did before. It would have been impossible without these resources and time." One of his trainers David Higgins added on Instagram: "It’s not just about lifting heavy weights, it’s about balance and consistency, both physical and mental."

From Mad Men to GLOW, Alison Brie has been transformed into an entirely different person for the Netflix series in which she portrays a wrestler. Her trainer, Jason Walsh, held her accountable for a workout plan that was a mix of cardio and strength training four days a week, sometimes twice daily. Her workouts, which she frequently documents on Instagram, include heavy bag slams, deadlifts, pull-ups, the VersaClimber and more Rise Movement deadly concoctions.

Celeb trainer Jason Walsh is also responsible for whipping Emily Blunt into butt-kicking shape for Edge Of Tomorrow. Walsh told Women’s Health UK that they trained for just two months and included stunt practice, sprints, endurance training, and weighted vest training up to 30 pounds. Her prep even inspired costar Tom Cruise to join in on workouts at times!

The Hunger Games actress traded in her bow and arrow for a pair of ballet slippers in Red Sparrow, and it wasn’t an easy feat. "It was really brutal. I have so much respect for those athletes / artists. It's amazing what they do, but as soon as I wrapped the ballet scene, I threw my shoes in the trash. Done," J.Law told E! News. She practiced ballet for three months for three hours a day with the same coach who worked with both Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in Black Swan.

"Thor’s workout" might be the most Googled workout on the Internet. Chris Hemsworth’s bulging biceps and basically 0% body fat could inspire pretty much anyone to get moving. Aside from sweat-inducing workouts, the Aussie also focuses on diet. "Back then, I just ate huge steaks, chicken breasts and broccoli—and I didn’t feel great," he told Men’s Health. "These days, I eat a lot more plant-based foods, and I feel much better."

Cate also worked out with Hemsworth personal trainer and BFF Luke Zocchi to get into the best shape of her life to play Marvel’s first female villain in Thor: Ragnarok. "It was hideous. It was horrendous," she candidly told Coveteur. "It was a hardcore cardio and weights circuit, but it only lasted 20 minutes because he had to fit it in between scenes."

ScarJo has one of the most coveted bodies in Hollywood—and she puts in the work for it. Her trainer, Eric Johnson, told the Hollywood Reporter her fitness commitment "is like brushing her teeth. It's just part of her routine." So what exactly does it entail to be the Avengers’ Black Widow? Forty-five-minute- to hour-long sessions four to five days a week, including plyometric work, Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics work, hot yoga, fight training and SLT Pilates as well as cardio-based sprint work, battle ropes and kettlebells. Johnson added another "bit of Hollywood magic" is to drop carbs shortly before filming or an appearance.

Not to play favorites here, but Hilary Swank deserves utmost recognition for her grueling transformation in 2004 for Million Dollar Baby. While she did win an Oscar, filmgoers will forever be fascinated with her regimen, which included 2.5 hours of boxing and 2 hours of lifting weights every day, six days a week for three months. She gained 19 pounds of muscle by also following a strict diet that would leave her having to wake up in the middle of the night to consume protein. "There was a point where I could only eat 50 grams of carbs a day," she said at the time. "Just to give you an example of that, an 8-ounce glass of apple juice has 30 grams of carbs in it."

The Guardians Of The Galaxy star is no stranger to getting into shape for a role, but Avatar was a learning experience for the actress, who, along with the rest of the cast, were wired into performance-capture suits and headgear to film. "It was hard at first," she said. "But once we understood the technology and got used to the physicality of it, it was the most liberating thing."

Daisy Ridley became a recognizable name after scoring the role of Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The actress incorporated cardio, weightlifting, stunt practice and sword fighting workouts spanning five hours a day, five days a week to prepare, according to Elle.

The Academy Award-nominated actor is no stranger to transforming himself into physically challenging roles, but his four-times-per-day training sessions for The Dark Knight Rises earned him an additional 30 pounds of muscle and strength. Hardy’s workouts consisted of brief, 20-minute strength training workouts in the morning, at lunchtime, in the early evening, and before bed, according to Men’s Journal.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s 2014 Southpaw role saw him pack on 28 pounds of pure sweat and boxer muscle. Coach Terry Claybon had the actor getting his heart rate up through various workouts including a mix of running, jumping rope, footwork drills, shadow boxing and more.

