We have gotten our asses kicked in America, but part of it is for a good reason. There was an incredibly long list of offenders before us, dilettante actors who put out an album just because they had the opportunity and finances to do so. We’ve been doing this for a long time, and I think that story has righted itself.

You got down to 116 pounds in less than a month to play an AIDS-afflicted transgendered person in “Dallas Buyers Club.” I’d love to be 25 pounds lighter for a wedding in a couple of weeks. Any tips?

Yes. The No. 1 rule is you have to stop eating. The No. 2 rule is you have to stop eating. And the No. 3 rule is you have to drink a lot of water. It’s really about calories and math. There were some days where I had maybe like half a cucumber. I ate very, very little.

Did the director say you needed to do it for the part?

No, nobody told me to lose any weight. Not only was the character dying of AIDS, but he was also a drug addict, and I thought it was appropriate to put myself in that place.

But you lost a ton of weight for “Requiem for a Dream” too. Should we be worried?

No, not at all. I gained 60 pounds for ‘‘Chapter 27.’’ For me, it’s a job, it’s something that I do to serve the character. It is not fun at all. I love to eat.

For years, it seemed as if talking about playing Jordan Catalano in “My So-Called Life” made you itchy. Why?