The term "Method Acting" is used very loosely these days. Wikipedia describes it as "a group of techniques actors use to create in themselves the thoughts and feelings of their character so as to create lifelike performances." This "method" was originated by the great acting coach Constantin Stanislavski.
Seems pretty logical right? Think of the feelings as your own, and, hey, you'll feel them, and (even better yet) you seem even more real in feeling them. Well, years later, Lee Strasberg adapted some of Stanislavski's method for American actors, emphasizing the practice of tying the characters' memories to the actor's own memories so as to further align their emotions with those of the character. These exercises are known as using Sense Memory and Affective Memory.
Notice that part about never leaving character? About keeping up an accent or impediment between takes? Or being incredibly hard to deal with on set because you're "method" and in character? Yeah, none of that was ever part of the deal.
Method acting got a bad name throughout the years for the liberal use of its terminology. Stanislavski and Strasberg were both BRILLIANT minds who yielded some of the best acting guidance to date. While it's practically a curse word in many circles, method acting can be an amazing tool to get an actor in the right mindset.
Below are some of the most intense uses of the method (a term used here very loosely, as some of these actors - Heath Ledger, for example - only utilized a principle or two of the concept) with astounding results.
http://www.ranker.com/list/most-intense-method-actor-performances-in-movie-history/coy-jandreau,
Gangs of New York
After a long break from acting, Daniel Day-Lewis returned to the silver screen, at Martin Scorsese's personal request, to play Bill "The butcher" Cutting. He had reportedly been living a simple life as a cobbler in Florence, Italy, for years.
To prep for the role, Day-Lewis learned everything there is to know from Peckham Rye's W Head and Co. Butchers, who were flown in for a few weeks for his tutelage. He also became an expert marksman with knives and meat cleavers. MEAT CLEAVER MARKSMAN!
During filming he would, as is tradition, only answer to Bill or the Butcher, and would spend all of his off time glowering and threatening his onscreen antagonist Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo Dicaprio).
He went so far to stay authentic that when temperatures reached below freezing, he refused to wear the onset winter jackets, because the materials they were made from didn't exist in that time period. He would, however, use an iPod...blasting Eminem between takes to rile himself up. Daniel Day Lewis: The real Slim Shady.
Marathon Man
From this tale of method madness stems one of the most iconic quotes used by its detractors.
Dustin Hoffman was decently well into his (incredible) career when he starred as Thomas "Babe" Levy in 1976's "Marathon Man." He was approaching his 40s, however, and the role called for him to portray a college kid in over his head. Even the CW would scoff at a man nearing the 40 mark trying to pull that off, so Hoffman was understandably concerned. To further up the stakes, he would be starring opposite noted thespian Laurence Olivier.
Hoffman, being a proponent of method acting, reportedly stayed up for 3 nights prior to shooting a torture scene in which he'd... been up for 3 nights. When he arrived on set disheveled and a wreck, Olivier asked what was up?
(Olivier to Hoffman: "Sup?") So, Hoffman filled him in....to which Olivier replied, "Why don't you just try acting, dear boy?"
My Left Foot
When you say method acting, generally the first name to come to mind is Daniel Day-Lewis and deservedly so.
In preparation for the role of Christy Brown, a writer and painter who suffered from cerebral palsy, Day-Lewis spent 8 weeks living at a CP clinic in Dublin, Ireland, learning to speak and move as Christy would. He even learned to WRITE AND PAINT with only his left foot, and that's all he would use for months thereafter.
During production of "My Left Foot," Day-Lewis would refuse to walk or move whatsoever, requesting crew and cast members carry him around. He had to be spoon-fed every meal and eventually broke a few ribs by spending literally all of his time in the character's wheel chair for months on end. It paid off and won him many, many accolades, including the Best Actor Oscar. It's an incredible performance.. but at great cost.
Raging Bull
To play Jake La Motta in Scorsese's Raging Bull, Robert De Niro began researching months and months prior to shooting. The biggest hurdle was actually getting Scorsese to agree to direct it.
People saw it as just another boxing flick - or, worse yet, just another biopic - and with a protagonist who wasn't all that likable. Still, De Niro insisted and eventually got the film made.
While immersing himself in the role, De Niro had complete supervision of the scriptwriting process, often rewriting most of his dialogue, as he knew exactly how Jake La Motta would speak. He also trained as a middleweight boxer, but not just any boxer...he trained to block, punch and move exactly like La Motta. He poured over and conducted interviews with nearly all of La Motta's friends and family and even had a hand in the makeup and wardrobe design. De Niro became La Motta and then shaped the entire film around his newly acquired persona.