In preparation for her role as Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, Anne Hathaway stuck to a vegan, anti-inflammatory diet which included whole grains to control blood sugar and good fats like avocados and nuts. And having to do the job in a skin-tight leather catsuit took its toll on the Oscar winner. "[The suit] was a psychological terrorist," she told Allure in July 2012. "The suit, thoughts of my suit, changing my life so I would fit into that suit. … It dominated my year."

Trainer Jason Walsh also worked with Emma Stone to portray tennis legend Billie Jean King in Battle Of The Sexes. "She’s very lean as is so we didn’t have to focus on getting her body fat down," Walsh told E! News, revealing the actress added in protein shakes to her diet to bulk. "She put on 15 pounds, and that was really the goal from the beginning." As for their sweat sessions, Walsh said Emma would meet him five days a week, twice daily for four of those five days.

The icon paved the way for future badass women when she took on the challenge to portray real-life Navy SEAL Lieutenant Jordan O’Neill in 1997’s G.I. Jane. Not only did she shave her head for the role, she restricted her diet to only high-protein, high-calorie food and participated in intensive military training.

Charlize gained 50 pounds for 2018’s Tully, but she was left with lingering side affects. "I got hit in the face pretty hard with depression," she told Entertainment Tonight. "Yeah, for the first time in my life I was eating so much processed foods and I drank way too much sugar. I was not that fun to be around on this film." Even worse? It took almost two years to lose the weight.

Disclaimer that no one should try Natalie Portman’s Black Swan diet—but her dedication did earn her an Oscar. The actress said training for the role was literal hell and after losing 20 pounds to portray a perfectionist dancer consuming only carrots and almonds, "there were some nights that I thought I literally was going to die." "It was the first time I understood how you could get so wrapped up in a role that it could sort of take you down,” she added.

For Tom Holland's second Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, he revealed he intentionally bulked up in order to age the character. "I didn't enjoy the bulking process and I also don't think I looked in better shape. I just was a bit thicker and a bit chubbier in the face, a little bit," Holland revealed in an interview.

While Elizabeth Olsen trained for her role in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the actress didn't feel forced to shed pounds to play Scarlet Witch. "The thing with Marvel is they never tell you to get into shape," Olsen told The New York Times. "They just hire the people and let them figure out the way to express the character. They will set you up with a trainer if you want, but that's it." To get into fighting shape, she trained for a "dense, heavy, and athletic" build, while also working with nutritionist Dr. Philip Goglia.

In order to play a Spartan warrior in 300, Gerard Butler had to gain weight and added more than 10 lbs of pure muscle to his frame. "I was [working out] six hours a day: two hours with [stuntmen], two hours doing the 300 work-out, two hours with my own bodybuilder… pumping 25 times before each take. But I was also surrounded by a lot of guys putting in a lot of effort," Butler told GQ UK. "It was great having that unity of purpose both as an army and in terms of what we were trying to make in this movie and in terms of fitness, training and that warrior spirit. It was a very powerful place to be."

Jared Leto is known to take on physically demanding roles, so fans weren't surprised when they caught a glimpse of him more than 60 pounds heavier on the set of Chapter 27 in 2006. While speaking about his drastic weight gain, Leto admits the transformation process is hard on your body. "It can be an incredibly rewarding, but also destructive, thing
to do," he told Billboard (via People). "Your body changes forever."

Before Lupita Nyong'o could head to Wakanda, she had to build up some serious muscle. To do so, the Black Panther star endured a grueling six-week bootcamp. "It started off four hours a day, then it was reduced to two when I started bulking up — I remember coming home for Christmas and I couldn't fit into my clothes," Nyong'o told The Hollywood Reporter.

To play the part of a chiseled lifeguard in Baywatch, Zac Efron worked out twice a day, followed a no-carb diet, and went through lifeguard training. However, he doesn't want to over glamorize his Baywatch body. "For guys, that's unrealistic. I'm telling you. I got very big and buff for that movie, but I don't want people to think that’s the best way to be. Like, be your size," he said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

While shaping up for Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp, Evangeline Lilly used a combination of sprint workouts and a personalized nutrition plan. Even with all of that hard work and dedication, she wants people to know she was still wore a corset in the film. "People don't look like that," she told Shape.

Jonah Hill debuted a slimmed-down physique at the Espy Awards in 2011, which was part of his journey to become a more "responsible adult," by taking care of himself. However, in 2015 the actor added pounds back on for his role in War Dogs.