Vincent D’Onofrio is best known for his memorable role as the clumsy Marine recruit in Stanley Kubrick’s movie Full Metal Jacket. However, his popularity decreased after that.
The ruggedly handsome actor, who turned 64 on June 30, 2023, had to change his appearance drastically for the role. This change made women, who once loved his curly dark hair and athletic build, less interested in him.
D’Onofrio has a long and varied career. He always gives his best to every role, transforming completely into his characters, making people forget who he really is.
Born in Brooklyn, D’Onofrio started in stage productions, both off-Broadway and on. He had many side jobs to support his acting dreams, including working as a bodyguard for Yul Brynner and Robert Plant.
In his early days, he worked as a nightclub bouncer, delivered flowers, hung drapes, and drove a cab to make ends meet.
After acting in a few low-budget films, his friend Matthew Modine suggested he send an audition tape to Stanley Kubrick, who was casting for his next big movie.
The 6-foot-3 D’Onofrio, who was very fit at the time, won the role of Leonard, a fat, dim-witted character, but had to meet some tough conditions.
Working with Kubrick was a life-changing experience for D’Onofrio, allowing him to fully dive into his character and push his acting limits in a challenging environment.
At 24, D’Onofrio had to shave his head and gain 70 to 80 pounds for the role, the most weight any actor has gained for a role.
Kubrick initially asked if he was okay with gaining weight, and after D’Onofrio gained 30 pounds, Kubrick felt he still looked too strong. So, D’Onofrio ended up gaining about 80 pounds, going from 200 to 280 pounds.
Gaining weight for the role was tough for D’Onofrio, especially when he had to perform the intense boot-camp scenes in the movie. Normally, obstacle courses would have been easy for him with his athletic build, but they were very challenging at 280 pounds.
D’Onofrio’s incredible performance as the chubby, dim-witted, and mentally disturbed Leonard earned him a lot of praise from critics. However, some fans started confusing him with his character.
“People treat you differently when you’re that size,” D’Onofrio said. “My head was shaved, so I looked completely different from my usual long, lanky self. I turned into this big, burly guy with a bald head. It was a very strange life change.”
He added, “It changed my life. Women didn’t look at me anymore; I mostly saw their backs as they ran away. People even talked to me slowly, thinking I was stupid.”
A year after filming Full Metal Jacket, Vincent D’Onofrio had a full head of hair again and his body returned to its original size.
Today, the New York-born director, producer, screenwriter, and actor, who wrote the 2023 book “Pigs Can’t Look Up,” credits his long career to Stanley Kubrick.
“Stanley made my career, there’s no question about that. I’ve done over 50 films because of him and that part,” D’Onofrio said. He has had many roles in both film and TV, including Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001-2011) and Marvel’s Daredevil (2015-2018). His movies include Dying Young, The Break-Up, and Jurassic World.
D’Onofrio’s life was greatly impacted by his parents’ divorce when he was a child. His mother remarried George Meyer, a well-known American producer and writer, and the family moved to Hialeah, Florida. As a child, D’Onofrio was quiet and often spent time alone in his room, deep in thought.
While living in Florida, he became interested in magic and learned sleight of hand from Cuban performers who ran a small magic store.
In the early 1990s, Vincent D’Onofrio was romantically involved with actress Greta Scacchi. They appeared together in several films, including The Player and Fires Within. They have a daughter named Leila George, born around 1991 or 1992, who has also become an actress.
In 1997, Vincent D’Onofrio married Carin van der Donk, a Dutch model. They had their first son in 1999. However, their relationship had problems in the early 2000s, leading to a separation. They later got back together and had a second son in 2008.
In June 2023, D’Onofrio filed for divorce in Manhattan Supreme Court, ending his 26-year marriage with Carin van der Donk.
D’Onofrio appeared with Sandra Bullock in the 2021 film The Unforgivable and will be in the upcoming comedy Dumb Money.
Vincent D’Onofrio was fantastic in Full Metal Jacket and his mental decline as Leonard is incredibly believable!
He looks totally different now, as to be expected many decades later, but we still enjoy his performances!
What do you think about his portrayal of the dumb, fat Leonard?
‘He just has a giant brain,’ Paris Hilton reacted strongly to internet comments about her son’s head
Paris Hilton and husband Carter Reum welcomed their first child together, Phoenix Barron, through a surrogate.
As expected, the reality TV star turned entrepreneur was over the moon to become a mother of a healthy baby boy.
And, as any mother out there, Hilton has been eager to share a photo of her no 9-month-old baby on the social media. On October 19, she posted a cute image of herself and her son with the caption, “My precious angel baby Phoenix’s first time in NYC.”
Sadly, however, people can be cruel at times and they don’t seem to spare anyone from criticism, especially celebrities.
Out of nowhere, the comment section under her post was filled with cruel words mocking the baby. Many of the remarks were focused on the toddler’s head size.
“You need to have your baby evaluated by a pediatric neurosurgeon, he has a pretty large fontanelle (soft spot) and macrocrania, he would likely need a MRI or US to rule out blockage of spinal fluid in his brain to be on the safe side,” one person wrote.
Added another: “Does he have encephalitis? Like what is actually going on I’m not trying to be rude that doesn’t seem normal.”
The comments Hilton received about the looks of her son were beyond cruel, and she decided to stand up for him.
On X, Hilton wrote, “Living life in the spotlight, comments are inevitable, but targeting my child, or anyone else’s for that matter, is unacceptable.
“This hurts my heart more deeply than words can describe,” the television personality said.
“I’ve worked hard to cultivate an environment that is all about love, respect, and acceptance, and I expect the same in return,” she continued.
“If I don’t post my baby, people assume I’m not a great mother, and if I do post him, there are some people who are cruel and hateful. I’m a proud working mom, and my baby is perfectly healthy, adorable and angelic.”
She ended the post by saying that she hopes that “people can treat one another with more kindness and empathy.”
Triggered by another mean comment on TikTok, Hilton explained, “There are some sick people in this world. My angel is perfectly healthy. And yes, of course, he has been to a doctor; he just has a large brain.”
Speaking to People, Hilton shared that she gets help from her family and loved ones in raising Phoenix Barron. “[My parents] are just so obsessed with him,” Hilton said. “I’m always calling my mom and my sister [Nicky Hilton] for advice, and I’m really lucky that I’m so close with my family, so I have such a big support group.”
We are so very sorry Hilton and her husband faced such negativity from people who don’t even know them.
No child, or any person in general, should ever be a subject of mocking and harassment.
Leave a Reply