De Niro even gained 63 lbs. in a matter of weeks to portray the older, washed-up boxer.
Taxi Driver
A noted method actor (having studied directly with some of the legendary teachers that brought it to the mainstream), Robert De Niro put in the work to play the incredibly iconic Travis Bickle in Scorsese's "Taxi Driver."
In the film, Travis Bickle has some great dialogue about not being able to sleep, so he works extra shifts/extra long hours. To portray an unhinged, overworked insomniac taxi driver, De Niro became an unhinged overworked insomniac taxi driver. While prepping this film, finalizing work on another in Rome, AND studying the mentally ill (for this film), he trained, took the test, and got his cabbie license. De Niro then proceeded to work 12-plus-hour shifts as a cabbie actually driving people around NYC.
During filming, he was so in character that he was able to tweak the script and actually ad lib many of his lines, including one of the most famous lines in cinema history, "You talking to me?"
Imagine hopping in a cab with De Niro at the wheel?
The Crucible
To play the 17th century farmer John Proctor in the film adaptation written by Arthur Miller himself, Daniel Day-Lewis continued his attention to detail in character work.
To prep for the role, he spent the entire summer before filming building his character's home AND helped the crew/carpenters assemble the rest of the set in Hog Island, Northern Massachusetts. He learned to live as they would've in the 1700s, even going without running water for months on end from pre-production all the way through wrapping the movie.
In addition to all the above, Day-Lewis refused any modern conveniences whatsoever while filming, including transportation... he would only travel on horseback.
The Last of the Mohicans
To play the adopted white Mohican Nathaniel Hawkeye, Daniel Day-Lewis lived by the ways of the forest. He learned to track and skin animals, build canoes, even reload and rebuild a 12-pound flint lock rifle while on the run. He also learned to fight with fire and tomahawks. Awesome.
During production, things got a bit troublesome for the actor, as he insisted on carrying his gun EVERYWHERE including, but not limited to, his own Christmas dinner. The movie became a part of him. Afterwards, he told director Michael Mann he was suffering from hallucinations and claustrophobia. "I have no idea how not to be hawkeye," he reportedly said numerous times to Mann.
The Man in the Moon
Jim Carrey played the (in)famous entertainer Andy Kaufman, as well as his notorious alter ego Tony Clifton, in the 1999 Biopic.
Moments after his audition, Carrey busted out Kaufman's ACTUAL trademark bongo's and performed a musical number on the spot. He reportedly stayed in character throughout production.
During filming, he refused to break character, requesting he be referred to as Mr. Kauffman, Andy, or Tony. This may not sound so troublesome, but he was playing a loud, over-the-top, obnoxious caricature of a man on AND off the set. Pissing off his girlfriend, producers, co-stars, etc. CONSTANTLY. One person who did enjoy it was Kauffman's real-life girlfriend, Lynn Margolis, who shot some 200 hours of footage with Carrey on and off set in character and was (is?) considering making into an entirely separate documentary.
The Pianist
For his efforts in Roman Polanski's "The Pianist," Adrien Brody became the youngest actor to receive a Best Actor Academy Award, at the tender age of 29.
To prepare for the role, he began by practicing the piano four hours a day until he had mastered Chopin. Then, to get into the mindset of a holocaust survivor, of a man who had lost everything, he stripped all "comfortable living" from his life. He gave up his apartment, sold his car, disconnected his phones, sold all but 2 bags of his worldly possessions and left for Europe. Oh, and he broke up with his long-term, serious girlfriend to further feel the pain of loss.
During filming, Brody went on a crash diet, losing 30 lbs. in a matter of five weeks. He got down to a slight 130 lbs. (He's Six Foot Five!) He did this to feel the emptiness that comes with starving, all the while immersing himself in holocaust memoirs and completely staying in character day in and day out.
It took Brody a little over 6 months to fully recover, physically and mentally, from the whole ordeal.
Pollock
In 2000, Ed Harris did his damndest to BECOME Jackson Pollock for the biopic, which he also directed.
The movie reportedly took him 10 years of prep. Say that with me now: TEN YEARS. When's the last time you can remember spending ten years of your life doing anything... Whoa. He turned his entire home into an art studio, learning to paint in that trademark Pollock drip style, and he gained 30 lbs. to more closely resemble the painter. Harris even changed cigarette brands just in case Pollock was...watching, or something?
The commitment to detail was INSANE for a film, sadly, few have seen. Go check it out. Harris is brilliant and committed more to this one film than many do in their entire careers.