5 Actors Who Lost or Gained an Astonishing Amount of Weight to Terrify in Horror Movies

Natalie Portman – Black Swan

Black Swan was an amazing blend of psychological horror, desperation and outright identity loss. In the picture, Natalie Portman portrays Nina Sayers, a struggling but dedicated dancer who is essentially forced to fight for the lead role in Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.” But the battle to win that role also tears her apart at the seams, mentally speaking.

Hallucinations and complete loss of control and understanding begin to drag Sayers into dark depths from which she may not be able to recover. It’s a spine tingling piece of film with visuals that leap from the screen leaving viewers ice cold and deeply disconcerted.

Portman was forced to lose 20 pounds to play the role, and while that weight loss is definitely visible, it’s not the only reason Portman produced such a successful showing. Watching her on screen, one gets the sense that the lovely Harvard grad may have struggled to maintain her sanity while filming the movie.

Black Swan may not have made your must-see horror movie list, but believe this, you’ll never see a film about dance that proves to be so frightening and macabre. Black Swan may be the greatest horror film that isn’t necessarily a pure horror film.

Continue the slideshow.