40+ Celebs Who Look Nothing Like the Roles They Played

For most actors, transforming into a totally different person is part of the job. That might mean prosthetics, weight loss or gain, or wearing outrageous wigs and costumes. The celebs on this list went through major makeovers in order to play their roles. These stars look nothing like the characters they played on various TV shows and movies. Whether it’s horror villains, superheroes, or becoming fellow famous faces, these celebrities ended up looking nothing like themselves. Join us as we take a look at some radical on-screen transformations.

Cersei Lannister - Lena Headey

In fantasy series Game of Thrones, British actress Lena Headey plays the villainous Cersei Lannister. In the show's early seasons, Cersei has ornately braided long blonde hair. She wears elaborate robes, swills her goblet, and pulls at the strings of power behind the throne.

Outside of this role, Lena Headey looks absolutely nothing like her on-screen character. The star has cropped, dark hair and an abundance of tattoos. In fact, the actress has at least 13 tatts. We're pretty sure Cersei has exactly none.

Lisbeth Salander – Rooney Mara

There are various versions of psychological thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. There's the original Swedish novel, a Swedish movie adaptation, and the 2011 David Fincher movie. In the American version, actress Rooney Mara plays tattooed computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander.

For this role, Rooney got multiple piercings, dyed her hair, and bleached her eyebrows. She has said that her style has never been the same since taking the role. While she used to dress in "girlie, frilly things," now she buys more "comfortable" and "boyish" items.

Mystique – Jennifer Lawrence

Naturally, there are a bunch of superheroes on this list. First up is Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in the X-Men series. To play the blue-skinned shapeshifter, Jennifer spent eight hours in makeup. However, as time went on, they managed to cut down the process to three hours.

For 2011 movie X-Men: First Class, J-Law was covered in head-to-toe body paint. However, it eventually led to "weird boils, rashes, and blisters." After that, she wore a bodysuit from the neck down.

Voldemort – Ralph Fiennes

We're happy to report that English actor Ralph Fiennes actually doesn't look like Lord Voldemort in real life. In order to play He Who Must Not Be Named, the actor spent just two hours in the makeup chair.

This relatively short time was because child actors can't be on set all day. Because of these child labor laws, Fiennes' makeup had to be applied quickly to maximize acting time. He wore false veins, nails and teeth, eyebrow blockers, and dark eye makeup.