Top 20 Actors Who Were Completely Transformed by Makeup
#20: Heath Ledger as The Joker
“The Dark Knight” (2008)
The Tragic Life of Heath Ledger
No matter what anyone says, nobody knew Heath Ledger was going to smash it out the park as much as he did in “The Dark Knight.” The heartthrob actor was utterly terrifying and mysteriously magnetic in equal measure throughout. And a big part of that was his clumsily-applied face paint and Chelsea grin scars, with the latter adding an eerie realism to the psychotic clown prince of crime. Known for his boyish good looks and charm, Ledger’s previous roles melted away before our very eyes as he embodied The Joker top to bottom, and since then, it’s hard to imagine the ear to ear grin being anything but scar tissue. Speaking of which, you know how he got those scars? Cause we don’t!
#19: Tom Cruise as Les Grossman
“Tropic Thunder” (2008)
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Staying with actors breaking typecast expectations, how does chubby, bald Tom Cruise sound? Weird, huh? Well, it turns out, that combo is absolutely hilarious. Cruise was arguably the funniest part of 2008’s “Tropic Thunder” with his loud-mouthed, hairy-handed Les Grossman scaring and laughing the pants off us simultaneously. At a glance, you’d never guess that Cruise was residing under the fatsuit and chunky hands - and that’s probably because he has off-character garishness to go with it. Add to that, his dance to “Low” and you’ll never see Cruise the same way ever again - fatsuit or no fatsuit.
#18: Rebecca Romijn & Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique/Raven Darkhölme
“X-Men” franchise (2000-)
The fact that you can’t quite tell which actor plays Mystique in which movie is a testament to the effectiveness of the makeup here. Mystique’s blue appearance in the “X-Men” franchise is sort of a monochromatic blank canvas, disorientating you when you look at it. And that’s kind of the point. Mystique is a shapeshifter and, as the name suggests, mystery and stealth are what she’s all about - with her almost indescribable appearance making her ghost-like. Apparently, each actress spent around eight hours in makeup to achieve the Mystique look - but it was worth it.
#17: Jim Carrey as The Grinch
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
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You can spot Jim Carrey a mile off in movies, his rubber face and electric enthusiasm being a dead giveaway. And even though under heavy makeup, you can still tell that Carrey is the green-faced, Christmas-hating Grinch. The entire hairy ensemble certainly made his portrayal more believable and helped sell the eclectic world of Dr. Seuss to audiences. The Grinch makeup apparently took two hours and all of Carrey’s patience to execute, but the result is one of the most convincing and dramatic transformations in cinema history. It could have easily looked goofy and stupid, but it didn’t - Mike Myers, we’re looking at you.
#16: John Leguizamo as The Violator
“Spawn” (1997)
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Here’s one for you. This creepy-looking clown guy, aka The Violator, is Sid from “Ice Age.” Just let that sink in for a second. John Leguizamo’s portrayal of the clown from hell is arguably the best part of 1997’s “Spawn,” with his razor-sharp teeth and strange physical appearance instantly garnering all the attention when on-screen. With the blue face paint, egg-shaped head, and constant scowl stricken across his face, it’s almost impossible to tell that Leguizamo is lurking beneath the surface, even when you know it’s him. Yet another reason to be terrified of clowns, huh.
#15: Idris Elba as Krall
“Star Trek Beyond” (2016)
“Star Trek” has always had a flair for impressive makeup, and the Chris Pine-fronted reboot movies are no different. By far one of the most impressive makeup feats though is Idris Elba as Krall, the relentlessly intimidating antagonist from “Star Trek Beyond.” Elba is completely lost in the Krall makeup, with its huge ridges running from the back to the front of his head. And in fact, the movie’s makeup artists earned themselves an Academy Award nomination for their work. Some “Star Trek” makeup can look a little unconvincing, but Krall looks like an absolute badass.
#14: Helena Bonham Carter as Ari
“Planet of the Apes” (2001)
This remake may have split opinions upon release, but its impressive visuals, including its makeup, was never in question. There is a long list of A list celebs in this movie; Tim Roth, Paul Giamatti, Michael Clarke Duncan, each of whom is totally unrecognizable - especially Roth! But Helena Bonham Carter gets our vote here, as you’d put money on the fact that it’s not her. We mean, look at that nose! Her facial features are completely lost in the ape makeup, even in extreme close-ups. The movie earned major nominations for its makeup and costumes - and rightly so.
