18 Iconic Performances That Mentally Wrecked Fav Actors

In general, the movie industry has a dubious track record of characterizing psychological health in a genuine or even responsible light. Because of the perception of dramatic knowledge about mental health, it is all too often communicated as a means of broadcasting emotionalism or sensationalist headlines. Even when it's not either of those, its "craziness" is the suitable fuel for the horror genre, thanks to misconceptions about aggressive psychosis.

We constantly hear about method actors' diet plans, workouts, and body modifications. What we hear way less about is the emotional toll that it takes to lose weight, learn to play the guitar, or even just... write a daily diary as the Joker. From Heath Ledger, to Anne Hathaway to Johnny Depp–many of these stars journeyed to the very limits of their body and mind to master their roles.

Here are a few times actors put their mental health on the line to craft the iconic characters that we... briefly discussed on the way from AMC to Applebees: