You're always working in the movie. Never was I me, and never have I been me, nor was he him. We were the two characters. But the character that I was playing was informed by my DNA, looking at him informed by his.
I put on close to 60 pounds for 'Genesis,' an independent movie from New Zealand.
I was in good shape from Divergent. Damien Chazelle, the director of Whiplash told me, 'Stop Working Out! Don't go outside!' He wanted me pale and doughy. This is the first movie where I shut myself off from the world. It was, by far, the hardest thing I've ever done.
I think, before 'Watchmen,' I was the guy from 'Grey's Anatomy' who's a pretty good guy, a pretty charming sweet guy, and so as an actor, I really wanted to do something as far from that as I could.
In 'Begum Jaan,' a lot of people did not recognize me as my look was different. That is the big thing and it means you have gone so much into your character.
I did a film a few years ago where I gained a lot of weight for it. I was happy to do that because it was called for in the script.
As an actor, you gain weight, you lose weight, you change your hair color, and you make changes physically and emotionally to be able to understand the character.
I went from 220 pounds that I cut down for 'Moneyball' to almost 270-280 pounds for 'Ten Year.'
I like to disappear into a role. I equate the success of it with a feeling of being chemically changed.
