16 Actors Who Were Radically Transformed To Portray Their Characters
Hollywood makeup artists are truly amazing.
Do you know the feeling of absolute shock when you suddenly realize who the actor playing a certain character on a TV show is? And do you know that sudden feeling of betrayal when you realize you've known all along who it was but just couldn't articulate it?
Yeah, that happens a lot in Hollywood. It's the makeup skills and special effects expertise of all those makeup and special effects artists that we are talking about.
When they do their job, it’s almost literally like magic. They can make the most recognizable faces disappear within a few hours in the makeup room.
And we're not just talking about making the actors wear wigs or contact lenses. No, when it comes to Hollywood makeup, they somehow manage to erase the actor or actress and replace them with the character.
While the actor's skills play a significant role in bringing a character to life, makeup truly contributes to convincing us about the character. Without it, it might be challenging for us viewers to separate the actor from the character.
To prove that point, here are some actors who look remarkably different from their TV show characters in real life.
Madeline Brewer plays the supporting character Janine Lindo, or Ofwarren, in The Handmaid's Tale
Hulu / Getty ImagesTaryn Manning played one of the main antagonists of the show Orange Is the New Black, Tiffany 'Pennsatucky' Doggett, early on
Netflix / Getty ImagesRory McCann played the role of Sandor Clegane, who was also known as The Hound, in Game of Thrones
HBO / Getty Images
Naomi Grossman was unrecognizable when she played the genius microcephalic woman Pepper in American Horror Story
FX / Getty Images
Shannon Purser was the unfortunate Barb Holland in Stranger Things season 1
Netflix / Getty Images
America Ferrera played the lead role of Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty
ABC / Getty Images
Ariel Winter played Alex Dunphy, the middle child of Claire and Phil Dunphy, in Modern Family
ABC Family / Getty Images
Noel Fisher as the complicated thug Mickey Milkovich in Shameless
Showtime / Getty Images
Sophie McShera plays the kind but naïve Daisy Mason in Downton Abbey
PBS / Getty Images
Laura Gomez stars in Orange Is the New Black as Blanca Flores
Netflix / Getty Images
Matthew McConaughey portrays the deeply troubled detective Rust Cohle in True Detective
HBO / Getty Images
Millie Bobby Brown plays the iconic role of Eleven, or Jane 'El' Hopper, in Stranger Things
Netflix / Getty Images
Dascha Polanco took on the role of Dayanara 'Daya' Diaz, the final antagonist in Orange Is the New Black
Netflix / Getty Images
Judy Greer plays George Bluth's ever-loyal personal assistant Kitty Sanchez in Arrested Development
Fox / Getty Images
Uzo Aduba played Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren in Orange Is the New Black
Netflix / Getty Images
Ann Dowd played the strict and brutal Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid's Tale
Hulu / Getty Images
This is proof that the makeup team deserves just as much praise as the actors who portrayed these characters. They also do an excellent job bringing these characters to life with face paint and brushes, and that is not an easy task.
So kudos to them. Hopefully, more people will show appreciation for their work too.
Which transformation was your favorite?
