15 Actors Who Became Unrecognizable For Their Roles

Performers have the uncanny ability to embody a character with nothing more than their acting talents. But sometimes, a role requires the skills of a makeup artist. Throughout film history, there have been many instances when an actor became unrecognizable for a project. In recent years, that has become easier, thanks to motion capture technology and visual effects. For example, Josh Brolin was wearing tennis balls and a bodysuit — not purple paint — while playing Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which made the character much less terrifying behind the scenes. 

However, it's always more impressive when the work is a combination of an actor's abilities and the makeup team's prowess. Whether they turned into a creature of the night or a real-life serial killer, the actors on this list are just some of the stars who became unrecognizable for one of their roles.

John Hurt's performance in David Lynch's "The Elephant Man" (1980) earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, and the film ultimately paved the way for the Best Makeup award. The character of John Merrick was based on Joseph Carey Merrick, a real-life English artist with a unique physical disability that landed him in a freak show in the 1880s.

Hurt rose to fame in the 1970s, so his face was recognizable by the time he was cast in the film. Lynch attempted to design the makeup himself, which caused some drama on set and led to Anthony Hopkins trying to get him fired. Lynch ended up conceding the job to Christopher Tucker, the makeup artist known for creating prosthetics featured in the cantina scene in "Star Wars." Tucker would go on be recognized for films such as "Quest for Fire" (1981) and The Company of Wolves" (1985) but never won awards for "The Elephant Man." 

In fact, the Academy received so many complaints about the lack of recognition for Tucker's work in "The Elephant Man" that the Best Makeup category was added to the Oscars the following year. The first prize went to Rick Baker for "An American Werewolf in London," but it was Tucker's work that changed the way makeup artists are viewed in Hollywood. 

Bill Skarsgård is no stranger to suiting up as horror villains. He became well-known after playing the infamous clown, Pennywise, in "It: Chapter One" (2017). While Skarsgård wasn't exactly recognizable as Stephen King's iconic character, many moviegoers didn't get to know his true face until his career continued to blossom. That's why it was a bit of a shock when fans first saw him as Count Orlock in Robert Eggers' "Nosteratu" (2024). 

There've been many iterations of Dracula onscreen over the last 100 years, with actors like Christopher Lee looking more or less like themselves (only paler) in the role. Much like Max Schreck, the German actor who originated the role in "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror" (1922), Skarsgård's look completely changed. 

When the film was released, prosthetic makeup effects designer David White spoke to Variety about Skarsgård's transformation. "Bill's time in the chair varied, from four and a half hours with just the head and hands, to six hours if he was in full body prosthetics. Prosthetic removal was approximately 45 minutes." 

White was nominated for Best Makeup at the Academy Awards alongside Traci Loader and Suzanne Stokes-Munton, but the team lost to "The Substance." 

Many Eddie Murphy roles could've made this list, but the star was most unrecognizable in "Coming to America" in 1988. In addition to playing Prince Akeem, Murphy also took on the roles of the barber Clarence and Sexual Chocolate lead singer Randy — but it was the part of Saul that really surprised fans. 

Saul was an old, white, Jewish man who was created by the film's director, John Landis. In 2005, Landis explained to Collider that he had read a book about Jewish vaudeville comedians who would don blackface in their acts. Landis thought Saul would be a smart way to poke fun at the bigoted practice. He hired "An American Werewolf in London" alum Rick Baker to do Murphy's prosthetics, and the character was ultimately modeled after Baker's father-in-law. 

During the interview, Landis also spoke about how Murphy worked differently when he was wearing prosthetics. "Once he was in the makeup, he was just as fresh as when he was nineteen," Landis explained. "He wasn't Eddie anymore. In fact, the people who made 'The Nutty Professor' said they loved working with Sherman Klump, but they hated working with Eddie Murphy."

"Coming to America" earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup but lost to "Beetlejuice." 

When "X" was released in 2022, horror fans had no idea Ti West was planning a trilogy. The film's post-credit scene had a surprise teaser for "Pearl," which was released later that year. Moviegoers first got to know Pearl as the grotesque, murderous old lady in "X," and many audience members didn't clock Mia Goth in the role. The actor portrayed Maxine and Pearl in the film, and while they were different in age (and homicidal tendencies), West saw them as kindred spirits. "They're two different characters, but kind of the same person," West explained in an interview with /Film. 

Goth had some say in how Pearl looked in the first film. "I think that Mia wanted the audience to connect more with Pearl in a human way instead of being disgusted and freaked out by her. So, we scaled back the more monster attributes," makeup designer Sarah Rubano shared with Bloody Disgusting

Tom Cruise is one of the most famous actors of all time, but the 2000s were a strange decade for the star. His infamous jump on Oprah Winfrey's couch in 2005 was offputting to the public, and his successful streak began to wane. Then, his surprise appearance in Ben Stiller's "Tropic Thunder" (2008) helped boost his likability. 

