18 British and Irish Actors Who Are Entirely Different from What the World Knows Them as in Their Home Countries
You probably won’t recognize them in these countries.
British and Irish actors often look completely different at home than they do in Hollywood, and that contrast can be surprisingly funny. Some are seen as heartthrobs abroad, while in the UK or Ireland they are known for very different roles, accents, or on-screen personas.
This list pulls together 18 familiar names whose reputations shift depending on where you are watching them. From comedy favorites to dramatic heavyweights, the gap between their international image and their home-country identity is part of what makes them so memorable.
Scroll through and see how many of these actors catch you off guard, because a few of them are almost unrecognizable in their local work.
1. Tom Ellis
Even after placing both pictures side by side, you still feel like they are two completely different people, don’t you?
BBC, Fox/Netflix2. Olivia Colman
A complete 360-degree transformation.
Channel 4, Netflix3. Aaron Taylor-Johnson
While he may no longer be stealing hearts in the British teen drama “Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging,” he continues to steal hearts worldwide.
Warner Bros. Pictures
4. James Corden
Would you have recognized him on a good day?
Baby Cow/BBC, CBS
5. Dev Patel
Dev Patel may not have been the main character in “Skins,” but he’s definitely main character material in our books.
E4, The Weinstein Company/Transmission Films/Entertainment Film Distributors
6. Daniel Kaluuya
Did you know that before Daniel Kaluuya became famous for his role in “Get Out,” he was Posh Kenneth in “Skins”?
E4, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
7. Robert Sheehan
Such a HUGE difference. Don't you agree?
E4, Netflix
8. James McAvoy
It’s not just the hair; it’s everything.
Channel 4, Universal Pictures
That “fresh appearance” claim at the César Awards, where a makeup artist says they impersonated Jim Carrey, is basically the Jim Carrey conspiracy story.
9. Jodie Comer
You see the difference, don’t you?
E4, BBC America
10. Nathalie Emmanuel
You may know her as Missandei from Game of Thrones, but British fans know her as Sasha Valentine from Hollyoaks.
Channel 4, HBO
11. Charlie Hunnam
American fans know him as Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy, while British fans know him as Nathan from Queer as Folk.
Channel 4, FX/REX
12. Chris O'Dowd
Channel 4, Universal Pictures
13. Himesh Patel
These are two different people. You can’t tell us otherwise.
BBC, Warner Bros. Pictures
14. Craig Roberts
One word: Growth!
CBBC, Netflix
15. Martin Freeman
The magic of grey hair.
BBC, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
16. Will Poulter
E4, Netflix
17. Gemma Chan
Different, but still delectable.
ITV2, Warner Bros. Pictures
18. Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Channel 4, BBC
You had fun going through this list, didn’t you? We bet you were shocked too, we can relate.
Some of these pictures look like two completely different people, and if we didn’t have movie credits and the internet to prove it, we wouldn’t believe these pictures are factual.
Did we omit anyone from this list? Tell us in the comment section below!
Some of these transformations are hard to believe at first glance.
Think you spotted a celebrity lookalike? Meet the twin hiding in plain sight in The Secret Twins Of Your Favorite Stars.
