Actors Who Went Too Far For Roles: Shia LeBeouf

As a former actress, I feel twitchy when I hear that an actor uses the Method. What that means essentially, is that the actor feels they need to immerse themselves in the role, on and off screen, in order to give a believable performance. This can be something relatively harmless like taking boxing lessons to prepare for the role of a boxer. Or doing something more intense, like dropping acid in preparation for an acid trip scene.

This is what Shia LeBeouf admitted to doing for his film “The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman.” He actually set aside a day to trip on acid to make sure he was prepared.

“There’s a way to do an acid trip like ‘Harold & Kumar,’ and there’s a way to be on acid … What I know of acting, Sean Penn actually strapped up to that [electric] chair in ‘Dead Man Walking.’ These are the guys that I look up to,” he said.

He must have been on acid when he decided to wear his hair like this. But seriously, doing illegal, mind-altering drugs for a role is, in my opinion, taking it too far for the craft. I believe in using your creativity and imagination, not acid, to get a good performance. Click through to see more celebs who took it a shade too far for the parts they played. [USA Today]