20 actors who were completely unrecognisable in their roles

Sometimes the physical appearance of a character is adapted so well by actors that it becomes hard to recognize them. Here is a list of 20 actors who were completely unrecognizable in their roles -

20) Robbin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire

Robin Williams in the 1930 movie, Mrs. Doubtfire, portrays a father who disguises himself as a woman to reconcile with his children. So for this disguise, the makeup artists of the movie used prosthetics to soften his features, used wigs, and a lot of makeup which took almost 4 hours every day. But this hectic process did result in creating an amazing-looking, kind-hearted Mrs. Doubtfire.

19) David Harbour in Hellboy

In Hellboy, David Harbour portrays a demon who has turned into a hero. To fit his role, he had a full face of prosthetics with horns, scars, and other unruly features of a demon. Although he underwent a lot of exercises for weight gain he even had to wear a muscle suit. After he was ready, he had to be airbrushed entirely in a crimson shade. These extensive processes did help achieve the hulking look of David Harbour.

18) John Travolta in Hairspray

Actor John Travolta in the movie Hairspray portrays a shy mother. You almost wouldn't be able to recognize that he is the same actor who did the lead roles in Grease and Pulp Fiction. For this transformation, he had to wear a 30-pound suit. He had heavy makeup on his face to give him feminine features. He even wore brightly colored wigs to look the part.

17) Anjelica Hutson in The Addams Family

Addams Family was a classic movie in 1993. Anjelica Houston who plays Morticia Addam became an inspiration for gothic fashion. Her unrecognizable transformation required very pale makeup and severe contouring with blood-red lipstick. She was given a sleek long black wig. In fact, an innovative way used to give her a hypnotic gaze was to focus a beam of light directly at her pupils.

16) Danny DeVito in Batman Returns

Danny DeVito in Batman Returns portrays the role of the villain - The Penguin. To make the audience dislike him he had to be given a particularly ugly look. For that, the makeup team used a four-hour process of prosthetics to give him a sickly nose. He had to wear a padded suit and even wore prosthetic gloves for his almost grotesque fingers.

15) Glenn Close in Hook

Actress Glenn Close made a cameo in the 1991 movie - Hook, based on the life of the pirate Captain Hook. Nobody was able to recognize her in the cameo. She portrayed a male pirate and was completely transformed with manly prosthetic features, a beard, and a wig. Her outfits included a proper pirate costume with a shirt, vest, and even a bandana.

14) Jim Carrey in Grinch

In the infamous - How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Actor Jim Carrey portrays the Grinch. For this look, the very popular makeup artist - Rick Baker was hired. A full-body suit and prosthetics were used. Carrey even wore yellow contact lenses. This entire process took eight hours daily and the movie ended up winning an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

13) Eddie Murphy in Coming 2 America

Coming 2 America has actor Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem. Rick Baker was again involved in this transformation process. As this movie was a sequel to Coming to America, aging makeup and prosthetics were used. In fact, in the movie, Eddie Murphy also portrays several other characters, so to separate him from each one, the makeup played a crucial role.

12) Oscar Issac in X-Men: Apocalypse

In X-Men: Apocalypse, Oscar Issac portrays the role of En Sabah Nor, who is an ancient mutant. He was given a blue and purplish skin with full body of prosthetics. His transformation was highly dependent on the makeup and costume and so it had to be done precisely. His metallic armor and headpiece were very intricately designed and contributed further to his appearance as En Sabah Nor.

11) Karen Gillian in Guardians of the Galaxy

Actor Karen Gillian acts as Nebula, a robot, in the Marvel movie - Guardian of the Galaxy. For the role, she had to shave her head and use prosthetics for the robot body. She was airbrushed with a vibrant blue colour that looked almost metallic. The entire transformation process took 4-5 hours daily.

10) James McAvoy in The Chronicles of Narnia

In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, James McAvoy plays the role of a Faun, called Mr. Tumnus. His transformation included not only prosthetics but also CGI. He had to wear prosthetic pointed ears and a curly wig. His makeup was reddish brown and helped blend the prosthetics into his real skin. CGI was used for his goat legs and gave him a realistic appearance of a Faun.

9) Ralph Fiennes in Harry Potter Franchise

Ralph Fiennes portrays the role of the iconic villain - Lord Voldemort, in the Harry Potter Franchise. Voldemort is famous for having no nose and for that prosthetics were used with just two slits on a flat surface. For his pale veiny skin, intricate makeup was used and he wore a bald cap to hide his hair. The transformation was incredible and Ralph Fiennes embraced the mannerisms of Voldemort in an excellent manner.

8) Jared Leto in House of Gucci

Jared Leto portrays the role of an outcast, Paolo Gucci in the film House of Gucci. His 6-hour-long transformation included facial prosthetics, receding hairline, aged makeup with wrinkles, and body suits. He even adapted the slouchy posture of Paolo and adapted the role so well that no one could recognize that it was Jared Leto behind the makeup.

7) Emma Thompson in Nanny McPhee

Emma Thompson for her role as Nurse Matilda in Nanny McPhee had to undergo a severe transformation to achieve the ‘ugly’ look the role demanded. She was given a thick unibrow and a large tooth, almost protruding out of her face. It was added with the help of dental prosthetics. Her makeup had a pale tone and she wore a tight oily wig.

6) Jamie Campbell in Stranger Things

Stranger Things star, actor Jamie Campbell as Vecna has one of the best transformations. His transformation took almost 8 hectic hours. While CGI was used in some places, the majority of the look was achieved through makeup and prosthetics. He was given a full face of prosthetics that was so delicately designed that he could still portray emotions. He had long claw-like fingers and worked with vocal coaches to deepen his voice.

5) Bill Skarsgard in IT

Bill Skarsgard portrays one of the most horrifying characters - Pennywise the Dancing Clown from the movie - It: Chapter Two. His makeup required painting him entirely white and then outlining his features with red paint. Prosthetics were used to enlarge his forehead and cheekbones, while dentures were used for his teeth. Most of his emotions were reflected through his eyes and body movements. It was a phenomenal transformation for which he won many awards.

4) Charlize Theoron in Monsters

Charlize Theron portrays the serial killer - Aileen Wuornos in the movie - Monster. For her unrecognizable transformation, she gained 30 pounds, used dental prosthetics, and even used makeup to change her skin to sunburned and filled with acne. Her eyebrows were bleached and reshaped and she had to wear an unkept wig.

3) Austin Butler in Dune: Part Two

For his role as Feyd Rautha in Dune: Part Two, Austin Butler underwent a striking transformation. He wore a bald cap and bleached his eyebrows. Makeup was used to give his eyes an Alien-like appeal. His skin was airbrushed white. Austin Butler says this transformation felt “liberating” to him.

2) Idirs Elba in Star Trek : Beyond

Idris Elba for his role as the villain Krall in Star Trek underwent significant transformation too. After his skin was airbrushed blue, he was given reptilian ridges using prosthetics. His makeup took 3 - 4 hours. His alien look was so perfect that no one could recognize him.

1) Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

Perhaps one of the best unrecognizable transformations on-screen was of Heath Ledger in Joker. His makeup with green, red, and blue tones on pale white skin was flawless, but the majority of the credits went to his acting. His demeanor as Joker made him unrecognizable to his family, friends, and the cast of the movie. He embodied the character perfectly and locked himself in a room to get into the character. Even the way he spoke was entirely different from his real self thus making him completely unrecognizable.