Actors who went through drastic transformations for their roles

There are socialites and celebrities, and then there are actors who are truly dedicated to their craft.

AcidCow has compiled a list of Hollywood stars who went to extremes so that they could immerse themselves in their movie roles.

For instance, you have probably heard about how Christian Bale lost a tremendous amount of weight for psychological thriller The Machinist. But did you know that he later 'ballooned' up for drama film Backseat?

Check out the gallery for more images.

• entertainment
• celebrities
• transformation
• weight gain
• weight loss