#13: Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise (1984-)
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Often cited as one of the greatest horror movie franchises of all time, the main driving force behind its success, especially in pop culture, is its villain - Freddy Krueger. The nightmare-haunting madman showcases an iconic sweater, trilby hat, clawed glove, and, of course, a burnt, disfigured face. It’s not just that Englund is unrecognizable in the Freddy makeup, it’s the fact that his charred skin transforms him into a demon-like monster. We don’t see a scary guy in makeup, we see a killer that’s not quite human. It instills a feeling in the viewer that something’s off about him. Just don’t fall asleep and everything should be okay, probably.
#12: Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise
“It” franchise (2017-19)
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From one horror legend to another, with Bill Skarsgård’s take on Pennywise the Dancing Clown earning critical acclaim. His terrifying performance is one thing, but the strange, off-putting clown makeup is something else all-together. Ask anyone about Skarsgård and the word handsome will no doubt come up - but when he’s in the Pennywise makeup, with his cracked skin, hunched eyebrows, bulging head, and razor-sharp teeth, his boyish good looks morph into something horrifying. The Pennywise look allows Skarsgård to go from friendly to frightening in the blink of an eye.
#11: Christian Bale as Dick Cheney
“Vice” (2018)
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It would be easy to say that the makeup in this movie just made Bale look like he’d put on a bit of weight. But when combined with all the convincing Cheney nuisances he added to the character - and the little weight gain he added himself, the fatsuit and prosthetics had a huge impact on selling the part. The changes to Bale’s face were subtle in “Vice,” but there’s no denying that he looks more like Cheney than himself. The hairline, the smile lines, the waist line - all helping Bale give one of the best performances of his career, and the movie receive an Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
#10: Emma Thompson as Nanny McPhee
“Nanny McPhee” franchise (2005-10)
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Up there with Mary P when it comes to iconic nannies, Nanny McPhee’s appearance has become legendary in the world of cinema, in all of its moley glory. The beautiful Emma Thompson is completely unrecognizable as the stern nanny, with an elongated front tooth, a large bulbous nose, blotchy skin, a unibrow, and two, large, hairy moles. To be honest, the nose alone is enough to hide Thompson’s appearance. Of course, as the movie goes on, she loses some of her eccentric facial features, but nevertheless, they have come to personify narky nannies everywhere.
#9: Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill
“Darkest Hour” (2017)
Gary Oldman is the quintessential chameleonic actor. He can transform into anyone simply by contorting his face, putting on an accent or just being plain crazy. But he had some help for his transformation into former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill for this movie. Donning a hefty fatsuit and convincing prosthetics - with Oldman applying the walk and bravado - it’s like looking at Churchill himself. We challenge anyone to be able to distinguish between the two from a side profile. Oldman earned an Oscar for his role, as did the makeup team behind his transformation, and it's arguably his most unrecognizable performance ever - well, except for maybe Mason Verger in “Hannibal”. Woah.
#8: Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort
“Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)
It may be a family-friendly film series, but “Harry Potter” has some seriously scary villains. The main antagonist is of course Voldemort, the corrupted soul with snake-like features. And thanks to some pale foundation and heavy eyeshadow, Ralph Fiennes was able to embody the nightmarish Dark Lord. With Fiennes wanting to be able to move around freely on camera, the makeup and prosthetics used were relatively minimal, with transfers used to create the veins on his head, some small prosthetics to hide his eyebrows, grotesque dentures, and some CGI to lop off his nose. The result, however, is a strong, unsettling appearance that perfectly illustrates the dramatic effects dark magic can have on the body.
#7: Robin Williams as Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire
“Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993)
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Luck may be a lady, but it wasn’t luck that made Robin Williams a lady in this movie - nope, it was four hours of Academy Award-winning makeup. The story of a man hiding in plain sight as an elderly nanny in order to see his children, his disguise had to be pretty on the money. And oh boy was it. The makeup team didn’t pull any punches. A mask made up of eight foam latex, jigsaw-like pieces would come together to create Mrs. Doubtfire’s face, one of the most convincing facial transformations in cinema. In fact, Williams has said that he would even walk around San Francisco in the makeup, getting kicks out of people not being able to recognize him.
