Johnny Depp spent years studying gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson and even lived in his basement for a while. To play the pioneering American author, Depp spent as much time as he could with Thompson. He drank with him, followed Thompson’s unusual sleeping pattern, allowed Thompson to cut his hair, and, for some reason, ending up living in Thompson’s basement where he would obsessively read his writing archive.
These dramatic "live like the character" stories make me laugh. Adrien Brody sold off his stuff and moved to Europe with two bags to pretend to understand what it was like to be a concentration camp survivor. The key ingredient for all of them is missing...the reality of the situation and knowing that it's just all just pretend and going home to palatial digs when it's all done or in Brody's case, just going to an ATM and checking in to the most expensive hotel in Paris when you get tired of roughing it . All of this is just drama on and off the set.