Vincent D’Onofrio is best known for his iconic role as the overweight, troubled Marine recruit Leonard in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket. Though praised for the performance, the role drastically altered his appearance and briefly stalled his popularity.
To land the part, D’Onofrio—then a fit 6-foot-3 actor—gained nearly 80 pounds and shaved his head, the most weight ever gained by an actor for a role. He later recalled how people treated him differently, even mistaking him for being unintelligent due to his appearance.
Born in Brooklyn, D’Onofrio started on stage and supported himself with odd jobs like bouncing, cab driving, and bodyguarding for Yul Brynner and Robert Plant. A push from friend Matthew Modine helped him land the audition for Kubrick’s film, which became a career breakthrough.
D’Onofrio credits Kubrick for launching his career, which includes over 50 films and TV roles, such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Daredevil, Jurassic World, and The Break-Up. He also authored Pigs Can’t Look Up in 2023.
His personal life saw ups and downs. He has a daughter, actress Leila George, with former partner Greta Scacchi. In 1997, he married Dutch model Carin van der Donk; they had two sons but filed for divorce in 2023 after a long and rocky relationship.
D’Onofrio, who turned 64 in June 2023, continues to work steadily, recently appearing in The Unforgivable with Sandra Bullock and the comedy Dumb Money.