The Most Bizarre Things Hollywood Actors Did

Hollywood is known for its glitz and glamour but the actors within it often engage in strange behaviors. Some stars take method acting to dangerous extremes while others make headlines for their eccentric personal lives. This list explores the most unusual actions taken by male celebrities throughout entertainment history. These stories range from intense preparation for roles to baffling public stunts.

Jared Leto – Sending Dead Rats to Co-Stars

Jared Leto took method acting to an extreme level while filming ‘Suicide Squad’ in order to embody the Joker. He reportedly sent bizarre gifts to his fellow cast members including a live rat and a dead pig. This behavior was intended to create an atmosphere of unpredictability and tension on the set. Viola Davis and Will Smith later confirmed the strange deliveries occurred during the production.

Shia LaBeouf – Wearing a Paper Bag on the Red Carpet

Shia LaBeouf arrived at the Berlin Film Festival premiere of ‘Nymphomaniac’ with a paper bag over his head. The bag featured the words I Am Not Famous Anymore written in thick black marker. He later sat in a small room for an art installation titled #IAMSORRY where he silently cried in front of strangers. This period marked a shift in his public persona toward performance art and eccentricity.

Joaquin Phoenix – Faking a Rap Career

Joaquin Phoenix confused the world when he announced his retirement from acting to pursue hip hop. He made several erratic public appearances including a bizarre interview with David Letterman where he remained mostly silent. It was eventually revealed that the entire stunt was a performance piece for the mockumentary ‘I’m Still Here’. He successfully tricked the media and his fans for nearly two years.

Daniel Day-Lewis – Refusing to Leave His Wheelchair

Daniel Day-Lewis is famous for his intense preparation and refused to break character while filming ‘My Left Foot’. He remained in a wheelchair for the entire duration of the shoot and demanded crew members feed him with a spoon. The actor suffered two broken ribs from hunching over in the chair for so many weeks. His commitment resulted in an Academy Award but frustrated the production team immensely.

Nicolas Cage – Buying a Stolen Dinosaur Skull

Nicolas Cage once engaged in a bidding war with Leonardo DiCaprio for a Tarbosaurus skull. He successfully purchased the rare fossil for nearly three hundred thousand dollars at an auction. It was later revealed that the skull had been stolen from Mongolia and had to be returned to the government. The actor agreed to forfeit the artifact to authorities once the investigation concluded.

Jim Carrey – Becoming Andy Kaufman

Jim Carrey fully immersed himself in the persona of Andy Kaufman while filming ‘Man on the Moon’. He refused to answer to his own name and would only respond when addressed as Andy or the character Tony Clifton. The production footage showed him crashing cars and antagonizing professional wrestler Jerry Lawler on set. This psychological deep dive was later the subject of the documentary ‘Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond’.

Johnny Depp – Shooting Hunter S. Thompson’s Ashes

Johnny Depp fulfilled the final wish of his close friend and author Hunter S. Thompson in a spectacular fashion. He spent three million dollars to construct a massive cannon to blast Thompson’s ashes into the sky. The event took place at the writer’s farm in Colorado and was attended by other famous figures. Depp insisted that this extravagant sendoff was exactly what the gonzo journalist wanted.

Marlon Brando – Wearing an Earpiece for Lines

Marlon Brando became notorious later in his career for refusing to memorize his scripts. He insisted on wearing an earpiece so that his lines could be fed to him directly during takes. The actor claimed this technique allowed his performance to feel more spontaneous and less rehearsed. This habit frustrated directors who had to work around the device and his lack of preparation.

Crispin Glover – Kicking Near David Letterman

Crispin Glover appeared on ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ in character as a recluse from an unreleased film. He behaved erratically throughout the interview and eventually performed a high karate kick that barely missed the host’s head. Letterman immediately walked off the stage and ended the segment abruptly. The incident remains one of the most awkward moments in talk show history.

Wesley Snipes – Communicating via Post-it Notes

Wesley Snipes reportedly refused to speak to the director or co-stars while filming ‘Blade: Trinity’. He would stay in his trailer and only communicate through Post-it notes signed with the name Blade. Patton Oswalt later claimed that the actor spent most of his time smoking marijuana rather than working. The production faced numerous delays and conflicts due to this lack of direct communication.

Adrien Brody – Selling Everything for a Role

Adrien Brody went to great lengths to understand the loss felt by his character in ‘The Pianist’. He sold his apartment and his car and disconnected his phone to experience true isolation. The actor also broke up with his girlfriend and moved to Europe with very few possessions. He became the youngest actor to win the Best Actor Oscar after this grueling process.

Leonardo DiCaprio – Eating Raw Bison Liver

Leonardo DiCaprio pushed his physical limits while filming the survival drama ‘The Revenant’. He chose to eat a raw bison liver on camera despite being a lifelong vegetarian. The actor stated that the gelatinous texture was difficult to stomach and his gagging reaction in the film was genuine. His dedication to realism helped him finally secure his first Academy Award.

