History Main / DyeingForYourArt

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': Sam Reid, a redhead, grew out his hair and dyed it blond for the role of Lestat de Lioncourt.

* Creator/TomHiddleston grew out his hair and dyed it black to play the title character in ''Series/Loki2021''. This marked the first time since ''Film/{{Thor}}'' that he played Loki with his own hair as his appearances in the sequels and ''Avengers'' movies had him wearing wigs or extensions.

** Many characters forced their portrayers to endure long and complicated make-up sessions, such as Mystique (Creator/RebeccaRomijn even had yellow lenses in ''Film/XMen1'', and Creator/JenniferLawrence had to reduce her make-up to just the head as she injured her body removing the prosthetics in ''Film/XMenFirstClass''), Nightcrawler (enough for Creator/AlanCumming to pass on returning; Kodi Smit-McPhee even had to wear a tail), Beast (both Creator/KelseyGrammer - [[AwesomeDearBoy who still liked the character enough]] to return in ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' - and Nicholas Hoult), Azazel (a [[Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen third]] [[Film/ClashOfTheTitans2010 prosthetics-heavy role]] for Jason Flemyng) and Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones in a muscle suit). To play [[Comicbook/{{Apocalypse}} the title villain]] of ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', Oscar Isaac had to wear a lot of make-up and a heavy costume, which the humid Montreal weather made even more unbearable.

** For ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', he shaved his head unlike [[Film/XMenFirstClass previous]] [[Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast installments]] to portray the trademark bald of Professor Charles Xavier. He had actually shaved his head for ''First Class'', expecting that Charles would be bald. He was then informed that they wanted Charles to have hair to convey his youth - and he had to wear extensions.
** Both ''Film/{{Split}}'' and ''Film/{{Glass}}'' forced him to become seriously ripped as a superstrong man - for the latter, [=McAvoy=] reportedly gained 16 to 20 pounds of muscle mass.

* Charles Grodin has permanent scars on his wrists due to the handcuffs he wore in ''Film/MidnightRun''.

There are limitations to what can be done with wigs and fake beards. When performers make real changes to their hair's appearance for a part, such that they look different in the mirror in the morning, that's commitment. That's Dyeing for Your Art.

Every job has its demands, and many people make sacrifices in their personal lives to advance their careers. However, actors and actresses sometimes experience some peculiar demands on their physical appearance, well beyond the common restrictions in other professions that may simply require neatly-trimmed hair of a natural color.

There are limitations to what can be done with stage makeup and padding. When performers make real changes to their physical appearance for a part, such that they look different in the mirror in the morning, that's commitment. That's Dyeing for Your Art.

** His [[Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas Grinch]] make-up, which not only was full-bodied but hindered his breathing as the nose was covered, along with full-eyeball contact lenses and dentures, had the studio hiring a Navy SEAL who taught Carrey torture-resistance techniques.

** He [[http://www.radio538.nl/web/show/id=46246/contentid=82691 grew as an actor]] in order to play the lead in Steven Soderbergh's ''TheInformant!''

* Jermaine of ''Webvideo/{{Awkward}}'' got his buzzed mohawk look to look authentically douchey. He had to keep it that way for two months.

* Only Creator/TomCruise managed to ride in a fighter jet for ''Film/TopGun'', as all other actors vomited as soon as they were in the air. To prevent his, everyone in ''Film/TopGunMaverick'' trained to ride in F-18s and withstand higher G-forces, as they'd be filmed in the rear seat so that they can be pretending to be piloting while the aircraft is truly in flight. Quite a few actors wound up passing on the movie for that reason. For bonus points, the actors had to learn how to operate the cameras installed outside the cockpit and effectively direct themselves, given no crewmembers would be there to help in the air.

* Creator/DanAykroyd wore baby blue contact lenses and dyed his hair [[UpToEleven and eyebrows]] blonde to portray Vic in the 1981 film ''Neighbors''. [[CreepyBlueEyes The results]] [[UncannyValley are unsettling]]. It's fitting enough, considering the character is meant to be a little... off.

* Creator/LonChaney Senior took this to UpToEleven, creating innovative and uncomfortable prosthetics that turned him into monsters such as Film/{{The Phantom of The Opera|1925}} and Film/{{The Hunchback Of Notre Dame|1923}}.

* Creator/JosephGordonLevitt gave himself a buzz cut onscreen to play a cancer patient in ''Film/FiftyFifty''.

* Wrestling/KurtAngle, after losing a Hair-vs-Hair match, wore a (bad) toupee for a while. In true heel fashion, he would [[RantInducingSlight freak out]] when someone pointed out it was a toupee. Once the toupee comedy ran its course, he debuted his bald look by whipping the toupee off and smiling until the fans quit heckling him. Like Jon Cryer above, Angle went through with the idea because he was losing his hair anyway.

* In the 1983 version of ''Film/TheBalladOfNarayama'', to better portrary Orin after she smashes her front teeth out with a grinding stone, Sumiko Sakamoto voluntarily had four of her front teeth extracted.

