The Real Faces Behind Hollywood's 15 Most Famous Monsters

Behind every monster is a man (or a woman) and Hollywood's most famous monsters are no exception. Creating a monster on screen takes a lot of effort from the actor, the makeup crew, and the editing team. The power of makeup and special effects is a very important part of making movie magic happens and blurring the line between imagination and reality. In summary, it helps to bring a character to life.
So how did they turn something that only exists in fantasies into a living being? Well, the answer is a lot of makeup, prosthesis, and editing. Layers upon layers of cosmetics and synthetic materials were added to alter the actor’s appearance until they look nothing like themselves. These makeup crews did such an amazing job that without reading the credits, a lot of us wouldn’t have guessed that it was these actors who played these monsters.
So let’s unveil the mysteries around these Hollywood’s most famous monsters and see what they really look like with no special makeup and prosthesis layered on them. You would be surprised at how charming these guys look in real life.

1. Ron Perlman as Hellboy / Hellboy

Source: Sony Pictures Releasing/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

2. Bonnie Aarons as Valak / The Conjuring 2

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

3. Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse / X-Men: Apocalypse

Source: 20th Century Fox/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

4. Bill Nighy as Davy Jones / Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

Source: Buena Vista Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

5. Andy Serkis as Smeagol / The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Source: New Line Cinema/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

6. Daveigh Chase as Samara Mogan / The Ring

Source: DreamWorks Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

7. Klaus Kinski as Vlad Tepes / Nosferatu, the Vampire

Source: 20th Century Fox/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

8. Gary Oldman as Dracula / Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Source: Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

9. Doug Jones as The Monster/ Pan's Labyrinth

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

10. And Here Is He In The Shape Of Water

Source: Fox Searchlight Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

11. Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise/ IT

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

12. Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger/ A Nightmare on Elm Street

Source: New Line Cinema/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

13. Bolaji Badejo as The Alien/ Alien

Source: 20th Century Fox/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

14. Lon Chaney as The Phantom/ Phantom of the Opera

Source: Universal Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

15. Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug/ The Hobbit

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

You might know these Hollywood’s most famous monsters, but you probably didn’t know the guys who played them. We hope that we have answered your question about what these scary guys really look like in real life. Speaking of actors who played monsters, some movie stars weren’t afraid to get ugly for their roles. Their transformations are just mind-blowing.