Christian Bale – Losing 60 Pounds

Christian Bale shocked audiences with his skeletal appearance in the psychological thriller ‘The Machinist’. He subsisted on a diet of apples and coffee to lose over sixty pounds for the role. The actor dropped his weight to a dangerous one hundred and twenty pounds despite health warnings from professionals. He immediately had to bulk up and gain muscle for ‘Batman Begins’ shortly after wrapping production.

Robert De Niro – Grinding His Teeth Down

Robert De Niro paid a dentist to grind his teeth down for his role in ‘Cape Fear’. He wanted to achieve a menacing look for the character of Max Cady that prosthetics could not provide. The procedure cost him thousands of dollars and required extensive dental work to repair later. This physical alteration added a terrifying layer of authenticity to his performance.

Dustin Hoffman – Staying Awake for Days

Dustin Hoffman stayed awake for three days straight to prepare for a torture scene in ‘Marathon Man’. He wanted to genuinely look exhausted and disoriented for the sequence involving a sadistic dentist. His co-star Laurence Olivier famously asked him why he did not just try acting instead. This anecdote highlights the clash between method acting and classical training techniques.

Matthew McConaughey – Playing Bongos Naked

Matthew McConaughey was arrested in Texas after police found him playing bongo drums in his home while naked. Neighbors had complained about the noise and the actor was found dancing around his living room. He was charged with possession of marijuana and resisting transportation but the drug charges were later dropped. He has since embraced the story as a humorous chapter in his life.

Charlie Sheen – Drinking Tiger Blood

Charlie Sheen went on a widely publicized media tour after being fired from ‘Two and a Half Men’. He claimed to have tiger blood and Adonis DNA during a series of frantic interviews. The actor coined the phrase winning and broadcast his eccentric lifestyle live on the internet. This public meltdown became a massive cultural phenomenon before he eventually sought treatment.

Randy Quaid – Fleeing from Star Whackers

Randy Quaid and his wife fled to Canada claiming they were being hunted by a group called the Star Whackers. He believed this secret organization was responsible for the deaths of Heath Ledger and David Carradine. The couple sought asylum and lived in constant fear of this alleged Hollywood conspiracy. Their legal troubles and erratic behavior have kept them out of mainstream acting for years.

Jeremy Strong – Asking to be Tear Gassed

Jeremy Strong requested to be sprayed with real tear gas while filming ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’. He wanted to authentically portray the pain and confusion of the protest scenes. Director Aaron Sorkin denied the request due to safety concerns for the cast and crew. Strong is known for his intense commitment to roles that often worries his collaborators.

Ashton Kutcher – Following the Steve Jobs Diet

Ashton Kutcher adopted the fruitarian diet of Steve Jobs to prepare for the biopic ‘Jobs’. The strict regimen of eating only fruits caused him to suffer severe pancreatic issues. He was hospitalized shortly before filming began due to the nutritional imbalance. The actor admitted that he underestimated the physical toll the restrictive diet would take on his body.

Jamie Foxx – Gluing His Eyelids Shut

Jamie Foxx wanted to accurately portray the blindness of Ray Charles in the biopic ‘Ray’. He agreed to have his eyelids glued shut with prosthetics for up to fourteen hours a day. This caused him to suffer from panic attacks and claustrophobia during the early days of filming. The sensory deprivation helped him navigate the set using only his hearing and touch.

Tom Cruise – Jumping on Oprah’s Couch

Tom Cruise made television history with his enthusiastic appearance on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’. He jumped up and down on the host’s yellow couch while declaring his love for Katie Holmes. The clip went viral instantly and was parodied countless times in pop culture. This moment marked a strange shift in his public image from a guarded movie star to an unpredictable celebrity.

Val Kilmer – Insisting on Being Called Jim

Val Kilmer demanded that everyone on the set of ‘The Doors’ address him as Jim Morrison. He learned fifty songs by the band and wore the singer’s clothes even when cameras were not rolling. The actor alienated many crew members with his intense and aloof behavior during production. His performance was praised but his methods created a difficult working environment.

James Franco – Selling Invisible Art

James Franco engaged in a project called the Museum of Non-Visible Art where he sold invisible works. One woman paid ten thousand dollars for a piece titled Fresh Air which existed only in concept. The actor championed the idea that art is primarily about imagination rather than physical objects. This venture was met with both confusion and criticism from the art world.

George Clooney – Eating From a Litter Box

George Clooney pulled an elaborate prank on his roommate Richard Kind involving a cat litter box. He cleaned the box and filled it with chocolate bars shaped like cat feces. He then proceeded to eat the chocolate directly from the box in front of a horrified Kind. This joke is often cited as a prime example of his notorious sense of humor.

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