19 Actors Who Used Polyjuice Potion For Every New Role And No One Could Recognize

Jimmy Henton

Portraying a character is a part of the actors’ job. And it seems normal when an actor transforms from an angel to a monster in different movies. But we are still amazed at how they have drastically changed their looks for new roles. Sometimes, we can’t believe who is behind the character onscreen until somebody tells us the truth.
Then we should give applause to make-up artists who brilliantly turned our favorite actors and actresses into another person we can’t recognize. Indeed, their masters of transformations really help them play different roles convincingly. And it was utterly a tough decision to odd out 3 movie roles for each of these talented actors. Below are 19 actors and actresses that seem to use polyjuice potion for every new role in their acting careers. Let’s scroll down and check them out!

#1 Eva Green

New RoleSource: © Kingdom of Heaven / 20th Century Fox and co-producers© Cracks / Antena 3 Films, © Dark Shadows / Warner Bros.


  • Kingdom of Heaven (2005) — Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem
  • Cracks (2009) — mysterious teacher at a boarding school for girls, Miss “G”
  • Dark Shadows (2012) — jealous Angelique Bouchard

#2 Matthew McConaughey

New RoleSource: © Dallas Buyers Club / Voltage Pictures© Interstellar / Paramount Pictures© The Beach Bum / Iconoclast


#3 Cate Blanchett

New RoleSource: © Cinderella / Walt Disney Pictures, © Thor: Ragnarok / Walt Disney Pictures© Don't Look Up / Bluegrass Films


#4 Anne Hathaway

New RoleSource: © Becoming Jane / HanWay Films© Les Misérables / Universal Pictures© The Witches / Warner Bros.


#5 Carrie-Anne Moss

New RoleSource: © The Matrix / Warner Bros.© Fido / Lionsgate© Silent Hill: Revelation / Dynamic Effects Canada


  • The Matrix (1999) — Trinity, hacker, and officer of Nebuchadnezzar
  • Fido (2006) — housewife Robinson that met a zombie
  • Silent Hill: Revelation (2012) — Claudia Wolf, high priestess

#6 Geoffrey Rush

New RoleSource: © Elizabeth: The Golden Age / Universal Pictures© Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl / Walt Disney Pictures© The King's Speech / FilmNation Entertainment


#7 Jennifer Jason Leigh

New RoleSource: © Dolores Claiborne / Castle Rock Entertainment© The Machinist / Castelao Producciones S.A.© The Hateful Eight / FilmColony м


  • Dolores Claiborne (1995) — Selena St. George, a journalist from New York, the daughter of a housekeeper, accused of a crime
  • The Machinist (2004) — the only companion of the main character
  • The Hateful Eight (2015) — convicted criminal, Daisy Domergue

#8 Stanley Tucci

New RoleSource: © Captain America: The First Avenger / Paramount Pictures© The Hunger Games: Catching Fire / Lionsgate© Beauty and the Beast / Walt Disney Pictures


#9 Matt Damon

New RoleSource: © The Talented Mr. Ripley / Miramax© The Martian / Scott Free Productions© The Last Duel / 20th Century Studios 


#10 Sharon Stone

Source: © Total Recall / Carolco Pictures© Last Dance / Touchstone Pictures© Ratched / 20th Television 


  • Total Recall (1990) — the fake wife of the main character, Lori
  • Last Dance (1996) — a young woman on death row, Cindy Liggett
  • Ratched (2020) — eccentric heir of a wealthy estate, Lenore Osgood

#11 Kathy Bates

Source: © Dolores Claiborne / Castle Rock Entertainment© Titanic / 20th Century Studios© American Horror Story / FX Network


  • Misery (1990) — Annie Wilke, the fan of a famous writer
  • Titanic (1997) — Molly Brown, one of the passengers
  • American Horror Story (2011–2022) — unstoppable overseer, Miriam Mead

#12 Catherine O’Hara

Source: © Home Alone 2: Lost in New York / 20th Century Studios© For Your Consideration / Shangri-La Entertainment© Schitt's Creek / CBC


  • Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) — Kate McCallister, the mother of the inventive Kevin, who somehow always gets left alone
  • For Your Consideration (2006) — actress Marilyn Hack, who’s hearing rumors she’ll be nominated for an Oscar
  • Schitt’s Creek (2015–2020) — the wife of a billionaire whose business collapsed and soap opera actress, Moira Rose

#13 Sarah Jessica Parker

Source: © Hocus Pocus / Walt Disney Pictures© Ed Wood / Touchstone Pictures© Mars Attacks! / Warner Bros.


  • Hocus Pocus (1993) — one of the witch sisters
  • Ed Wood (1994) — American actress Dolores Fuller
  • Mars Attacks! (1996) — ambitious TV journalist Nathalie Lake

#14 Renée Zellweger

New RoleSource: © Jerry Maguire / TriStar Pictures. © Cold Mountain / Miramax© Judy / Pathé


  • Jerry Maguire (1996) — 26-year-old widow, single mom, Dorothy Boyd
  • Cold Mountain (2003) — Ruby Thewes, who knows how to achieve her goals
  • Judy (2019) — American singer and actress Judy Garland

#15 Julianne Moore

Source: © Safe / Killer Films© Far from Heaven / Focus Features© The Glorias / Artemis Rising Foundation 


  • Safe (1995) — Carol White, a young woman who is diagnosed with a strange illness
  • Far From Heaven (2002) — exemplary housewife whose life is derailed when she learns her husband’s secret
  • The Glorias (2020) — journalist, and leader of a feminist movement, Gloria

#16 Robert Pattinson

New RoleSource: © The Bad Mother's Handbook / Ingenious Broadcasting© Good Time / Rhea Films© The King / Porchlight Films 


  • The Bad Mother’s Handbook (2007) — an awkward teenager who helps his friend deal with a pregnancy.
  • Good Time (2017) — bank robber, trying to escape and taking huge risks
  • The King (2019) — Louis, Grand Dauphin

#17 Frances McDormand

Source: © Fargo / PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, © Burn After Reading / Relativity Media© Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri / Blueprint Pictures 


#18 Emily Blunt

Source: © Empire / Storyline Entertainment© The Devil Wears Prada / Peninsula Films© The Huntsman: Winter's War / Universal Pictures


#19 Vivien Leigh

Source: © Gone with the Wind / MGM© Caesar and Cleopatra / MGM© Ship of Fools / Sony Pictures