Jared Leto & More Celebs Who Drastically Gained Weight For Movie Roles

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When it comes to Hollywood films, actors and actresses are sometimes faced with body-altering roles. Take Jared Leto — He had a wheelchair on the set of ‘Chapter 27’ because of the side-effects from his 60 Lb weight gain!

Actors and actresses take their craft very seriously. And, with their different movie roles, comes the possibility that they may need to alter their appearance. While some celebs have turned down opportunities to star in award-winning films because of body-altering demands, others took on the task and packed on the pounds. Celebrities such as Jared Leto, 45, Christian Bale, 43, Charlize Theron, 42, Renee Zellweger, 48, and more have all drastically changed their diets, workout routines and lifestyles for Hollywood roles! Check out the before and after photos of your favorite stars in our attached gallery!

While Jared Leto lost a drastic amount of weight for his role as a transgender AIDs patient in Dallas Buyers Club [2013], he did the opposite for his role as John Lennon‘s killer in the movie Chapter 27 [2008]. The actor reportedly packed on 60 pounds for the role, which he said left him with negative side-effects long after the film’s release. “I don’t know if it was gout – but I had a definite problem with my feet,” Leto explained to the Daily News about the results of his weight gain. “Toward the end of the shoot, one of the glaring issues was the pain I had with my feet. I couldn’t walk for long distances; I had a wheelchair because it was so painful. My body was in shock from the amount of weight I gained.” To achieve his weight goal, Leto told the outlet that he binge-ate. “I gorged and force-fed myself,” he admitted. Wow!

Then there was Renee Zellweger, who gained 30 pounds for her size 14 role as Bridget Jones in the the 2001 film, Bridget Jones’ Diary. According to People, she was taking in 4,000 calories per day! And, with her weight gain, came nasty scrutiny from tough critics. Although she quickly lost the weight for other roles, Zellweger admitted that she learned a lot about what society zeroes in on. “I learned a lot. I realized the influence of living in a society that focuses so much on physicality has affected me,” Zellweger told Vogue magazine in 2013. “When the film was coming out, the question I was asked the most was regarding my weight. And again it’s happening. I was followed around Heathrow (airport) by a guy who wanted to take a picture of my backside. I don’t understand the obsession.”

Take a look at more celebs who’ve added some extra weight for Hollywood blockbusters in our above gallery!

HollywoodLifers, which drastic change was the most shocking to you?