All The Times Stars Played Real People In Movies And TV Shows
They certainly do have an uncanny resemblance.
Some actors disappear so completely into a role that the real person almost feels secondary. That is part of the appeal of movies and TV shows based on true stories, where casting, makeup, and performance all have to work together to make the illusion believable.
This roundup looks at stars who played real people on screen, from music legends and political figures to business icons and cultural touchstones. Some of the transformations were subtle, while others relied on heavy styling and makeup to get the look just right.
Here are the performances that made audiences do a double take.
1. Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos
Backgrid/Getty Images2. Lily James as Pamela Anderson
In the upcoming Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy.
Hulu; Patrick Riviere/Getty Images3. Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee
In the new Hulu miniseries, Pam & Tommy.
Hulu; Robert Knight Archive/Redferns
4. Christian Serratos as Selena Quintanilla
In the Netflix show, Selena: The Series.
Netflix; Philip Barr via ZUMA Wire
5. Andra Day as Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Hulu/Moviestore/Shutterstock; Everett/Shutterstock
6. Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly in Bombshell
LIONSGATE/Getty Images
7. Taron Egerton as Elton John in Rocketman
Paramount Pictures/Shutterstock, Michael Putland/Getty Images
8. Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
TriStar Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock, AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
9. Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin
In a biopic about the Queen of Soul's life.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Fred A. Sabine/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
10. Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg in On the Basis of Sex
Focus Features/Kobal/Shutterstock; Michael Kovac/Getty Images
11. Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya
Clubhouse Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock; David Madison/Getty Images
12. Anthony Mackie as Martin Luther King Jr. in HBO's All the Way
HBO Films; Keystone Press Agency/ZUMA Wire
And if you’re wondering whether actors can really pull off real people, the Cesar Awards makeup artist’s claim that they impersonated Jim Carrey will blow your mind.
13. Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford in Feud
Shutterstock
14. Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis in Feud
Shutterstock
15. Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison in The Current War
Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
16. Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams in I Saw the Light.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images; Sony Pictures Classics/Shutterstock
17. Johnny Flynn as David Bowie in Stardust
Christian Simonpietri/Sygma/VCG via Getty Images; Jim Spellman/Getty Images
18. Parker Sawyers as Barack Obama in Southside with You
Miramax/Entertainment Pictures; /Tim Boyl/Getty Images
19. Tika Sumpter as Michelle Obama in Southside with You
Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images, © Get Lifted Film Company/Entertainment Pictures via ZUMA Press
20. Odette Annable as Trudy Cooper in Astronaut Wives Club
Getty Images, Shutterstock
21. Kerry Washington as Anita Hill in HBO's biopic Confirmation
Shutterstock, ABC/VIVIAN ZINK
22. Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc in The Founder
Bachrach/Jason Merritt/Getty Images
23. Selma Blair as Kris Jenner in FX's American Crime Story
Mike Marsland/WireImage/JC Olivera/Getty Images
24. David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian in FX's American Crime Story
Ron Galella/WireImage; Clint Brewer / Splash News
25. John Travolta as Robert Shapiro in FX's American Crime Story
Jeff Katz / Liaison Agency; KVS, PacificCoastNews
26. Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl
Creative Commons; Working Title Films
27. Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs
AP Photo/Paul Sakuma;Getty Images
28. Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game
Getty Images/The Weinstein Company
29. David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr. in the film Selma
Ernst Haas/Ernst Haas/Getty Images/Paramount
30. YaYa DaCosta as Whitney Houston in a Lifetime biopic
Jack Zeman/Lifetime 2014; Arista Records
31. Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in Argo
Steve Granitz/WireImage/Warner Bros.
The casting in movies about real-life people is not always perfect. You may find a perfect fit every now and then, but most of the time, it's disappointing. Sometimes, you can have a hard time identifying the character in question until another character refers to them by their full name.
This certainly ruins the movie and detracts from the realistic aspect of the whole experience. The acting can make all the difference; as long as the actor accurately portrays the real-life subject, things start to feel more and more natural.
Think you’ve spotted a double already? See the ten celebrities with twin lookalikes hiding in plain sight.