#6: Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle
“The Fly” (1986)
A man transforming into a huge fly - sheesh, where do you even start? Jeff Goldblum’s time as Brundlefly is unique in the fact that his physical appearance goes through numerous iterations in the movie, each one less and less human. At first, it's just blotchy skin and a few missing teeth. No biggie. But things get much, much worse. His face swells, masking his eyes and mouth, and any clue of Goldblum’s appearance is entirely lost by the end. Another Academy Award-winning effort by a makeup team, Goldblum goes from slightly irregular-looking, to full-on monster.
#5: Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos
“Monster” (2003)
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Speaking of monsters, this performance by Charlize Theron as the murderous Aileen Wuornos had cinemagoers double-taking all over the world. It can be hard to put your finger on exactly what it is that makes you feel uneasy about Theron’s appearance in this movie - maybe it’s the reddened, freckly skin, or her wide eyes. Theron did put on some weight and shaved her eyebrows for the role, but the subtle finishing touches, including the fake teeth, are what pull it all together. And considering how stunning Theron is in real life, it’s a testament to the makeup crew that they were able to make her look so much like the antagonizing Wuornos with such minimal makeup.
#4: Eddie Murphy as The Klump Family
“The Nutty Professor” franchise (1996-2000)
Just when we thought we’d seen all the best fatsuit prosthetics, the team behind “The Nutty Professor” knocks it out of the park with Eddie Murphy playing not one, not two, but five members of the same family. The Klump family, known for their inappropriate toilet humor and penchant for big meals, all don some form of heavy prosthetics, helping transform Murphy’s character and, in some instances, gender. The fact that the Oscar-winning makeup team was able to make an entire family look alike, and yet different, with the same actor underneath, is a real achievement.
#3: Eric Stoltz as Roy L. "Rocky" Dennis
“Mask” (1985)
The sad but heartwarming story of Rocky Dennis caught the attention of audiences everywhere in the 80s. And Eric Stoltz’s dramatic transformation into the young craniodiaphyseal dysplasia sufferer is something that’s got to be seen to be believed. Known to many at the time as the stoner guy from “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” the extensiveness of the prosthetics took everyone by surprise, hiding all of Stoltz’s distinctive characteristics. De-ageing Stoltz by around 10 years, the prosthetics also helped him successfully deliver a moving performance about a kid who just wants to fit in.
#2: John Hurt as John Merrick
“The Elephant Man” (1980)
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Another heart-wrenching story, this time based on the tragic life of Joseph Merrick, or John Merrick as he is referred to in the movie. Suffering from severe bone deformities, of which earned him the name The Elephant Man, Merrick becomes an outcast, ridiculed by society. As well as John Hurt’s face being covered in prosthetics to create the effect of Merrick’s deformity, there were also extensive body prosthetics applied, helping give audiences an idea of the full extent of how Merrick suffered. And it’s difficult to know whether to be impressed or deeply saddened when watching Hurt portray Merrick throughout.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice
“Beetlejuice” (1988)
Karen Gillan as Nebula
“Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise (2014-)
Robert De Niro as The Creation
“Mary Shelley's Frankenstein” (1994)
#1: Doug Jones as The Pale Man
“Pan's Labyrinth” (2006)
“Pan's Labyrinth” is a seriously weird movie, filled with fictitious monsters, and not-so fictitious monsters. But by far the film’s most spine-chilling baddie is the child-eating Pale Man. Played by Doug Jones, the irregular-shaped Pale Man is covered head-to-toe in saggy skin and has eyeballs in his hands, with Jones having to peer out of the creature’s nostrils in order to see. You’d never notice Doug Jones in a million years underneath that artistry - however, the same can be said for most of his roles. He was Abe Sapien in “Hellboy”, the Amphibian Man in “The Shape of Water,” headless Billy Butcherson in “Hocus Pocus” - the list goes on. The guy is a powerhouse!
