With his slightly-starved turn in The Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio has established himself as the Oscar frontrunner who had to suffer for the role for which he was nominated. But with the announcement that she took up weightlifting for her role as a trapped mother in Room, Best Actress nominee Brie Larson just might give him a run for his money.
Larson and DiCaprio are Oscar-nominated for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively, and as we previously reported, both have taken home SAG, Critics' Choice, and Golden Globe Awards in the same categories. Following her win at Saturday's SAG Awards, Larson told People that her preparation for the role was not only emotionally taxing, but also physically strenuous.
"[Weightlifting] became such a huge part of the routine of making this movie," the 26-year-old actress said. "Every other day, I worked with this incredible trainer, and she would have me lift extreme weights over my head. Just having that, being able to deadlift before I went to work every morning, gave me this mental change that I never had before."
Larson's efforts certainly paid off in the short term, allowing her to gain 15 lbs of muscle for the film. It has certainly paid off in the long-term, as well, given the awards and nominations she's received for her performance.
You can check out our review of Room here.