Michael Keaton
Initially, Michael Keaton turned down the opportunity to appear in Spotlight. After all, he was exhausted after the grueling production of Birdman. However, he eventually agreed to star in the film, as the script was just too good for him to pass up.
And the results, to say the least, were impressive. Not only did Keaton garner awards nominations for his performance, the real Walter Robinson said that "[Watching Keaton onscreen] is like watching yourself in a mirror, yet having no control of the mirror image." He also remarked that "My persona has been hijacked. If Michael Keaton robbed a bank, the police would quickly have me in handcuffs."
Initially unwilling and nervous to star in the film, Keaton ended up being one of its standouts.
Mark Ruffalo
Like Keaton, Ruffalo spent a tremendous amount of time preparing for his role. In order to accurately portray Rezendes, Ruffalo committed himself to studying Rezendes. To that end, he took notes and recorded Rezendes' voice when the two met up. Ruffalo also had Rezendes say his lines offscreen before each take.Also like Keaton, Ruffalo's work paid off. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The real Mike Rezendes also remarked that "[Watching Ruffalo portray me onscreen] is like watching yourself in a mirror, yet having no control of the mirror image."
Rachel McAdams
For her role as Sacha Pfeffer, Rachel McAdams was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, indicating how good her performance was in the film. But that performance didn't come without a lot of hard work. McAdams studied Pfeffer and her mannerisms and prepared intensely for the role.
