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American Sniper: Bradley Cooper 'ate every 55 minutes' to bulk up for role as Chris Kyle

The Oscar-nominated actor ate around 8000 calories per day while filming

Tuesday 20 January 2015 17:26 GMT

Bradley Cooper as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in American Sniper (Warner Bros)

Bradley Cooper ate four times the recommended number of calories per day to prepare for his lead role in American Sniper, it has been revealed.

The Hollywood actor put on more than 40 pounds to play late Navy SEAL Chris 'Legend' Kyle in the Oscar-nominated film, while also adhering to a strict fitness regime.

“He was eating about every 55 minutes or something like that, and I want to say it was about 8,000 calories a day,” writer and producer Jason Hall told People.

“Bradley used his own trainer, who was busting on him. I think he was working out four hours a day for several months. He was determined to do it naturally, he didn’t want to use any hormones or steroids or anything.”

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

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1/10Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club

McConaughey committed to a strict diet ahead of playing Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club. He lost a massive 47lbs after surviving on a spoonful of tapioca pudding, Diet Coke and chicken each day.

AP

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Tom Hanks in Castaway

Production was halted on Castaway for a year to allow Hanks time to lose 50lbs ahead of his time on a deserted island. The actor survived mainly on crabs, coconuts and coconut milk. During the first two weeks of his diet he could fit an entire meal in the palm of his hand.

Rex Features

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in Black Swan

Kunis, pictured here, and Portman both lost around 20lbs each for their roles as ballerines in 2010's Black Swan. Portman explained that most of her weight loss had come from the daily intense ballet training the cast were put through.

AP

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Christian Bale in Batman

To play Christopher Nolan's darker version of the superhero, Bale gained 100lbs on a high protein diet accompanied by hardcore physical training. He was then asked to drop 20lbs of it as the director said he was too bulky. Previously, Bale had lost 60lbs eating mainly coffee and apples for his role as an emaciated insomniac in psychological thriller The Machinist.

Rex Features

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Ashton Kutcher in Jobs

Kutcher embarked on the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs' fruitarian diet ahead of playing him in a biopic about his life and career. The actor lost nearly 20lbs but was briefly hospitalised as a result.

AP

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Robert De Niro in Raging Bull

In the original Raging Bull, based on the life of aging boxer Jake LaMotta, De Niro put on 60lbs. To play the actor in his prime earlier in the film, however, De Niro endured extensive physical training, including entering three real boxing matches - he won two.

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables

The actress lost 10lb in just three weeks before filming for the role of destitute Fantine in the movie adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. She then shed a further 15lb while shooting. Hathaway lived on a diet of 'oatmeal paste'.

AP

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry

Swank lived as man for a month and experienced extreme weight fluctuation before filming for her role as Teena Brandon in 1999's Boys Don't Cry. Her character becomes the male Brandon Teena during the film. Swank reduced her body fat to just 7 per cent and even bound her breasts with bandages in an effort to make her performance realistic.

Rex Features

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Renée Zellweger in Bridget Jones' Diary

The US actress gained 20lbs to play the awkward thirtysomething Bridget in the classic 2011 rom-com. She went from a size 4 to a size 14 before slimming down again afterwards.

Actors who have undertaken extreme diets for movie roles

Matt Damon in The Informant

To play Mark Whitacre in Steven Soderbergh's 2009 character study, Damon piled on 30lbs. He lived on steak, Doritos crisps, beer and whatever other fatty foods he could find - nice.

Warner Bros

In dedication to the role, Cooper watched hours of real footage of Kyle to make his portrayal as accurate as possible and worked with a vocal coach twice daily to sound the part too.

“There were moments where they’d get him at a certain angle and you just felt Chris, you felt the essence of Chris,” said Hall. “Standing behind the monitors, I’d just get goosebumps rushing up my legs.”

Coper is up for best actor at next month's Academy Awards, when he will compete with British actors Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch.

American Sniper broke US box office records last weekend to score the highest-earning January opening with $99.5 million.

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