15 Times Movie Stars Transformed Beyond Recognition for Their Roles

Costumes, makeup, and computer graphics can work such wonders that even the most famous actors can become unrecognizable until their names appear in the credits. You might watch a film or series twice without realizing you’ve seen Colin Farrell, Mila Kunis, or Keanu Reeves. To celebrate the incredible work of both actors and makeup artists, we’ve highlighted these stunning transformations.

Colin Farrell — Oswald ’Oz’ Cobb (The Penguin)

When Colin Farrell donned prosthetic makeup for his role as the titular character in the Max series The Penguin, he found himself unrecognizable. “I looked in the mirror, and I saw something looking back that was not me,” the Irish actor shared.

Farrell revealed that, apart from his hands, every part of his body had been transformed by The Penguin’s designer, Mike Marino, bringing the iconic character to life in extraordinary detail.

Lady Gaga — Patrizia Reggiani (House of Gucci)

In the film, Lady Gaga portrayed Patrizia Reggiani — a simple girl that connected her life with the heir of the House of Gucci, Maurizio. Ambition, greed, and jealousy were present in their marriage. Lady Gaga was very serious about her preparation: she spent 9 months speaking with an Italian accent, she dressed in everything Patrizia did — house cat, fox, and merciless panther. Many critics loved her transformation.

Javier Bardem — Silva (Skyfall)

At the beginning of the casting process, Javier Bardem told the director of the film that he wanted to change the appearance of his character, especially the eye and hair color. When Bardem appeared on set for his first day, nobody recognized him. By the way, the light hair is a wig. He also used a fake jaw for the role.

Johnny Depp — eccentric lieutenant (Before Night Falls)

Johnny Depp is great at unusual transformations. But few people remember this role where Depp portrayed a military officer. He gets dressed in these extravagant clothes when his character needs to sneak into jail and steal the last novel by Reinaldo Arenas.

Gillian Anderson — Magda Leonides (Crooked House)

Even though her makeup doesn’t look very complicated, viewers didn’t instantly recognize Dana from X-Files. Her character was one of the most memorable in the film, so both the viewers and the critics loved her transformation.

Billy Crystal — Miracle Max (The Princess Bride)

To help the makeup artists with the look, Billy brought them photos of his grandmother. The role was so funny, the director left the set every time the scenes with Crystal were shot because he was laughing too hard.

Stanley Tucci — Maestro Cadenza (Beauty and the Beast, 2017)

As a human, you can see Stanley Tucci only at the beginning and the end of the film. For the majority of the film, he is a harpsichord. By the way, there’s no such character in earlier versions of this famous story.

Bradley Cooper — Leonard Bernstein (Maestro)

Bradley Cooper underwent a remarkable transformation for his new film Maestro, spending around five hours in makeup to become an elderly Leonard Bernstein. The actor stunned fans with his completely different appearance, embodying the 71-year-old composer with deep wrinkles and a strikingly aged look. The makeup was so convincing that even Leonard’s own children were impressed.

Taylor Swift — Bombalurina (Cats)

She didn’t have a very big part but it was quite memorable. And of course, she sings in it. Even though the film didn’t earn any money and was a failure, Swift said she didn’t regret her experience in this strange film.

David Thewlis — Ares (Wonder Woman)

According to the director of the film, Patty Jenkins, the culmination of the film was supposed to be different. David Thewlis, who you might remember as Lupin from Harry Potter, wasn’t supposed to wear the armor. But Warner Bros. insisted that the scene looks exactly like this.

Michael Sheen — Castor (Tron: Legacy)

Michael Sheen is a big fan of the original Tron. So when he was invited to play a part in the film, he accepted it without thinking. One of his inspiration sources was Ziggy Stardust — a human-like Martian from the 5th and 6th albums of David Bowie.

Mila Kunis — Theodora (Oz the Great and Powerful)

It’s quite unusual to see Mila Kunis transform like this. In 2011, she played the part of the evil witch in Oz the Great and Powerful. She had 2 different looks in the film. To look like Theodora, she had to go through very difficult makeup with the use of contact lenses, silicone, and foam rubber.

Guy Pearce — Weyland (Prometheus)

Max von Sydow was considered for the role of Weyland. The actor was 83 at the time. But in the film, there was supposed to be an episode where the actor looked young, so Guy Pearce was invited to play this part.

Keanu Reeves — Ortiz the Dog Boy (Freaked)

This is probably one of the most unusual roles of this Hollywood actor. Reeves plays one of the monsters living in the kingdom of a crazy scientist. Keanu got $1 million for this part even though he is not even credited.

Demi Moore — Elisabeth Sparkle (The Substance)

In The Substance, Demi Moore stars as Hollywood icon Elisabeth Sparkle, who is unceremoniously fired from her long-running role as the host of an aerobics TV show on her 50th birthday. Desperate to reclaim her youth, Elisabeth turns to a black-market drug called The Substance, which miraculously creates a younger version of herself.

Bringing Elisabeth’s physical decline to life on screen required a meticulous makeup process, with Moore spending six to nine and a half hours in the chair for each day of filming. Her transformation involved 14 separate prosthetic pieces just for her face. Moore revealed that she had to handle the prosthetics with extreme care, as accidentally tugging on one could risk causing facial injury.

Don’t miss the chance to check out other actors who fully embrace transforming themselves for their roles.