16 Actresses Who Mask Their Beauty For Movie Roles
- 1/16
The actress trades her shiny hair, glowing skin, and form-fitting clothing, for a frumpy wardrobe with a makeup-free face and dark sense of humor. As someone obsessed with another woman’s suicide, Aniston is not bubbly or flirty or high energy as we’re used to seeing her, but the transformation is minimal.
- 2/16
The British actress perfected her American accent, dyed her typically blonde hair dark, and wore a fake baby bump and minimal makeup for her upcoming role in the Clint Eastwood-directed film. She told the NY Post that people have said she’s unrecognizable in the film, but we haven’t heard any buzz around the role just yet.
- 3/16
To play the role of poor prostitute Fantine, Hathaway lost a lot of weight, shaved her head on camera, and appeared to have no front teeth (her character sells both for money). The wheels were set in motion for Hathaway to win a Golden Globe, SAG award, and Oscar.
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- 4/16
For her role as Lisbeth Salander the beauty bleached her eyebrows, dyed her hair black, cut it short, shaved part of her head, and had her nose and right nipple pierced. Her dragon tattoo was fake, but her transformation to a goth punk was very real, earning her an Oscar nomination.
- 5/16
We wouldn’t have pegged the Austrailian actress as a dead ringer for Bob Dylan, but she was one of six actors to take on the famous singer-songwriter in this film, and perhaps the best. She won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for her astoundingly accurate performance.
- 6/16
The stunning actress looked unrecognizable as serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Aside from looking rather hideous with a splotchy misshapen face and plucked-out brows, Theron threw every inch of herself into the role, truly becoming a monster. Her performance surely earned an Academy Award, but the physical transformation sealed her fate.
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- 7/16
It took a lot more than a short haircut and a flannel shirt for Swank to portray Brandon Teena, a pre-op transgender female-to-male, but the transformation certainly didn’t hurt. She won an Oscar for the role.
- 8/16
The Aussie actress covered up her cute button nose with a distractingly bad prosthetic one to play Virginia Woolf. But downplaying her looks earned Kidman an Oscar as well.
- 9/16
You’d never guess that this animal-obsessed woman in a frizzed-out wig who gets locked up in a cage by her husband is in fact a famous blonde bombshell. The role earned her many nominations and credibility in dramatic roles after her light-hearted performances in “There’s Something About Mary” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding.”
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- 10/16
As a sociopath living in a psych ward Jolie adopted a bad wig and a bad attitude, but it was hard to downplay her sex appeal on the big screen. Nevertheless, she took home a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her turn as the most charismatic woman in the psychiatric ward.
- 11/16
At just 20 years old, the actress gained 40 pounds in seven weeks to play the ABBA-loving, socially awkward, dateless woman who longs to be married. Her entertaining performance and fuller figured earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
- 12/16
As a follow-up to her first topless scene in 2001’s “Swordfish,” Berry took on a more challenging role of a poor Southern woman who falls in love with a prison guard after her husband executed. She essentially just wore a bad wig for the part, but she took home an Oscar.
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- 13/16
Transforming your image on-screen isn’t always rewarding. Despite being a box office success, Moore won the worst actress Razzie Award for her performance. Truthfully, the only thing we remember about the film is people being shocked that she shaved her head.
- 14/16
Forget her on-point English accent or her performance. When this movie came out every journalist wanted to know one thing: how and why did Zellweger gain 30 pounds for the role? After being told she was too thin for the role, the actress gorged on junk food and was nominated for her first Oscar.
- 15/16
For her role as a social worker, Carey’s glamorous appearance was downplayed with bad makeup, messy hair, and a fake mustache/ “I knew they wanted me to be as homely as possible…so I was like, ‘that’s cool,’" she told US Weekly.
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- 16/16
The “Desperate Housewives” star took home a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for her turn as a transgender woman, a role with perhaps more depth that required a makeover.
This story is being featured as part of our “Yahoo Best of 2015” series. It was originally published on January 10, 2015.
Women in Hollywood often complain about the lack of good roles. Surely accomplished actresses like Meryl Streep have had no trouble landing excellent parts, but in an industry where females are often viewed as counterparts or love interests instead of leads, it can be hard for ladies to play the complex characters they desire. But slap on a wig, a prosthetic nose, a dowdy outfit, or an extra 20 pounds and you’ve got yourself an Oscar nomination. Many actresses now vie for the roles involving physical transformations since they generate buzz and so often lead to accolades and trophies. But is a movie makeunder as difficult or significant as getting mentally into character and giving a great performance? Or perhaps it takes these women not looking like total knockouts to let you focus on their acting chops. Let’s take a look at the women who have received attention for their less attractive roles.