A Weighty Issue

Russell Crowe -- that manly man, that gladiator amongst gladiators -- has gained 63 pounds for an upcoming role. Wow-za! Now I won't lie: part of that sounds really fun. (The eating whatever you want part, obviously -- and it's for work!) 

But then I thought: that can't be good for him. And then I remembered hearing an interview on NPR years ago with Matt Damon, who admitted he had done irreversible damage to his heart (according to his physicians) after losing so much weight (40 pounds) in 1996 for Courage Under Fire, with Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan. He played a heroin addict, and you may remember he looked like a skeleton. After returning to normal fighting shape and flexing his fitness in the Bourne trilogy, Damon had to beef up (and then some) this year for The Informant.

And what about Christian Bale, who was so skinny you could hardly look at him in The Machinist and then pumped up for Batman? All this weight flux just isn't good on a body, or a heart. I understand it's part of being an actor, or a truly dedicated actor at least. But that doesn't take away the danger.

Have you ever lost or gained a significant amount of weight for a specific role? Was it scary? How do you conform to the character and still stay healthy, or is that even possible?

--Anna Bengel