17 Of The Biggest Oscar Worthy Transformations Celebs Did For Their Roles
They were almost unrecognizable, and in this business, that really takes a lot of effort.
We all know that getting nominated for an Oscar award isn't an easy feat. Many great actors and actresses have waited many, many years—not even for a win, but just for a nomination for these prestigious awards.
The qualifications to get in, however, are quite high. Allow us to explain.
For an Oscar, you can't just know how to act; no. A lot of people can be taught how to act, how to speak in certain accents, and how to move like a certain person.
For an Oscar, however, you truly have to embody your character, do them justice, and make the audience feel alongside your character. That's a talent that not everybody possesses.
Many actors and actresses train for years to become comfortable enough to transform into a completely different person for their roles. Some even undergo extreme transformations just to truly embody the character.
And by transformations, we don't just mean they get a haircut or lose a few pounds here and there. We mean full transformations that would render them unrecognizable in normal situations.
It's a show of total commitment to their art. Here are some examples of celebs who went through Oscar-worthy transformations for their roles.
1. Andra Day (The United States vs Billie Holiday)
To play the iconic jazz singer in the 2021 film, the actress lost almost 40 pounds. The role also earned her an Oscar nomination.
Hulu/Moviestore/Shutterstock; Dan MacMedan/WireImage2. Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy)
For her transformation into the real-life Appalachian grandmother, Mamaw Vance, in the 2020 film, makeup artist and special effects artist Matthew Mungle sculpted Close a new set of false ears and a false nose. The actress received an Oscar nomination for the role.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images; Lacey Terrell/NETFLIX3. Charlize Theron (Monster)
The gorgeous A-lister, who won Best Actress for her portrayal of the real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos, gained weight and underwent a complete makeover for the role.
Moviestore/Shutterstock, Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com
4. Christian Bale (American Hustle)
Christian Bale is an expert at transformations.
For American Hustle, the actor packed on more than 40 pounds to play the beer-bellied con artist. He put on the same amount of weight to portray former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice, which also earned him an Oscar nomination.
For Ford v Ferrari, where he played race car driver Ken Miles, he dropped 70 pounds, and for the 2011 film The Fighter, which earned him his first Oscar, he lost 30 pounds while gaining muscle.
Sony Pictures, Jason Merritt/Getty Images
5. Joaquin Phoenix (The Joker)
To play the deeply disturbed Arthur Fleck, who would go on to become Batman's adversary, the actor lost 52 pounds.
WireImage; DC Comics/Warner Bros./Shutterstock
6. Nicole Kidman (The Hours)
It took about three hours and an infamously large prosthetic nose for the actress to become unrecognizable, which earned her a Best Actress win.
Paramount Pictures via Shutterstock, Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
7. Tom Hanks (Philadelphia)
Hanks took home the Best Actor award at the 1994 Oscars for his portrayal in Philadelphia, where he shed 35 pounds and shaved his head to play an HIV-stricken attorney suing his former firm for wrongful termination.
He also made a similar transformation for 2000's Cast Away, for which he was nominated for an Oscar.
Snap/Shutterstock, TIMOTHY CLARY/AFP/Getty Images
8. Renée Zellweger (Judy)
The actress, who gained 17 pounds for her role in Bridget Jones' Diary, didn't have to undergo something as drastic for Judy. Her transformation was all thanks to the makeup and costume department.
"Renée was extremely emotionally and artistically involved in Judy," costume designer Jany Temime said. "It was her film. I think she really got into Judy's skin."
Zellweger also said, "Jany fit the costumes to Judy's posture. So the dresses didn't fit me unless I stood as I was supposed to stand. The zipper wouldn't go up."
The role won the actress her first Oscar.
Todd Williamson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; BBC Films/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
9. Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
Several prosthetics, braces, and wigs helped Robbie bring the disgraced figure skater to life in the 2017 film.
Entertainment Pictures via ZUMA Press, Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
10. Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
McConaughey won an Oscar for his extreme commitment to playing the HIV/AIDS-stricken electrician in the film.
Moviestore/Shutterstock, Kevin Winter
11. Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
The late actor received an Oscar for his chilling yet mesmerizing portrayal of the mad clown in Christopher Nolan's second film in his Batman trilogy. His look was vastly different from that of other actors who took on the role.
"What would it be like if this guy slept in his makeup, this psychopath?" makeup artist John Caglione Jr. told IGN. "If he didn't spruce up his makeup for two or three weeks? He never changes his clothes. It's those kinds of organic details that really helped."
"You think of a clown's makeup, and for the most part, they're pretty detailed with sharp lines. But this had to be the opposite of that."
Ash Knotek/Snappers/ZUMAPRESS.com, Warner Bros. Entertainment
12. Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby)
The two-time Oscar winner drastically changed her appearance to play real-life transgender man Brandon Teena in the 1999 film and again in Clint Eastwood's 2004 film.
Shutterstock, Steve Granitz/WireImage.com
13. Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)
To play Winston Churchill, the 2018 Best Actor nominee spent four hours or more in the makeup chair and wore a "Victorian corset" style bodysuit.
Moviestore/Shutterstock; Getty Images
14. Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Natalie Portman already had a thin figure, but for Black Swan, she shed 20 pounds and trained for up to 16 hours a day for her role as a mentally ill ballerina. It all paid off, as she won Best Actress at the 2011 Oscars.
Fox Searchlight/Kobal/Shutterstock; WireImage
15. Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Jared Leto lost 40 pounds to play an HIV-positive transgender woman, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor win in 2014.
"I had done similar things with weight, but this was different," Leto told E! News in 2013. "I think the role demanded that commitment… It was about how that affected how I walk, how I talk, who I am, how I feel. You know, you feel very fragile, delicate, and unsafe."
Anne Marie Fox/Voltage/Kobal/Shutterstock; Kevin Winter/Getty Images
16. Brie Larson (Room)
For the 2015 film, Larson gained 15 pounds of muscle to play a mother who finally escapes years of captivity with her 5-year-old son. Larson said she also limited her exposure to the outside world, tailored her eating habits, and restricted nutrients like vitamin D to better grasp what her character experienced.
Moviestore/Shutterstock , Christopher Polk/Getty Images
17. Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Mara went as far as to pierce multiple body parts, bleach her eyebrows, and chop her hair to fully transform into Lisbeth Salander, which earned her a Best Actress nomination.
Moviestore/Shutterstock, George Pimentel/WireImage
The dedication these actors have for their roles is truly something to admire. What they went through in those transformations is no joke, especially since they've also done them under time constraints and with the expectation to deliver a great performance.
That is the reason they deserve their wins and nominations. Not everybody possesses the kind of dedication they have.
What was your favorite transformation?
