13 Stars That Are So Unrecognizable in Their Movies, You’ll Really Appreciate Makeup Artists’ Mastery
On the sets of films and TV shows, real magic can happen. And this is all thanks to work done off-screen by the movie crew, including makeup artists. Sometimes they transform Hollywood stars in such a way that it can be difficult for the most dedicated fans to recognize them.
5-Minute Crafts has collected vivid examples of films that feature some of your favorite actors in the most unusual ways.
1. Charlize Theron — Aileen Wuornos (Monster)
Thanks to the excellent makeup, it is difficult to recognize the beautiful Charlize Theron as the aggressive and virile Aileen Wuornos. The actress brilliantly played this role and received her first Oscar for it. During filming, the Hollywood star had to make certain sacrifices. For the new role, she gained around 30 pounds and shaved off her eyebrows.
2. Tim Curry — Pennywise (It)
If you’re afraid of clowns, then Tim Curry is probably to blame. Few people know this, but the actor wanted to turn down the role initially. He was afraid that too much makeup would be applied to him. In the end, the issue was resolved by compromise. Pennywise’s makeup for Curry was designed by makeup artist Bart J. Mixon. While the makeup may seem pretty simple (white paint and a latex cap), it’s quite hard to recognize Curry in this creepy look.
3. Gary Oldman — Dracula (Dracula)
Dracula is the most famous vampire in the world. Many films have been made about him. One of the most popular is probably the film starring Gary Oldman. Makeup was done by Greg Cannon, Michele Burke, and Matthew W. Mungle.
The image of Oldman in the role of the old Dracula is likely the most recognizable. Old Dracula has a rather unusual hairstyle, which Stuart Artingstall put a lot of effort into creating. It took him many hours of painstaking work to put each hair into the base separately. Oldman himself even shaved off the front of his hair to make it easier to apply the makeup. The quality of the makeup artist’s work was proven by the Academy Award that this film won for makeup.
4. Tim Roth — General Thade (Planet of the Apes)
To prepare for the role of the insidious and intelligent General Thade, Tim Roth had to spend many hours in the makeup chair. Due to his rather large nose, it was difficult to turn the actor into an ape. To do this, it was necessary to apply thicker rubber parts. Ultimately, the makeup artists managed to get the actor’s face as close to the ape’s as possible. It’s almost impossible to recognize Roth behind the makeup.
5. Doug Jones in most roles
It seems strange that a young and attractive actor specializes in the roles of non-human characters. Doug Jones’ filmography has more than 160 roles, many of which are real monsters. One of his popular roles was that of the Faun and Pale Man in the movie, Pans Labyrinth. To create the image of Pale Man, Jones had to spend about 5 hours in the makeup chair. After completing the makeup, the actor could only see through the nose holes of the costume. The Faun’s makeup also took about 5 hours, and the horns weighed about 10 pounds.
6. Sigourney Weaver — Claudia Hoffman (Snow White: A Tale of Terror)
In Snow White: A Tale of Terror, Sigourney Weaver played the calculating evil Queen. When she transforms into an old woman, it really becomes difficult to recognize her.
7. Stellan Skarsgard — Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Dune)
In the new adaptation of Dune, the image of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen deserves special attention. Denis Villeneuve saw this character as “a rhino in human form.” If you look at Stellan Skarsgard, you can see that Villeneuve achieved his goal with the help of gifted makeup artists. To prepare for filming, Skarsgard had to spend 7 hours a day in the makeup chair.
8. Tom Cruise — Les Grossman (Tropic Thunder)
Ben Stiller’s comedy, Tropic Thunder, allowed us to see Tom Cruise from a completely different perspective. In this film, he plays the role of a rich, balding producer named Les Grossman. Makeup artists added hair to his chest and arms. In addition, in one of the scenes, Tom Cruise also dances. It’s interesting to note that the dance was suggested by the actor himself.
9. Jared Leto — Paolo Gucci (House of Gucci)
If you didn’t notice the handsome Jared Leto in the Gucci movie, it’s all thanks to the work of the makeup artists. In House of Gucci, Leto played the role of the Italian businessman and designer, Paolo Gucci. It took about 3.5 hours a day to transform him into the famous designer. In addition to makeup, the actor wore a special suit and a lot of prostheses to look much older than his age.
10. Colin Farrell — Oz (The Batman)
In the new Batman movie, one of the heroes was Oswald Cobblepot, also known as Penguin. This role was played by Colin Farrell, who was made up beyond recognition. The look of the character consisted of face makeup, artificial teeth, a wig, and a bodysuit. The transformation took 6 to 8 hours.
11. Hugo Weaving — Old Georgie (Cloud Atlas)
In the film, Cloud Atlas, Hugo Weaving played 6 roles. In one of them — the role of Old George — the actor is really hard to recognize. The transformation process took about 4 hours, and Weaving admitted to sometimes falling asleep during it.
12. Jim Carrey — Grinch (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of the symbols of Christmas. Many people, most likely, know that Jim Carrey is hiding behind the mask of the green and hairy Grinch. However, it is still quite difficult to recognize the famous comedian. During the 92 days of shooting, Carrey spent 3 hours a day in the makeup chair.
13. Tilda Swinton — Madame D. (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
For the role of Madame D., makeup artists aged the actress by about 3 decades. Makeup artists took about 5 hours to do this every day of shooting. The look of the heroine consisted of sagging facial skin, which was covered with age spots. Thanks to the work of skilled makeup artists, the actress became completely unrecognizable.
14. Michelle Pfeiffer — Lamia (Stardust)
In Stardust, Michelle Pfeiffer played the role of the evil sorceress, Lamia. According to the plot, her heroine is trying to regain her youth. The image of the old woman turned out really impressive. It is almost impossible to recognize the beautiful Pfeiffer as this character.
What makeup do you think is the most incredible? Share your thoughts in the comments!