15 Actors That Changed So Much for Their Roles That We Recognized Them Only After the Titles

Costumes, makeup, and computer graphics can sometimes do such wonders that we can’t even recognize the most famous actors until we read the credits. You can watch a film twice and not realize that you’ve seen Keanu Reeves, Vincent Cassel, or Stanley Tucci.

1. Keanu Reeves — dog boy (Freaked)

This is probably one of the most unusual roles of this Hollywood actor. Reeves plays one of the monsters living in the kingdom of a crazy scientist. Keanu got $1 million for this part even though he is not even credited.

2. Ryan Reynolds — Deadpool (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)

Ryan Reynolds always wanted to portray Deadpool which he would later end up doing. So, when he found out that the X-Men script had this character in it, he instantly asked the producers of the film to give this role to him.

3. Guy Pearce — Weyland (Prometheus)

Max von Sydow was considered for the role of Weyland. The actor was 83 at the time. But in the film, there was supposed to be an episode where the actor looked young, so Guy Pearce was invited to play this part.

4. Renée Zellweger — Judy Garland (Judy)

In the biopic, Judi, Renée Zellweger went through one of her most dramatic transformations. In order to become the Hollywood icon, Zellweger endured both sleepless nights and hours in the makeup chair. The actress needed to put on prosthetics, contact lenses, and wigs every day, which took around 2 hours. As a result of her great work in this role, she won numerous awards and accolades, including the Academy Award.

5. Natalie Portman — Celeste (Vox Lux)

The incredible makeup worn by Natalie Portman in Vox Lux was inspired by David Bowie’s looks. Although the actress shot her part in just 10 days, she managed to transform on the screen into a foulmouthed, deeply traumatized pop star.

6. Gillian Anderson — failed actress (Crooked House)

Even though her makeup doesn’t look very complicated, viewers didn’t instantly recognize Dana from X-Files. Her character was one of the most memorable in the film, so both the viewers and the critics loved her transformation.

7. Rose McGowan — waitress in a cat costume (Monkeybone)

This film wasn’t the best one in the career of the actress who everyone knows from Charmed. Critics were very negative about this comedy, but viewers loved Rose.

8. Stanley Tucci — court composer (Beauty and the Beast, 2017)

As a human, you can see Stanley Tucci only at the beginning and the end of the film. For the majority of the film, he is a harpsichord. By the way, there’s no such character in earlier versions of this famous story.

9. Javier Bardem — cybercriminal (Skyfall)

At the beginning of the casting process, Javier Bardem told the director of the film that he wanted to change the appearance of his character, especially the eye and hair color. When Bardem appeared on set for his first day, nobody recognized him. By the way, the light hair is a wig. He also used a fake jaw for the role.

10. Geena Davis — Barbara Maitland (Beetlejuice)

You might remember Geena as the mother in Stuart Little. In Beetlejuice, which was filmed 11 years earlier, it’s hard to recognize her. And at the end of the film, you can see her wearing makeup showing the process of quick aging that started because of a seance.

11. Taylor Swift — cat (Cats)

She didn’t have a very big part but it was quite memorable. And of course, she sings in it. Even though the film didn’t earn any money and was a failure, Swift said she didn’t regret her experience in this strange film.

12. Michael Sheen — club owner (Tron)

Michael Sheen is a big fan of the original Tron. So when he was invited to play a part in the film, he accepted it without thinking. One of his inspiration sources was Ziggy Stardust — a human-like Martian from the 5th and 6th albums of David Bowie.

13. Johnny Depp — eccentric lieutenant (Before Night Falls)

Johnny Depp is great at unusual transformations. But few people remember this role where Depp portrayed a military officer. He gets dressed in these extravagant clothes when his character needs to sneak into jail and steal the last novel by Reinaldo Arenas.

14. Mila Kunis — Theodora (Oz the Great and Powerful)

It’s quite unusual to see Mila Kunis transform like this. In 2011, she played the part of the evil witch in Oz the Great and Powerful. She had 2 different looks in the film. To look like Theodora, she had to go through very difficult makeup with the use of contact lenses, silicone, and foam rubber.

15. Lady Gaga — powerful Italian woman Patrizia Reggiani (House of Gucci)

In the film, Lady Gaga portrayed Patrizia Reggiani — a simple girl that connected her life with the heir of the House of Gucci, Maurizio. Ambition, greed, and jealousy were present in their marriage. Lady Gaga was very serious about her preparation: she spent 9 months speaking with an Italian accent, she dressed in everything Patrizia did — house cat, fox, and merciless panther. Many critics loved her transformation.

Which of these roles from popular stars was a surprise for you?