5-Minute Crafts
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10 Famous People Who Bear an Uncanny Resemblance to Their Onscreen Personas

There is nothing new about seeing world-famous historical figures and their unusual lives in Hollywood blockbusters. Actors prepare a lot to be able to show their personalities in the right way, but the costumes and their overall appearance always attracts a lot of attention.

5-Minute Crafts has made sure that you get to see the uncanny resemblance between real-life photos of important people from history and their on-screen versions.

1. Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian-American inventor whose inventions were crucial for the production and distribution of electric power based on an alternating current. Besides that, he discovered terrestrial stationary waves, invented the Tesla coil, and installed an electric power station at Niagara Falls. Many of his ideas never saw the light of the day but remain noted in his manuscripts.

In the 2020 film Tesla, it was Ethan Hawke who played the role of the inventor. The movie covers the period of Tesla’s life when he interacted with Edison and made his scientific breakthroughs regarding electrical power and its transmission.

2. Marilyn Monroe

Profiles in History / PacificCoastNews.com / EAST NEWS, Netflix / Ferrari Press / East News

Marilyn Monroe is an American actress who made her debut in 1948 and became a star as a fatal beauty in movies like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, and Some Like It Hot, among others. Her private life and premature passing made her a cultural icon in the US.

A Netflix film titled Blonde about the inner life of Marilyn Monroe is expected to be released in September 2022, with Ana de Armas in the protagonist role.

3. Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury (real name Farrokh Bulsara) was a songwriter and the lead singer of Queen, whose striking vocal abilities and stage charisma led him to global stardom. Some of the most popular songs he wrote are Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, and We Are the Champions, among others.

The life and personality of Freddie Mercury served as inspiration for the 2018 Oscar-winning blockbuster Bohemian Rhapsody in which Rami Malek earned himself an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.

4. Princess Diana

Allstar Picture Library / Mary Evans Picture Library / East News, © The Crown / Left Bank Pictures and co-producers

Lady Diana Spencer, globally known as Princess Diana, was an incredibly popular member of the British Royal family whose personal life and activities attracted a lot of press attention. In spite of her separation from Charles, the Prince of Wales, she continued participating in numerous charities and remained visible in public life until her tragic death in a car crash in Paris.

In one of the seasons of the Netflix series, The Crown, Emma Corrin played the role of a young Princess Diana.

5. Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) was an American rock musician renowned for his fusion of blues, rock, jazz, and soul while redefining the potential of the electric guitar. Hendrix is considered a musical visionary who erased the boundaries of musical genres and a charismatic performer. He died at the age of 27, which made him a part of the so-called 27 Club, with other music stars like Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse.

The iconic life of Jimi Hendrix was played on screen by another musician, André 3000, in the 2013 picture Jimi: All Is By My Side.

6. Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was a Mexican painter, widely known for her self-portraits that expressed her own visions of identity and the human body. Although she was quite popular in her lifetime, Frida’s dramatic and tragic life earned her a reputation that actually led to a so-called “Fridamania,” making her one of the most popular painters of the century.

The biopic about Frida Kahlo depicts her creative life, the bus accident that left her severely injured, and the turbulent relationship with her husband Diego Rivera, one of the famous Mexican muralists. The leading role in the 2002 movie Frida is played by Mexican actress, Salma Hayek, who got an Oscar nomination for her acting.

7. Salvador Dali

Courtesy Everett Collection / East News, © Midnight in Paris / Mediapro and co-producers

Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) was one of the most famous representatives of Surrealism and this Spanish painter’s life still draws a lot of attention among art lovers. He explored subconscious imagery and Sigmund Freud’s writings while developing his unique style. His most famous painting features melting watches and is titled The Persistence of Memory.

The 2011 Woody Allen picture Midnight in Paris features a lot of famous artists of the 20th century, and one of them was Dalí, whose unique persona was well-portrayed by Adrien Brody.

8. Pablo Picasso

Another Spanish artist with a strong global reputation is Pablo Picasso. His fame mostly has to do with his contribution to the development of modern art, especially because of his role in the invention of Cubism. This genre changed the way that people saw art. However, Picasso loved to experiment with diverse artistic approaches. He was also a stage designer, a sculptor, a printmaker, and a ceramicist.

The TV series Genius shows the life of Picasso in its second season. Picasso, the protagonist, is played by another Spaniard, Antonio Banderas.

Fun fact: Both Picasso and Banderas were born in Málaga, in the south of Spain.

9. Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking was a world-famous English cosmologist, theoretical physicist, and author. He achieved both academic and commercial success in spite of having a rare early-onset, slow-progressing form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

British actor Eddie Redmayne portrayed Hawking in the 2014 biographical drama film, The Theory of Everything. This brilliant performance brought Redmayne the Academy Award for Best Actor.

10. Tonya Harding

Tonya Harding is an American figure skater. She became the second woman in history and the first American to land a triple Axel. However, in addition to sporting achievements, Harding became famous thanks to the scandal. In 1994, her ex-husband organized an attack on her figure skating rival Nancy Kerrigan. Harding was involved in the conspiracy. This incident led to the end of a career in figure skating.

It was this story that formed the basis of the film I, Tonya. The role of Tony Harding was played by Margot Robbie.

Please note: This article was updated in August 2022 to correct source material and factual inaccuracies.
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