Cruise was originally being eyed for a different part in the film before he helped create Les Grossman, the foul-mouthed studio exec. Not only were the comically large hands Cruise's idea, but he also insisted on dancing. "At the makeup test, Tom started doing these moves, and there was no music playing, he just started doing this whole dance," Stiller shared in a recently unearthed interview. 

Cruise earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Golden Globes for "Tropic Thunder." 

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many actors have transformed for their roles. Zoe Saldaña (Gamora) and Dave Bautista (Drax) are just some of the stars who got used to the makeup chair while making MCU movies. One of the most unrecognizable actors in the franchise is Ben Mendelsohn. He played Talos, the friendly Skrull who teamed up with the titular hero in "Captain Marvel" (2019). 

Skrulls can transform into anyone, and while Talos briefly became a SHIELD agent who looks like Mendelsohn, his pure form is nothing like the actor's. Mendelsohn has had a vast career, but he became widely known after playing Orson Krennic in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." Many moviegoers didn't realize that the evil Imperial director and the displaced alien were one and the same.

In 2019, /Film spoke with Mendelsohn about what it meant to be a Skrull. "It's not too exorbitant," he explained of the makeup process. "They're awesome," he said of the makeup artists in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "It's not that big a deal, you know? It's get it on, you're Skrullin'. And we have an alright time while we do it. We listen to music. Lots of Skrull music."

The film's makeup team (Brian Sipe, Alexei Dmitriew, and Ssabrina Wilson) was nominated by The Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild. 

Luca Guadagnino's "Suspiria" (2018) was quite different from the original 1977 film. The newer version was about an hour longer, leaving room for Tilda Swinton to play multiple characters. Madame Blanc was clearly played by Swinton, but it'd take a more fine-tuned eye to realize she also played Helena Markos. As if that wasn't enough, Swinton portrayed Dr. Klemperer, the old man featured throughout the film. Swinton was completely unrecognizable as the doctor and wasn't even credited for the role. For a while, Swinton insisted that Dr. Klemperer was portrayed by Professor Lutz Ebersdorf. Eventually, Swinton and Guadagnino admitted the truth.

"Undeniably, I would have to say, for the sheer sake of fun above all," Swinton told the New York Times when asked about creating the fictional actor behind the fictional character. "As my grandmother would have it — a motto to live and die by — 'Dull Not To.'" 

Swinton's makeup was done by three-time Academy Award-winning artist, Mark Coulier. He previously did the star's old age makeup for "The Grand Budapest Hotel," which won him his second Oscar. While chatting with The Times, Coulier revealed Swinton requested a fake "penis and balls" for "Suspriria." "She had this nice, weighty set of genitalia so that she could feel it dangling between her legs ... and she managed to get it out on set on a couple of occasions," the artist noted.

Charlize Theron's take on real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkin's "Monster" (2003) is one of the most famous transformations on the list, and it earned her an Academy Award in 2004. While Theron's performance received acclaim, the film's makeup achievements went under-appreciated. Toni G was snubbed by the Academy, as well as most other prestigious awards. "Monster" was ineligible for the Makeup Artist Guild Awards that season, but G had hoped to be recognized by the Academy. "We'll keep our fingers crossed," G said to Variety around the time of the film's release.

"I painted [Charlize's] face the way I would paint foam latex, in layers of color washes and patterns, with freckles, veins, broken capillaries, highlight and shadows, " G shared. "She got up, popped her teeth in, lit a cigarette, and she was a different person ... Charlize was gone. All her mannerisms changed. It gave me goosebumps."

In 2001, G won a BAFTA for the makeup in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," a film that ended up putting one makeup artist in therapy. 

The Penguin, or Oz Cobb/Cobblepot, is a classic DC villain who has been played by multiple actors, ranging from Burgess Meredith to Danny DeVito. When it was announced that Colin Farrell would be taking on the role in Matt Reeves' "The Batman" (2022), fans were surprised. Farrell has been considered a heartthrob for over two decades, and that's not exactly the go-to type for the character. When the first look at Farrell as Oz was revealed, the Internet was flooded with jokes. However, once fans saw Farrell in the film, it was clear the actor was the perfect choice... after a little help from the makeup department.

Naomi Donne, "The Batman" makeup department head, previously spoke to Variety about Farrell. "I don't think I've ever stood in front of someone in makeup like that and forgotten it was makeup. I believed that makeup completely," she shared. Donne, Michael Fontaine, and Michael Marino were nominated together for Best Makeup at the Academy Awards but lost to "The Whale."

In 2024, Farrell played Oz again in the Max series, "The Penguin." The show was a huge hit and earned Farrell a Golden Globe and SAG Award. Despite the show's many accolades, Farrell has not been shy about disliking the makeup process.

