45 Stars Who Look Nothing Like Their On-Screen Characters
11. Vanessa Hudgens
We all remember Vanessa Hudgens getting her breakthrough role in High School Musical. But in 2013, she was cast in a completely different role in an independent movie about a young teen struggling with abuse from her mother called Gimme Shelter. In the film, she plays a young girl who spent a lot of time in foster care and is eventually reunited with her father.
Unfortunately, he rejects her after finding out she is pregnant and wants to keep the baby, and she has to make a new life for herself at a shelter for pregnant teenagers. Vanessa Hudgens had to make drastic changes in her appearance to play the part. This is not how she looks every day.
12. Rooney Mara
Rooney Mara got her big breakthrough when she got the role of Lisbeth Sanders in the American adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Lisbeth is a hacker with a turbulent upbringing who is eventually hired by a Swedish journalist to work with him on a murder case.
Mara had to undergo an extreme transformation to prepare for the role of Lisbeth. She had got piercings, cut her hair, and shaved her eyebrows. Her performance was well-received, landing her a lot of nominations for several awards, including for a Golden Globe and an Oscar in the Best Actress category.
13. Bette Midler
Hocus Pocus is undoubtedly one of Bette Midler’s most famous roles. In this 1993 Disney movie, the iconic actress plays the role of Winifred Sanderson, who was executed with her sisters after being found guilty of witchcraft at the infamous Salem trials. She and her sister had, however, cast a spell to allow them to resurrect if a virgin lights a magical candle. That’s precisely what happens in 1993, and the three evil witches are brought back to life, determined to capture the souls of innocent children to maintain their eternal youth.
Hocus Pocus is a cult movie for the ’90s kids. The film is hilarious and entertaining, and Bette, like the rest of the cast, is fantastic in it. Sadly, some of them might not know that Bette Midler is an accomplished singer and actress, and has done many other things with her career.
14. Drew Barrymore
This is a classic movie for ’90s teens. In this 1999 movie called Never Been Kissed, Drew Barrymore is Josie Geller, a girl who was a geek back in high school. Now an adult and working as an editor, she is being told to go undercover as a high school student to prepare a report on the lives of young teenagers. In the beginning, she is being ridiculed and rejected for her poor fashion taste, but she slowly starts to erase her bad memories and fit in.
Drew Barrymore certainly had to wear ridiculous and unflattering clothing to play the part of Josie. Everyone can relate to the movie with their own high school experience. We were all ready to make efforts to fit in and felt sad when we were rejected.
15. Cameron Diaz
Since the ’90s, everyone knows Cameron Diaz for her iconic roles in The Mask, and There’s Something About Mary. In 1999, she played a part in the movie Being John Malkovich, where she wasn’t exactly the sexy girl we are so used to. She plays the role of Lotte, a woman obsessed with her pets, who finally can explore her transgender desires when she is given a portal that allowed her to penetrate the mind of the actor John Malkovich.
This was a role so different from the charming, naive, amusing, and sometimes flirty girls she was often playing back in the ’90s. The person in charge of the makeup department for the film said it was quite a challenge to make such a beautiful woman look so ordinary.
16. Kate McKinnon
Kate McKinnon is one of the funniest women in the television and movie industry, and proved her acting talent with many unforgettable performances on Saturday Night Live. While there, she gained a reputation for her spot-on impressions of celebrities.
She has said there are many advantages to changing how you look, talk, and behave. She rose to stardom in 2016, during the US election campaign where her imitations of Hillary Clinton got her a lot of attention. She often speaks about it and how much she admires her.
17. Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix is a brilliant actor that many consider to be the most talented of his generation. His movies include Her, Gladiator, The Master, and Walk the Line. Joaquin, known for his deep voice, likes acting challenges and often plays emotionally and mentally troubled characters. The passing of his brother, River Phoenix, at a very young age, left a deep mark on him.
He finally got the recognition he deserved from his peers in 2020. The critics and the cinephiles alike unanimously praised his sensational performance and transformation in the movie Joker. The movie got him his first Oscar and another Golden Globe.
18. Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is a living legend. In 2014. she was cast in the film Into the Woods, in which she played the part of the Witch. The producers successfully turned her into a scary creature you would be afraid to meet in a forest or a dark alley somewhere. If you know her work, you know that she can be very convincing as a threatening witch.
There is a point in the movie where the witch transforms herself into a beautiful woman after the evil spell is finally lifted. That version is way closer to the legendary actress we all adore in real life. Is there anything she can’t do? She got her 19th nomination for an Oscar for Into The Woods!
19. Johnny Depp
Another actor who doesn’t need an introduction is Johnny Depp. He starred in several films like the Pirates of The Caribbean franchise, Finding Neverland, Sleepy Hollow, From Hell, Edward Scissorhands and so many more. In 2015, he accepted a role in the movie Black Mass.
He played the role of a mobster who is convinced by the FBI to become an informant. His transformation is so well executed that you can barely recognize him in the film.
20. Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek was cast in her dream role in 2002 when director Julie Taylor offered her the lead on her biopic of Frida Kahlo which was simply titled Frida. The movie retells the story of the celebrated Mexican artist and what’s more, the two women share an uncanny resemblance.
She recreated the painter’s famous unibrow with the help of the makeup artist. In an interview, she admitted she disliked Kahlo’s paintings when she was younger, but as she grew older, she started to admire the passion the artist put into her work. She was amazing in the movie.