* Creator/MarisaTomei:
** To play the role of Dorita “Dottie” Perez in ''Film/ThePerezFamily'', she had to do exercises to strengthen her arms and thighs, wear skin dye and go through a fattening regimen that added about 20 pounds, which gave her a figure more curvaceous and voluptuous that earned her enough praise in the press when the film was released.

* ''Series/TheBoys2019'' has Creator/AntonyStarr dyeing his hair blonde to play Homelander, and Creator/DominiqueMcEligott becoming auburn-colored for Queen Maeve. Both, along with Creator/ErinMoriarty's Starlight, also said their costumes fit the trope: Starlight's "squeezed my torso until I couldn't feel my organs" (Moriarty added being skintight gets even worse as she's padded both in the front for the cleavage, and the back to enhance the HeroicBuild), Maeve's corset prevented [=McElligott=] from properly bending, and the muscle padding in Homelander's suit made things very hot during the Toronto summer (Starr carried around a bag with iced water hosed onto his suit to keep himself cooled, joking he should've put in a pole to pretend it was an IV drip).

* Mackenzie Crook, who played Gareth in ''Series/{{The Office|UK }}'', said that he has his character's unflattering bowl cut in his wedding photos, captured for posterity.

* Creator/ChrisHemsworth, to play Film/{{Thor}}. He gained so much muscle that he actually had to lose weight mere days before shooting because the Thor tights were cutting off circulation. After that, he lost weight to play James Hunt in ''Film/{{Rush|2013}}'' so he could fit in the cars. Then he had to gain it all back for ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld''. Then, he had to lose weight to play an emaciated sailor in ''Film/InTheHeartOfTheSea''. Then he had to gain it all back again for ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''. He also grew out his hair for the Phase 2 films instead of wearing a wig before cutting his hair short for ''Film/Ghostbusters2016'' and wore a wig instead of outgrowing his hair for ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' and [[spoiler: a cameo in the mid-credits scene for ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'']].

* Fergie and Creator/PenelopeCruz both had to gain ten pounds for their roles in the film version of ''Theatre/NineMusical''.

* Jennifer Hudson gained 30 pounds to play Effie White in ''{{Theatre/Dreamgirls}}''. While Music/{{Beyonce}} Knowles lost 20 pounds to play Deena in the same film.

* Creator/AlexanderSkarsgard grew incredibly ripped for ''Film/TheLegendOfTarzan'' in a test of endurance ([[http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/legend-tarzan-star-alexander-skarsgard-talks-iconic-role/story?id=40250461 "8 months of training, a very strict diet (...) And it drove me a bit crazy."]]). Once filming ended, [[https://uk.news.yahoo.com/alexander-skarsgard-gives-tarzan-diet-093500380.html he gleefully ate a huge pie production baked for him and spent a whole weekend eating everything his father could cook.]]

** He also starved himself for two weeks to play Steven Jay Russell, a con artist [[spoiler: purportedly]] dying of AIDS in ''Film/ILoveYouPhillipMorris''. [[spoiler: The real Stephen Jay Russel didn't have AIDS either, he merely starved himself and falsified his medical records as part of an elaborate escape plan.]] Carry also shaved off his widow's peak to expose more of his [[ForeheadOfDoom forehead]] and [[MyBrainIsBig look smarter]]

** Creator/ScarlettJohansson dyed her hair red as Comicbook/BlackWidow (which also saw the return of another blonde dyeing her hair, Creator/GwynethPaltrow) for the sequel. In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' she not only kept the red but also cut her hair short, but then wore a wig in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''. The only time Natasha had Scarlett's actual hair was ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.

** ''Film/SpiderMan3'' had scored a hat trick of hair dyes when you factor in Creator/ElizabethBanks as Betty Brant (blonde to brunette).
*** Creator/BryceDallasHoward (Gwen Stacy) was the opposite of Dunst: a redhead becoming blonde.

* For the film ''Film/LarryCrowne'', Bryan Cranston wanted to believably look like someone who could be married to Creator/JuliaRoberts. As a result, he went on a strict diet and workout routine, while also having his teeth bleached white.

* Only Creator/TomCruise managed to ride in a fighter jet for ''Film/TopGun'', as all other actors vomited as soon as they were in the air. To prevent his, everyone in ''Film/TopGunMaverick'' trained to ride in F-16s and withstand higher G-forces, as they'd be filmed in the rear seat so that they can be pretending to fly while the aircraft is truly in flight. Quite a few actors wound up passing on the movie for that reason.

* Leighton Meester, a natural blonde dyed her hair chestnut brown because Blair Waldorf is described as a brunette in the ''Series/GossipGirl'' books.

* Mackenzie Crook, who played Gareth in ''[[Series/TheOfficeUK The Office]]'', said that he has his character's unflattering bowl cut in his wedding photos, captured for posterity.

