30 Side-By-Side Photos Of Actors And The Real-Life Figures They Portrayed
Last year sees the releases of many biopics, Being the Ricardos, King Richard, Respect, Spencer, and Judas and the Black Messiah, among many others.
To be fair, biopics are made for the public; instead are known to be award bait. Meaning, likely, you are going to hear about their achievement before ever watching them.
The thing is, you can, but you shouldn’t. Biopics production values are insanely high. Many biopics are done beautifully, romanticizing or dramatizing an already happened event. Or honoring the life of an influential person or historical figure.
Especially in the case where a biopic is about a person. Here, through makeup and costume design, the chosen actor truly reincarnates the person they are playing on the screen.
Don’t believe us? Try telling these 30 actors apart from the person they were supposed to play.
#1 Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy: Jackie (2016)
Source: Fox Searchlight / Fox Searchlight / Everett Collection, Cbs Photo Archive / Getty Images
#2 Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan: I'm Not There (2007)
Source: Weinstein Company / ©Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Collection, Blank Archives / Getty Images
#3 Sam Riley as Joy Division's Ian Curtis: Control (2007)
Source: Weinstein Company / ©Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Collection, Rob Verhorst / Redferns
#4 Angela Bassett as Tina Turner: What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
Source: Courtesy Everett Collection, Ron Galella, Ltd. / Ron Galella Collection via Getty
#5 Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman: Man on the Moon (1999)
Source: Everett Collection, Jim Britt / Walt Disney Television via Getty
#6 Taron Egerton as Elton John: Rocketman (2019)
Source: David Appleby / ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection, Michael Putland / Getty Images
#7 Diana Ross as Billie Holiday: Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
Source: Everett Collection, Gilles Petard / Redferns
#8 Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe: My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Source: Weinstein Company / ©Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Collection, Print Collector / Getty Images
#9 Christian Bale as Dick Cheney: Vice (2018)
Source: Matt Kennedy / Everett Collection / Everett Collection, David Hume Kennerly / Getty Images
#10 Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Source: Everett Collection, Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images
#11 Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett: The Runaways (2010)
Source: Apparition / Apparition/Courtesy Everett Collection, Chris Walter / WireImage
#12 Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo: Frida (2002)
Source: Miramax / ©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection, Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
#13 Jennifer Lopez as Selena: Selena (1997)
Source: Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection, Arlene Richie / The LIFE Images Collection via Getty
#14 Will Smith as Muhammad Ali: Ali (2001)
Source: Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection, The Stanley Weston Archive / Getty Images
#15 Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock: Hitchcock (2012)
Source: Fox Searchlight / ©Fox Searchlight/Courtesy Everett Collection, Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
#16 John C. Reilly as Ollie Hardy: Stan & Ollie (2018)
Source: Everett Collection, Archive Photos / Getty Images
#17 Óscar Jaenada as Cantinflas: Cantinflas (2014)
Source: Lions Gate / ©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection, Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images
#18 Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel: Stan & Ollie (2018)
Source: Sony Pictures Classics / courtesy Everett Collection, Mgm Studios / Getty Images
#19 Madonna as Eva Perón: Evita (1996)
Source: Buena Vista Pictures / ©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection, Photoquest / Getty Images
#20 Marion Cotillard as Édith Piaf: La Vie en Rose (2007)
Source: Picturehouse / ©Picturehouse/Courtesy Everett Collection, Keystone-france / Getty Images
#21 Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes: The Aviator (2004)
Source: Miramax / ©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection, Hulton Archive / Getty Images
#22 Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady (2011)
Source: Weinstein Company / ©Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Collection, Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
#23 Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles: Ray (2004)
Source: Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection, Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
#24 Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams: I Saw the Light (2016)
Source: Sony Pictures / ©Sony Pictures/Everett Collection / Everett Collection, George Rinhart / Getty Images
#25 Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II: The Queen (2006)
Source: Miramax / ©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection, John Shelley Collection / Getty Images
#26 Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury: Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Source: Everett Collection, Phil Dent / Redferns
#27 Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
Source: Lacey Terrell / ©TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Colle / Everett Collection, Deborah Feingold / Getty Images
#28 Gwyneth Paltrow as Sylvia Plath: Sylvia (2003)
Source: Focus Films / ©Focus Films/Courtesy Everett Collection, Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
#29 Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln: Lincoln (2012)
Source: 20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection, Getty Images
#30 Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison: The Doors (1991)
Source: Tristar Pictures / ©TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection, Ed Caraeff / Getty Images