Eating ones own fingers plays havoc with digestion
"What are you, some kind of doomsday machine, boy?"

that cheese diet was probably it. if so, he really nailed it.
Season's Greetings!

Not sure what constipated acting means but as far as despicable characters that you hope don't turn up in your dreams, much less in real life,
he was it
. Just like one or two in several if not all of Lee's stories that I have read.
Maybe the director told him to eat only cheese for a few days and not to poop - to get into character.
. Ephemeron.