** In the same series, Edward James Olmos wore blue contact lenses and Jamie Bamber dyed his dark blond hair brown so that they would look more like father and son.

* Creator/JoshHartnett, along with the other actors who played Army Ranger members, shaved his head for ''Film/BlackHawkDown''. Because of this, he wore a wig for ''Literature/TheVirginSuicides'', which he then gave to JeffreyEugenides as a souvenir.

* Creator/JohnnyDepp, in TheMovie of ''Film/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas'' cut his hair to resemble his character's male pattern baldness. For added authenticity, Creator/HunterSThompson, the author of the book the film was based on, personally shaved Depp's head. With a [[Film/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet straight razor]]. [[CloudCuckooLander While wearing a miner's headlamp.]]

* Creator/KateMara likewise dyed her hair blonde to play sue in ''Film/FantasticFour2015''. At the time of re-shoots, she wore a wig. [[ContinuitySnarl And it shows]].

* Creator/BillyDeeWilliams started working out and losing weight in preperation for his return as Lando Calrissian in Franchise/StarWars [[Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker Episode IX]]. This actually spoiled the film, since reports about it hit the internet before it was officially announced, and fans saw few other reasons for the 81-year old to start getting in shape.

* Rain (Korean pop star) spent 8 hours a day in intense physical training, while eating nothing but salad and chicken, to play the lead in ''Film/NinjaAssassin''.

** Creator/ScarlettJohansson dyed her hair red as Comicbook/BlackWidow (which also saw the return of another blonde dying her hair, Creator/GwynethPaltrow) for the sequel. In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' she not only kept the red but also cut her hair short, but then wore a wig in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier''. The only time Natasha had Scarlett's actual hair was ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.

*** Creator/ThomasHadenChurch put on 28 pounds of muscle and dropped 10 pounds of fat for Sandman.
*** In articles at the time, it was stated that they wanted him to gain more muscle weight but gave up on it due to Church pretty much hitting a plateau.

* Freddie Prinze Jr was turned down for the part of Ray in ''Film/IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer'' for being "too soft". He hit the gym and bulked up, also getting a haircut to win the part.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Creator/MaisieWilliams learned to swordfight with her left hand, despite being right-handed herself, in order to properly portray Arya Stark. She also cut her hair short for the second season.

* ''Series/TheBoys2019'' has Creator/AntonyStarr dyeing his hair blonde to play Homelander, and Creator/DominiqueMcEligott becoming auburn-colored for Queen Maeve. Both, along with Erin Moriarty's Starlight, also said their costumes fit the trope: Starlight's "squeezed my torso until I couldn't feel my organs" (Moriarty added being skintight gets even worse as she's padded both in the front for the cleavage, and the back to enhance the HeroicBuild), Maeve's corset prevented [=McElligott=] from properly bending, and the muscle padding in Homelander's suit made things very hot during the Toronto summer (Starr carried around a bag with iced water hosed onto his suit to keep himself cooled, joking he should've put in a pole to pretend it was an IV drip).

* Creator/TomHanks grew a rather lengthy, unkempt beard and lost 30 pounds for ''Film/CastAway''. He gained the weight he was expected to lose during filming in advance, and the movie was put on hold while he lost it. He also slimmed down drastically to play an AIDS patient in ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}'', as well as putting on 25 pounds of fat to play the drunken Jimmy Dugan in ''Film/LeagueOfTheirOwn''. In recent years, he vowed to stop doing this as the constant weight gain and loss may have contributed to his type 2 diabetes.

* Creator/TomHanks grew a rather lengthy, unkempt beard and lost 30 pounds for ''Film/CastAway''. He gained the weight he was expected to lose during filming in advance, and the movie was put on hold while he lost it. He also slimmed down drastically to play an AIDS patient in ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}''.

* Creator/TomHardy (five-foot-ten, 180 lbs) put on forty pounds of muscle to play [[AxeCrazy British prisoner]] [[NamesTheSame Charles Bronson]] in ''Film/{{Bronson}}''. He got even bigger to play Bane.

** To play the role of Dorita “Dottie” Perez in ''Film/ThePerezFamily'', she had to do exercises to strengthen her arms and thighs, wear skin dye and go through a fattening regimen that added about 20 pounds, which gave her a figure. more curvaceous and voluptuous that earned her enough praise in the press when the film was released.

* Creator/SteveCarell's body-waxing scene in ''Film/TheFortyYearOldVirgin'' was [[PainfulBodyWaxing authentic]]. The results of the waxing are relevant to later scenes in the movie, so Carell had to have kept his chest hair in that condition for a while.

** Creator/EwanMcGregor actually grew his hair long so that the braid he wore as a Padawan would be his own hair, while the rest of the growth was shorn close, to play Obi-Wan. He also grew a beard for ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' and ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', though during reshoots of the former, he wore a wig and a fake beard as he had shaved his head for ''Film/BlackHawkDown'', which was set to begin production after reshoots wrapped up.