10 Most Shocking Hollywood Makeup Transformations | Side-by-Side

10 Most Shocking Hollywood Makeup Transformations Side by Side

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at movie stars who completely disappeared under makeup to inhabit a very different character. Spoilers are included!

Dick Van Dyke

“Mary Poppins” (1964)

Everyone remembers Mary Poppins’ cockney sidekick Bert, thanks to a charismatic turn from Dick Van Dyke. However, some of the less discerning among us may have missed the resemblance between Bert and old Mr. Dawes from the bank. The young actors playing Jane and Michael weren’t told during filming that the unsteady old gentleman was only Van Dyke in disguise. His name was even hidden in the credits, where he appears as “Navckid Keyd” - an anagram of his name. Over fifty years later, the ninety-two-year-old Van Dyke returned to dance on tables in “Mary Poppins Returns,” playing Mr. Dawes Jr. The family resemblance is uncanny - but this time there’s a lot more spring in his step.

Eddie Murphy

“The Nutty Professor” (1996)

Whether he’s playing a talking donkey or a Beverly Hills cop, Eddie Murphy is nothing if not versatile. In “The Nutty Professor,” he showcased his chameleon-like acting talents, playing the kind-hearted Professor Sherman Klump and his devious alter ego, Buddy Love. If that wasn’t enough, Professor Klump shared a few scenes with multiple members of his extended family, who were also played by Murphy. The makeup team should take their share of the credit for transforming the actor into three generations and two different genders of Klumps. It’s comedy, so the performances and the make-overs are heightened, but those chaotic dinner scenes still show off Murphy’s impressive range.

Bill Skarsgård

“It” (2017)

If you’re going to play an iconic horror villain like Pennywise, you really have to commit. Taking over from Tim Curry, who originated the part back in 1990, Bill Skarsgård really went for it. The handsome Swedish actor is almost unidentifiable as Stephen King’s terrifying killer clown. His ghostly white makeup, wig, and prosthetics are relatively simple, but they still paint a sinister picture. In addition to the makeup, Skarsgård took inspiration from animal behaviors - most notably hyenas - to help shape Pennywise’s movement and mannerisms. He also cites Heath Ledger’s Joker as an influence, but that creepy smile is all his own.

Margot Robbie

“Mary Queen of Scots” (2018)

When Margot Robbie was first announced as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, she seemed like the obvious choice. But not all of her roles have been so glamorous. In “Mary Queen of Scots,” the Australian actress played against type as an aging Queen Elizabeth I. The film covers roughly twenty-five years in the life of the Virgin Queen, who famously used face powder made from white lead. This toxic beauty routine became more of a fixture towards the end of her life, and as the film wears on, Robbie gradually disappears under pock marks and prosthetics. With her bright red wigs and painted face, it’s easy to suspend our disbelief and see the English queen, not the Aussie movie star.

Colin Farrell

“The Batman” (2022)

Like Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell is usually more of a romantic lead, but lately he’s followed in the footsteps of many an aging heartthrob and entered his weirdos and villains era. In “The Batman,” Farrell takes on one of the Caped Crusader’s most memorable foes - the Penguin. The character has previously been portrayed by Danny DeVito, who camped up the role in Tim Burton’s “Batman Returns.” However, Farrell takes a more grounded approach to suit the grittier tone of this reboot. His Penguin is an old school gangster type, with a beak of a nose and a limp that gives him a penguin-like waddle. In full makeup and costume, Farrell was unrecognizable on set. The makeup and hairstyling team bagged a well-deserved Oscar nomination.

Doug Jones

“Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006)

Doug Jones has spent so much of his career buried under makeup and prosthetics that you might struggle to pick his real face out of a line-up. From Billy Butcherson in “Hocus Pocus” to the unusual love interest of “The Shape of Water,” Jones has a knack for making otherworldly characters feel human. He has often collaborated with Guillermo del Toro, most famously in “Pan’s Labyrinth,” where he plays both the Fawn and “The Pale Man.” Using practical makeup techniques applied over a green-screen suit, the award-winning makeup team transformed Jones into two distinct and frightening characters. With the Pale Man, in particular, he created the film’s most striking and memorable image.

Gary Oldman

“Darkest Hour” (2017)

Stepping into the shoes of a historical figure is always going to be a challenge for an actor, but it’s magnified when we move into the 20th century. “Darkest Hour” follows British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, whose physical appearance, mannerisms, and voice are all well-documented. Moviegoers - especially in the UK – will have expected to see the formidable politician faithfully replicated. In real life, Gary Oldman looks nothing like Churchill, but the makeup artists worked their magic. The final result is un-unnervingly good. Oldman also turned in an exceptional performance and was rewarded with his first-ever Oscar for Best Actor.

Jim Carrey

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)

Jim Carrey’s elastic expressions are enough to transform his whole face, but he’s always ready to don the makeup and immerse himself in a new quirky character. As the evil Count Olaf in “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” Carrey was a man of many disguises. Playing “The Grinch” was even more challenging. Carrey remembers his experience in the makeup chair as “being buried alive every day.” Aside from facial prosthetics and makeup, the actor was covered head to toe in green yak’s fur and also needed contacts to enlarge his eyes. The arduous process reportedly turned Carrey into a real-life green meanie, and his makeup artist needed therapy afterwards.

Charlize Theron

“Monster” (2003)

Charlize Theron underwent a serious make-under to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Her makeup team stripped the life out of her hair, added sun damage to her skin, and gelatin on her eyelids to make her look tired. Theron also gained weight, shaved her eyebrows, and wore prosthetic teeth, but it was her outstanding performance that had the critics excited. After engaging in sex work from a young age, Wuornos gained notoriety when she murdered seven clients in the space of a year. The film follows her from her first kill to her execution in Florida in 2002. Theron successfully captures something of Wuornos’s unnerving body language, but also manages to portray her as more than just the “Monster” of the title.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Emma Thompson, “Nanny McPhee” (2005)

She Left Vanity at the Door to Play this Less Than Practically Perfect English Nanny

Robert Carlyle, “Yesterday” (2019)

A Surprisingly Moving Cameo as John Lennon in Another Life

Christian Bale, “Vice” (2018)

Bale Takes on the Former US Vice President, Dick Cheney

Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008)

A Combination of Makeup & CGI Takes the Character Through an Entire Lifetime

Nicole Kidman, “The Hours” (2002)

Her Star Turn as Virginia Woolf Won Kidman Best Actress at That Year’s Oscars

John Hurt

“The Elephant Man” (1980)

This moving and acclaimed drama stars the late John Hurt as John Merrick, a nineteenth-century man who was dubbed “The Elephant Man” due to his appearance. Hurt spent multiple hours in the makeup chair each day in an attempt to replicate the character’s physical appearance. Twenty-two separate prosthetics were applied to his face and body, based on body casts of the real Merrick, which had been preserved in the private museum of the Royal London Hospital. The makeup concealed almost all of the actor’s face and also restricted his jaw movement, but this didn’t stop Hurt from delivering a fantastic performance.

Which transformation shocked you the most? Share your favorites in the comments!