"I don't know, man," Farrell previously told GamesRadar+. "Don't get me wrong –- I loved it -– but it got in on me a little bit. By the end of it, I was moaning to anyone who would listen to me that I wanted it to be finished. I tried to remind them that I had 'grumpy gratitude.' I was still grateful and still honored."

In 2007, Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There" saw Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw all taking on different Bob Dylan personas. Blanchett became nearly unrecognizable in the process, and her performance earned her a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination.

Unlike many actors on this list, it didn't take much for Blanchett to transform into the mid-'60s era Dylan. All she needed was a wig, eyebrows, and tooth guard. Much like Tilda Swinton in "Suspria," some of Blanchett's performance was motivated by her character's genitalia. In an interview (via Cassie Carpenter on YouTube), Blanchett talked about how her makeup artist friend encouraged her to get a "sock" for the role. 

"I had to work on how I was going to 'pack my lunch,' and it did affect the way I walked ... It's really hard having the plumbing on the outside of your body," she shared.

In 2025, Sebastian Stan was nominated for an Academy Award for "The Apprentice," but many felt he should have been recognized for his performance in "A Different Man," which won him a Golden Globe. Stan embodied the role of Edward, a man with neurofibromatosis who undergoes an experimental treatment that transforms his look. The film also stars Adam Pearson, an actor who has neurofibromatosis in real life. In the scenes featuring Stan as pre-treatment Edward, he is unrecognizable. 

Makeup artist Michael Marino, who was nominated for the film alongside David Presto and Crystakl Jurado, spoke to Variety about Stan's transformation, saying, "Sebastian had hours before he had to go to set. So during that time, he was now living in this makeup in New York City, wandering around, living an experience of what Adam may be living. He got an authentic view of how people perceive you and look at you when you have something on your face or something that's different."

"On Broadway, one of the busiest streets in New York, no one's looking at me," Stan recalled of the experience. "It's as if I'm not even there ... Somebody would immediately stop and very blatantly hit their friend, point, take a picture."

"A Different Man" ultimately lost the Oscar to "The Substance." 

Andy Serkis is a natural chameleon known for changing the motion capture game with his performance as Gollum in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, a role he will soon be taking on again. As it turns out, he's also good at hiding behind prosthetics. You may not have noticed the beloved star in "Long Shot," the 2019 comedy starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogan. Serkis played the wealthy media mogul, Peter Wembley, who was created to poke fun at obscenely rich men like Rupert Murdoch.  

"The biggest thing was that he decided to be in prosthetic makeup for six hours a day," director Jonathan Levine explained to CinemaBlend. "But you start to realize that this is how Andy Serkis accesses characters. If you think about Andy Serkis' career, it's facial expressions; it's very primal stuff. And so that really helped him figure out this guy."

Gary Oldman is another actor known for disappearing into his roles, and multiple projects in his filmography required makeup. From Francis Ford Coppola's  "Dracula" (1992) to Ridley Scott's "Hannibal" (2001), Oldman is no stranger to prostetics. However, his transformation into Winston Churchill in Joe Wright's "Darkest Hour" (2017) has become notorious, and many consider it the best performance of his career. Not only did Oldman win an Oscar for the film, but the artists behind his look — Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, and Lucy Sibbick — took home the prize for Best Makeup. 

"Likeness makeup is almost impossible to pull off because everybody looks different," Tsuji previously explained to Variety. "If the two people have proportions that are close, it's easier. But these two are totally different. So I had to figure out the best balance to make him look like Churchill, but not [like he's] wearing a mask."

A fan-favorite metamorphosis is Glenn Close in Steven Spielberg's "Hook" (1991), which /Film considers one of her best performances. The esteemed actress took on the role of a pirate who was sent to the "boo box" by the film's titular villain. Toward the beginning of 2025, Close spoke about the cameo in an interview with the Today Show, and a new wave of fans learned for the first time that she was in the film. During the production, some people on set thought Close was a real man. "The script girl tried to hit on me," Close revealed. 

"Hook" artists Christina Smith, Monty Westmore, and Greg Cannom received an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup. They lost the award to "Terminator 2: Judgement Day." 

FX's "Atlanta" has many memorable episodes, but fans of the show will never forget the release of season 2, episode 6, "Teddy Perkins." Donald Glover wrote the episode and took on the titular role. It was a deviation from the show's usual formula and earned Glover an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The character even made an appearance at the ceremony, but Glover was there as himself, so the person behind the prosthetics remains a mystery. In the episode, the end credits list "Teddy Perkins as himself."  

"Atlanta" star Lakeith Stanfield did not initially realize it was Glover playing the role. "I didn't see any prosthetics, so I didn't know. I had no idea who it was, and I still don't quite know, so it was very weird for me," the actor told Entertainment Weekly.

Shoutout to the "Atlanta" makeup team for creeping people out in a big way.