Sometimes, when actors play their roles so well, they become synonymous with their characters. It’s hard for us to see them playing anything other than their most iconic roles, but everybody has to move on eventually. Movie stars have to ditch their old images to take on new roles. These actors who changed 180 degrees from their previous characters are perfect examples of that.
They have changed a lot over the years and some of their transformations are impressive. So let’s find out more about these actors who changed 180 degrees from their previous roles and see what they look like now.
1. Freddie Highmore
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From the little boy who finds the golden ticket in one of Wonka’s chocolate bars, Freddie Highmore has grown into the quirky Dr. Shaun Murphy in ABC's hit show
The Good Doctor. Before this show, he starred in several movies such as Finding Neverland, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and Bates Motel.
2. Logan Lerman
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Logan Lerman played the 7-year-old version of the main protagonist Evan in The Butterfly Effect. He disappeared for a while before making his big comeback to the silver screen with the Percy Jackson series 9 years later. Gotta admit he has grown into a quite handsome young man.
3. Christopher Lloyd
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Like other members of the Addams, Uncle Fester is kinda crazy. Dr. Emmett Brown has some of his screws loose too, but he is completely different from the pale and bald Fester. Yet they are both played by the brilliant Christopher Lloyd! The makeup crews definitely nailed it this time.
4. Sarah Jessica Parker
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It’s hard to believe that two characters in the pictures above are played by the same person, but it’s true! Sarah Jessica Parker nailed her role as the youngest of the 3 Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus. We are so used to seeing her in rom-com movies, so not a lot of us recognize her in this classic
Disney movie.
5. James McAvoy
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James McAvoy played Mr. Tumnus in the 2005 movie The Chronicles of Narnia. Since then he has played a diversity of roles. One of his most famous performances is Kevin Wendell Crumb in Split, a man struggling with dissociative identity disorder which requires James McAvoy to play more than 5 of his distinct personalities. His most recent role is Professor Xavier in the X-Men saga, who also has a very interesting character development.
6. Henry Thomas
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Henry Thomas played the lonely 9-year-old Elliott who forges a particular friendship with an alien. Years later, Thomas starred in the Netflix horror series The Haunting of Hill House. He played Hugh Crain, a house salesman who just moved into a haunted mansion with his family.
7. Elle Fanning
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In the earlier days of her acting career, Elle Fanning starred in Daddy Day Care along with Eddie Murphy. She was none other than the eccentric blonde girl who called her mother on her cell phone when the nursery was a mess. Since then the actress has starred in many movies, such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Super 8, and Maleficent.
8. Andrew Lincoln
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If you’re used to a soft Andrew Lincoln in Love Actually, then get ready to be shocked by how tough he can be in a zombie apocalypse. Lincoln played Sheriff Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead, and he looked completely different from his role in Love Actually.
9. Joseph Mazzello
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Joseph Mazzello played Tim Murphy in Jurassic Park. After he got tired of running away from dinosaurs, he decided to change his interest to music. In Bohemian Rhapsody, Mazzello took the role of John Deacon, the famous bass player of Queen. Aside from being an actor, he is also a screenwriter and a film director.
10. Max Thieriot
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In the comedy movie The Pacifier, Max Thieriot played the role of the rebellious teenager who loved theater and musical comedy. He then starred in the psychological horror drama series Bates Motel as Dylan Massett, the half-brother of Norman Bates and son of Norma Bates.
Those are 10 actors who changed 180 degrees from their old image. Which one is the most versatile in your opinion? Speaking of chameleon actors, here are the real faces behind Hollywood’s most famous monsters. Check them out
here!