Mission: Impossible hunk Tom Cruise looks completely unrecognisable in his new film Digger which sees him transform into an ageing oil tycoon.It is a bold departure from his usual stunt-filled action movies and required him to spend some serious time in makeup having his prosthetics done which included a fake pot belly. However, Cruise, 64, is by no means the first star to put himself through a long and arduous process to achieve the perfect look for their character.Jacob Elordi’s role as Frankenstein in the 2025 film saw experts apply 42 separate prosthetic pieces to him – a process which took around ten hours a day.Other stars have subjected themselves to shockingly low calorie diets and intense workouts for the sake of their characters. Most notably Christian Bale lost 62lb, eating just a tin of tuna and an apple a day to play the emaciated Trevor Reznik in The Machinist. Tom Cruise – Digger Tom Cruise underwent a huge transformation for his character Digger Rockwell in the new Alejandro González Iñárritu-directed film, DiggerCruise underwent a huge transformation for his character Digger Rockwell in the new film. The trailer showed Cruise with thinning white hair, a prosthetic pot belly and a thick Southern accent. Cruise had to wear a bodysuit to make him look fat and prosthetics to age him for his role as an oil tycoon and billionaire who accidentally sets off a global ecological crisis in the Alejandro González Iñárritu-directed project. Cruise was originally sitting in hair and makeup for six hours until he convinced the team they could do it faster. Speaking on Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast he said: ‘The first time we did the makeup, it took six hours, OK?”I gotta sleep at least six [hours]. They keep saying I need more… but OK, that’s 12. Now, we have 12-hour days filming. So now that’s six hours on, two hours off with the makeup.”I had a guy there with a stopwatch and I’m like, ‘OK, you see that time, six hours? By the time we’re done, we’re going to get it under an hour.’They were like, ‘No, I’m not doing that, it will never happen.’ I’m like, ‘OK, first of all, if you say no, you can’t do it, you will never get there. So can we agree that we’ll maybe make it a little less?’ So with each piece that was going on, it was timed and then we’d drill and practice.’I like going into a system, studying it and trying to figure out how I can do it better, more efficient. The films that I make, I’m constantly going, how can I do it better?’ He added: ‘But I’m sweating underneath, so I came up with all these different things, like cooling machines.’ In the film Digger is tasked by the US President (played by John Goodman) to save the planet in the film.Tom previously filmed the movie in the UK during the six-month production. The tagline on the movie poster refers to Digger as ‘a comedy of catastrophic proportions’.Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein Last year Jacob, 29, transformed into the Creature in the Guillermo del Toro Frankenstein remakeLast year Jacob, 29, transformed into the Creature in the Guillermo del Toro Frankenstein remake.The first glimpse of Jacob’s transformation was revealed in the trailer as it showed the moment he is revived by Dr Frankenstein’s electrical experiment. Jacob spent up to 11 hours a day in the makeup chair undergoing the physical transformation.There were 42 total prosthetic components used for the look – which also required fake dentures, a custom wig and extensive body makeup.Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for their work on.Jacob scored the part of the Monster after Andrew Garfield, Benedict Cumberbatch and Doug Jones were previously attached to star.He was approached by Guillermo to take the role just nine weeks before the cameras started rolling, after Andrew dropped out at the last minute due to scheduling issues.Speaking about coming onboard, Jacob said: ‘I was finishing The Narrow Road To The Deep North so I had about three or four weeks only before we started.’It presented itself as a monumental task but as Guillermo said the banquet was already there and everyone was already eating.’He continued: ‘I was drawn to this role because it’s a vessel that I could put every part of myself into. Everything from the moment I was born to being with you here today, that’s all in it in many ways.’The creature on screen is the purest form of myself. He is more me than I am as a performer. If you can find yourself in a character that’s a really beautiful thing that can happen, and I am only realising it now in hindsight.’The Euphoria star previously revealed that he had decided to ‘go Yorkshire’ with the accent for his portrayal.He told the Daily Mail in August: ‘Yes, the accent is Yorkshire – that’s a great spot. David Bradley who plays the blind man in the film is from that part of the world, and when the creature starts to speak he learns from the blind man. So there are bits and bobs of Yorkshire in the way he speaks.’Christian Bale – The Machinist Christian Bale has had one of the most dramatic body transformations in Hollywood history after the actor lost 62lbs for 2005 psychological thriller The Machinist (pictured left in 2002 and right in 2004 in the film) Christian Bale has had one of the most dramatic body transformations in Hollywood history after the actor lost 62lbs for 2005 psychological thriller The Machinist.The star slashed the number on the scales from 182lbs to just 120lbs for the character of Trevor Reznik who was emaciated due to his insomnia.Christian revealed he lost the weight in just four months after surviving on 200 calories a day while still exercising, eating just a tin of tuna, an apple and a black coffee a day. However radical transformation wasn’t originally in the script. Christian is 6ft tall, however the writer was only 5ft6.Christian’s co-star Michael Ironside, explained how the weight loss was the result of a simple typo.’The writer is only about five-foot-six, and he put his own weights in.”And then Chris did the film and Chris said, ‘No, don’t change the weights. I want to see if I make them.’ …’So those weights he writes on the bathroom wall in the film are his actual weights in the film.’Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye Back in 2022 Jessica revealed that her skin been left in bad shape following her transformation into Tammy Faye Bakker The California native admitted she ‘freaked out’ and didn’t think she would be able to wear the ‘heavy’ make-up at firstBack in 2022 Jessica revealed that her skin had been left in bad shape following her transformation into Tammy Faye Bakker.The Zero Dark Thirty actress, now 49, starred as the late televangelist, who was known for caking her face in make-up, in The Eyes Of Tammy Faye.And Jessica revealed wearing the heavy film makeup left her skin stretched out. ‘I think for sure I’ve done some permanent damage to my skin on this,’ she told The Los Angeles Times at the time.’Listen, I eat very pure and I take very good care of my skin and I stay out of the sun and all that stuff. But it’s heavy,’ said the redheaded beauty.’And when you’re wearing it all day every day — the weight of it on your body, it stretches your skin out,’ added the red carpet fixture.’I finally took it off and I was like, ‘I look 50 years old!” Jessica said.’No, I’m kidding. But it’s fine. It’s for my art.’The California native admitted she ‘freaked out’ and didn’t think she would be able to wear the ‘heavy’ make-up at first, because it was making it challenging for her to act.She continued: ‘The very first test I did was difficult, honestly. I mean, we fixed it. But I was freaked out. I was like, ‘I don’t know how to act like this.”’People think it’s easier, but it’s not. You have to reach through the makeup — you can’t let the make-up be the performance.’The Molly’s Game star revealed it took her seven-and-a-half hours to have the make-up applied, and it got ‘so heavy and hot’, Jessica worried about her circulation.She said: ‘I got to set and I was so panicky. ‘I started to have hot flushes because it’s so heavy and hot. I was afraid. ‘It was like going on a long-distance flight every day. Because if it takes seven and a half hours to put on, it’s going to take at least two hours to get off. It was concerning to me.’Jessica also previously told People magazine that getting into character required intense makeup, prosthetics and wigs. Jessica’s makeup team for the film included her longtime makeup artists Stephanie Ingram and Linda Dowds as well as Justin Raleigh. She said: ‘Every moment, I had something on my face. I have a dimple in my chin that she didn’t have, so we would seal that up.’Her face was more round than mine, so I would have things on my cheeks. Their expertise just helped me so much with my confidence in playing her.’ She added however: ‘I was worried about my circulation. By the time I got on set that first day that was 7 and a half hours, I was like, ‘I have no energy left.’ And she’s supposed to show up with so much energy.’The film is based on the 2000 documentary of the same name, and the cast also included Andrew Garfield as Jim Bakker. Sydney Sweeney – Christy Sydney didn’t hold back to step into the gloves of boxing legend Christy Martin biopic Christy released last year – and yes, her transformation included plenty of Chick-fil-ASydney didn’t hold back to step into the gloves of boxing legend Christy Martin biopic Christy released last year – and yes, her transformation included plenty of Chick-fil-A.The 29-year-old actress tackles the story of Martin, a trailblazing world champion who fought her way through chaos both inside and outside the ring. She previously reflected on the extreme physical demands of portraying ‘the greatest boxer in the entire world’.To prepare, Sweeney said she gained roughly 30 pounds and underwent an intense training regimen, hitting the gym three times a day for three months with boxing coaches, nutritionists and weight trainers by her side.She revealed just what her diet looked like, saying: ‘A lot of Chick-fil-A, a lot, a lot of Smucker’s, a lot of milkshakes, a lot of protein shakes.’She added: ‘But it was incredible being able to completely embody such a powerful woman. I felt even stronger. It was truly inspiring.’In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com last summer, Martin heaped praise on the actress for fully immersing herself in the role. Speaking a few months before they joined the streets together for the 2025 International Boxing Hall of Fame Parade in Canastota, New York, Martin described Sweeney as a ‘perfectionist’.’She was really serious about her boxing,’ Christy gushed. ‘And with depicting the domestic violence she wanted to make sure everything was right.’Brendan Fraser – The Whale Brendan discussed transforming into a 600 pound man for The Whale, which involved wearing a specially constructed ‘fat suit’Back in 2022 Brendan discussed transforming into a 600 pound man for The Whale.The actor, 57, who stars in the Darren Aronofsky film, revealed the 300 pound ‘fat suit’ he wore for the movie was filled with airsoft pellets, dried beans and marbles. Describing his complex costume, Fraser said careful attention was given to the suit to ensure it obeyed ‘the laws of physics and gravity’.He said: ‘There was a five-point harness that had me strapped in. Once into it, I was in there all day until it came off. ‘The costume pieces themselves contained combinations of those little airsoft pellets, maybe dried beans, marbles. But the rule was that the whole look should obey the laws of physics and gravity, because we don’t see that in films.’Fraser described his determination in portraying the role as authentically as possible. ‘It’s important to say this, because there are those who live with this disease. I felt empowered to be their voice and to be as honest as I could and as authentic as I could in the portrayal. ‘Look, my weight has been all over the map. I put on weight to play this role, and it wasn’t enough – so the body had to go on top of that, and the two worked together.’ Fraser also recalled the consequences of the weight loss he endured for his 1997 film George Of The Jungle, which saw him don little more than a loin cloth on screen. Sebastian Stan – A Different Man In the film A Different Man, Sebastian Stan plays a New Yorker with facial disfigurement Back in 2024 Sebastian, 44, revealed that he felt ‘isolated and scared’ while filming scenes for his character in his new film A Different Man, which sees him play a character struggling with a facial disfigurement.The Captain America star was joined by Adam Pearson on This Morning to speak about his role in the film. Speaking to hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, Sebastian explained that on one occasion during filming, his makeup artist Mike Marino was double booked for the day, meaning he had to do his makeup four or five hours earlier. So, Sebastian said he took the opportunity to walk around the city as his character, Edward, with his prosthetics in full view.Asked how he felt following the experience, Sebastian said: ‘It was extremely isolating. I was very scared.’He added: ‘You stand out obviously, and there’s a powerless feeling to it – at least that was my experience.”It really pointed out that we still have to normalise this idea of being different.’Master prosthetics designer Mike Marino (known for his work on The Batman) created the look. The full-face prosthetics required hours of daily application and were designed to move naturally.In the film A Different Man, Sebastian Stan plays a New Yorker with facial disfigurement who gets to experience what life would be like if he looked like everyone else after his condition is ‘cured’ by a medical trial.He stars alongside British actor Adam, who plays the character inspired by Edward’s former self, with their relationship becoming increasingly obsessive.Adam himself has neurofibromatosis, a condition which causes non-cancerous tumours to begin growing uncontrollably on his face.Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club Matthew McConaughey underwent a dramatic body transformation after he traded in his muscular Magic Mike frame (L) to lose 40lbs to play Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club (R)Matthew underwent a dramatic body transformation after he traded in his muscular Magic Mike frame to lose 40lb to play Ron Woodroof in the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club. The actor, 56, embarked on a strict diet of Diet Coke, egg whites for breakfast and a piece of chicken or five ounces of fish and a small side of vegetables a day to slim down shifting from 188lb to 135lb. The only snack he was allowed was tapioca pudding, which McConaughey admitted to eating with the smallest spoon possible to make it last longer. ‘I met with a nutritionist. I gave myself four months to lose the weight. I had my programmed meals, lost 3.5lb a week – like clockwork – and got down to my desired weight,’ he said at the time.He insisted that losing weight was ‘honestly not that difficult’ but learning to re-programme his life was the toughest challenge.He said: ‘You have to reprogramme all of your habits, and the days get so long. You think it must be lunchtime already, and it’s only 9.30 in the morning.And as the weight dropped from his muscular 183lbs to a scrawny 143lbs, so did his strength.’I would do five push-ups and be sore. I would run 30 feet and my legs would lock up.’Yo-yoing the other way, he then gained 47lb in the next six months for his role as Kenny Wells in the 2016 film Gold. Eating whatever he wanted, Matthew indulged in pizza and cheeseburgers and also quit exercise, deciding it was even too hard to walk up just one flight of stairs when an elevator was available.Talking to Page Six, he said: ‘My favorite food is cheeseburgers, so I was eating cheeseburgers all the time.’I was trying out all these fast food restaurants that I’ve never had, or I’ve only had one time. Not that much sweets. Cheeseburgers and beer will do the trick.’He later said the biggest challenge was trying to shed the weight afterward.’The hard part was getting down…I would go from 217 to 211, easy. Then 211 to 209. Crossing that 210 mark was really tough. Then [going from] 209 to 201: easy,’ he said.Michael Fassbender – Hunger Michael Fassbender lost nearly 40lbs over 10 weeks to play prisoner Bobby Sands who led the 1981 Irish hunger strike in the 2008 film HungerMichael Fassbender lost nearly 40lb over ten weeks to play prisoner Bobby Sands who led the 1981 Irish hunger strike in the 2008 film Hunger.Shedding as much weight as the doctor would allow, the actor restricted himself to 600 calories a day eating sardines, berries and a handful of nuts.He recalled in an interview: ‘I remember looking at myself and thinking, ‘God, there are bones sticking out here.’ ‘I went for my final check-up after filming and my doctor said, ‘Last time you came in here you looked pretty bad. My assistant was outside and she saw you and said, ‘My God, that guy’s really ill, isn’t he?’ She thought you had cancer.’ People don’t actually say anything [directly] to you.’And Michael also felt the effects after filming, as when he was allowed to eat again he struggled with digestion. ‘My first meal was Japanese. It’s my favourite food. But I was freezing cold in the restaurant because my body hadn’t had to work to digest food in ages. I was sitting there at the table in my big North Face jacket.’Chris Hemsworth – The Heart Of The Sea Chris Hemsworth shocked fans after sporting a much leaner physique when he took on the part of a shipwrecked sailor In The Heart Of The Sea back in 2015 (right) (pictured left in Thor)Chris shocked fans after sporting a much leaner physique when he took on the part of a shipwrecked sailor In The Heart Of The Sea back in 2015.The Australian actor took to social media at the time to share a snap of himself during filming, showing the results of his more than 15lb weight loss.’Just tried a new diet/training program called ‘Lost At Sea,” he captioned alongside the photo.’Wouldn’t recommend it.. #IntheHeartoftheSea,’ he said.Consuming only 500 calories a day, Chris told Entertainment Weekly: ‘When I started [filming], I was leaner than my Thor weight, anyway, because I’d been on Michael’s film.”When you’re already starting off lean, it’s brutal to chew through that kind of weight. Every pound feels like a kilogram.’ To convincingly play the parts of starving men, the cast members’ diets were steadily reduced in the lead up to filming in the Canary Islands.