Before he became famous, actor Vincent D’Onofrio worked as a nightclub bouncer, delivered flowers, hung curtains, and drove a cab. He even worked as a bodyguard for Yul Brynner and Robert Plant in order to finance his desire to find his spot in Hollywood. Vincent was encouraged to audition for Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket by friend and actor Matthew Modine after landing some on and off-Broadway roles and performing in low-budget films.
He appeared to be the ideal choice for the role of Leonard, a chubby, dimwitted man. However, the part came with a few requirements, one of which was that Vincent gain weight, which he did. In fact, he gained roughly 80 pounds for the role, which is the most any actor has ever gained for a job. He needed to get rid of his locks at the same time. “[Kubrick] asked me early on if I was okay with gaining this weight, and I went over there and gained about 30 pounds, and I remember him seeing it and saying,
‘You only look like you could kick everybody’s a**.'” He believed that extra weight would be required.” “I think it went up to 80 pounds…from 200 to 280,” Vincent said of the character he performed when he was 24.He was so convincing and performed so well in the role that fans confused him for the character he played. “People perceive you differently when you’re that large, and keep in mind my head was shaved, so it was like a completely new character from me being this long lanky actor to a big hefty guy with a bald head..
It was an odd life transition.” “It changed my life,” the Broken Horses performer continued. Women didn’t glance at me; most of the time, I was staring behind them as they ran away. People used to repeat themselves to me because they assumed I was stupid.” Vincent was able to lose weight and regain his former self just a year after the film’s debut.His career took off and he became a household celebrity in the film industry, but he credits it all to Kubrick.
“There’s no doubt that Stanley launched my career; I’ve done over 50 films as a result of him.” As a result of that.” Vincent, who is now 64, has been in Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001–2011), Marvel’s Daredevil (2015–2018), as well as the films Dying Young, The Break-Up, and Jurassic World. Pigs Can’t Look Up was published in 2023 by the New York-born director, producer, screenwriter, and actor.
The divorce of his parents and his mother’s marriage to George Meyer, a well-known American producer and writer, had a significant impact on Vincent’s life. He was romantically involved with actress Greta Scacchi in the 1990s, with whom he has a daughter, Leila George, who has subsequently begun an acting career.
Vincent and Greta appeared in the films The Player and Fires Within together.Vincent married Dutch model Carin van der Donk in 1997. They had a son in 1999, but their relationship soon fell apart. They divorced, but then reconnected and had their second child in 2008.
Vincent filed for divorce this year, bringing his 26-year marriage to an end. In 2021, he co-starred with Sandra Bullock in the film The Unforgivable. He’ll next be seen in the upcoming comedy Dumb Money.Vincent D’Onofrio is a fantastic actor.