18 Best Roles Where Actors Had to Change Gender

Many actors and actresses go to such lengths for their roles that one can only be amazed and applaud with admiration. Some lose weight, some, on the contrary, gain weight, some shave their heads or grow a thick beard. But there are actors and actresses who can even… change their gender. No, of course, without the help of a surgeon - just by getting into their role well.

So, here are some amazing actors who became women for the sake of a film, as well as some equally amazing actresses who turned into men for the same purpose - for the sake of art.

1. Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire, 1993)

When a nanny agency sends you an obnoxious housekeeper like this, your instinct is to grab a shotgun. But despite everything, Robin Williams, who adopted a funny Scottish accent in the film, did a great job with the female role.

2. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis (Some Like It Hot, 1959)

Still one of the best and most iconic films about… “gender reassignment.” This film was loved by audiences on both sides of the ocean. And Curtis definitely outshines Lemmon in terms of glamour.

3. Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs, 2011

In the film, American actress Glenn Close plays a woman who has been disguised as a male waiter for 30 years. The actress says she cried the first time she saw herself on screen as a man, but she received an Oscar nomination for her performance. (Roadside Attractions, Patrick Redmond/AP)

4. Johnny Depp (right) in Before Night Falls, 2000

"When I saw him (Johnny Depp) in women's clothes, I said: 'Damn, who is this girl?' What an ass!" admits Javier Bardem, who played Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas in Julian Schnabel's biopic.

5. John Travolta (Hairspray, 2007)

Travolta played Tracy's big momma Edna Turnblad in the adaptation of the hit musical. While his "butt" wasn't exactly a sight to behold, he certainly learned how to curl his hair. The Grease star also proved he hasn't lost his dancing chops, effortlessly performing in a pink sequined dress that made Queen Latifah jealous.

6. Julie Andrews (Victor/Victoria, 1982)

In this disconcerting comedy, Andrews brilliantly played a woman pretending to be a transvestite man. She became a gay icon after that. At the time, the film's director, Blake Andrews, was her husband.

7. Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975)

This adaptation of the British musical became a cult classic, and Curry's performance as the "Sweet Transvestite" Dr. Frank-N-Furter brought him wide recognition.

8. Eddie Murphy (Norbit, 2007)

Eddie Murphy, the Beverly Hills cop, put on a dress. It's a joke, let's not say anything else about this movie...

9. Chiwetel Ejiofor (Kinky Boots, 2005)

Crazy? Not really. But Ejiofor played with his characteristic "warm" atmosphere. He played a cabaret dancer and a very confident fashionista. A true story about transsexuals and foot fetishists.

10. Cary Grant (The Soldier in a Skirt, 1949)

The incomparable Bristolian did a fine job in this Howard Hawks comedy, opposite Ann Sheridan... even if he made one of the most absurdly implausible women in cinema history.

11. Alec Guinness (Kind Hearts and Coronets, 1949)

Guinness played eight roles in this wonderful comedy by Robert Hamer, but his duck-lipped Lady Agatha will always remain one of the most striking.

12. Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie, 1982)

Hoffman added a very memorable feature to his resume as actor Michael Dorsey, who, desperate for work, dons a dress and becomes Dorothy Michaels... and soon finds himself on the cover of Time. The film remains one of the most beloved films to this day.

13. William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman, 1985)

In one of the rare examples of a world-class actor wearing women's clothing for reasons other than fun and laughter, Hurt gives a great performance as a gay prisoner in a South American jail.

14. Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane (Nuns on the Run, 1990)

"Glasses, Balls, Wallet and Watch": Two criminals dress up as women. Idle and Coltrane are rightfully considered the best worst drag queens for their terrible make-up and complete lack of desire to appear feminine.

15. Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There, 2007)

Director Todd Haynes took the bold step of casting six actors to play Bob Dylan in this loose take on the singer's life. And who would have thought that Australian Cate Blanchett would play him best of all?

16. Barbra Streisand (Yentl, 1983)

Streisand wrote, directed, and starred in this film about a female model with the "soul of a man" trying to make it in a man's world. She became the first woman to win a Golden Globe for Best Director (in 1984).

17. Elizabeth Taylor (National Velvet, 1944)

It was the first starring role for 11-year-old Taylor, when she starred as Velvet Brown, a girl who disguises herself as a boy to lead her horse to victory at a race.

18. Laurel and Hardy (Twice Two, 1933)

In this movie, Stan Laurel marries Oliver Hardy's sister (played by Hardy himself), and Oliver marries Stan's sister (played by Stan himself). They all lived together, and a surprise party to celebrate their first anniversary turns out to be... a disaster, of course.