The eyes do not believe: 10 actors and actresses who can play anyone

We present the best of the best Hollywood (and not only) actors and actresses in the field of reincarnation. In fairness, we note that they brilliantly cope with the most diverse roles thanks to fantastic makeup only in the second place, primarily because of their great talent and incredible charisma.

The star of "The Wolf of Wall Street" (the movie that actually made her one) - Margot Robbie - transformed beyond recognition on the set of the film "Two Queens".

With her head proudly raised, on which red flashes are flaming, she entered the image of Elizabeth I with a light step. The Australian has joined the list of actresses who have previously tried on the role of the youngest daughter of Henry VIII (Judi Dench, Bette Davis, Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett, Miranda Richardson).

Jane Porter ("Tarzan. Legend", 2016)

Laura Cameron (TV series "Pan American", 2011-2012)

Elizabeth I ("Mary Queen of Scots", 2017)

Of course, we do not have a real photo of the queen, but from the portrait reproduced by contemporaries of the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty, we can judge how accurately Margot "got" into the image.

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I

With long golden curls and flawless skin - the "trademarks" of Robbie - the actress had to say goodbye. Recall that Elizabeth I was definitely a beauty trendsetter: everything in her appearance — from fiery hair to pale skin - corresponded to the ideas of contemporaries about beauty.

To fully match the image of Margot, she had to put on a wig, "spoil" the skin and change the shape of her nose with the help of makeup artists.

The trademark differences of the English queen are curly hair parted in the middle without bangs (some fans are sure that Margot definitely had to shave bald) and a hooked nose (obviously, makeup artists used a special overlay). A separate item is pockmarked skin.

Following the rule, "the whiter the better", the "Elizabethans" used (at least those of them who could afford it) a product called "whitewash". Consisting of a hellish mixture of white lead and vinegar, they gradually corroded the skin, leaving unaesthetic scars and pigment spots.

They were masterfully reproduced by the make-up artists, putting an end to this unusual trasformation. Margot Robbie became almost indistinguishable from the prototype of the virgin queen in a copy of the traditional costume of the era: a corset, a "jacket" with a high collar, a skirt with tails and buckles.

The dramatic role has definitely become a new career step after her success in the provocatively ironic "Suicide Squad". The film "Two Queens" was released in 2018.

The aristocrat-born Helena Bonham Carter (recall that she is the great-granddaughter of British Prime Minister Lord Axwith, the granddaughter of Baroness Bonham Carter and even a distant relative of Kate Middleton) was perceived by critics as nothing but an "English rose". For quite a long time she played exclusively in film adaptations of classic works of the 18th and 19th centuries and coped with it surprisingly well.

Tim Burton, who shot "Planet of the Apes", with whom the actress had a long affair after the end of filming, said that she was an "ideal monkey" with eyes full of sadness and touching muttering to herself.

Ophelia (Hamlet, 1990)

We especially like her romantic and hysterical Ophelia in the film adaptation of "Hamlet" by Franco Zeffirelli.

Marla Singer ("Fight Club", 1999)

The role of drug addict and anarchist Marla Singer in David Fincher's film "Fight Club" allowed Helena to finally (but not irrevocably!) break with the role of the "queen of corsets". She performed the role so effectively that after the release of the picture it was difficult to imagine someone else in the image of Marla.

"Fight Club" made Bonham Carter the idol of millions of American girls who definitely did not understand her next transformation into a monkey in the literal sense.

The Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland, 2010)

Among the roles of the "Burton" period in the life and work of Helena (the couple lasted together for 13 years) The Queen of Hearts stands out in particular: a brave British woman was not afraid to turn into an egghead madcap dwarf with a bright "make-up".

Bellatrix Lestrange (Harry Potter film series, 2001-2011)

And, of course, we couldn't help but remember her witch Lestrange in "Potter": Bonham Carter once again confirmed her willingness to experiment with appearance and provided another outstanding appearance on the screen.

We take our hats off to Jared Leto, first of all, for the titanic efforts he puts into his work.

The Joker ("Suicide Squad", 2016)

Despite the fact that the very bright (at least as far as makeup is concerned) tape "Suicide Squad", where Leto plays with Margot Robbie, Cara Delevingne, Scott Eastwood and Viola Davis, received many negative reviews, the image of the Joker in his performance is impressive.

The actor was preparing for the role of a psychopathic killer very seriously: he talked with real criminals and specialists examining them, read a lot of professional literature and reflected. It's a pity that in the end, during the final installation, he didn't have many screen minutes.

Hephaestion ("Alexander", 2004)

Mark Chapman ("Chapter 27", 2007)

For the role of the bespectacled man who decided to kill John Lennon ("Chapter 27"), the actor had to gain almost 30 kg, and to play a transsexual in the "Dallas Buyers Club", on the contrary, to lose the "tag".

Nemo ("Mr. Nobody", 2009)

Transvestite Rayon ("Dallas Buyers Club", 2013)

However, the latter was clearly not in vain: according to the general opinion of film critics, this work became the strongest in Leto's career (which is confirmed by the golden Oscar statuette).

Our undisputed favorite in this ranking is the British Tilda Swinton. The asthenic albino was deliberately rewarded by the creator with an adaptive appearance, which she enjoys using on occasion. Tilda is a big fan of independent cinema, so it is not always possible to track her curious experiments with appearance.

Madame Celine-Villeneuve Degoff-und-Taxis ("Grand Budapest Hotel", 2014)

We are sure that you watched the popular "Doctor Strange" because of the magnificent Benedict Cumberbatch, and if not, look at least because of the completely "sexless" Swinton. And if after that you doubt that the Englishwoman is magically beautiful, immediately switch to the Chronicles of Narnia.

Eva ("Only Lovers will Survive", 2013)

Fans of "cinema is not for everyone", first of all, of course, we recommend "Orlando" (a filmed novel-biography of Virginia Woolf) and Jim Jarmusch's fantasy drama about "surviving" lovers, which presented her in the image of a beautiful vampire (Tom Hiddleston is attached as a worthy background).

The White Witch ("Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Magic Cabinet", 2005)

A special screening should go to the "Grand Budapest Hotel", where Swinton decided on a curious experiment and allowed herself to throw three decades to her real age in order to transform into an 84-year-old loving old woman.

The Elder ("Doctor Strange", 2016)

Orlando ("Orlando", 1992)

Jack Sparrow - crazy hairstyle, playful antics, shifty eyes - a perfect example of Depp's great talent as a comedic actor, who is also distinguished by a strong dramatic component.

Edward ("Edward Scissorhands", 1990)

The role of Edward is the "unfinished" creation of a great scientist with scissors instead of hands - a certain hit in the top ten (and this despite the fact that for the entire timing of the picture, Depp's hero utters less than two hundred words).

Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean, 2003)

Transvestite Bon-Bon ("Until the Night Comes", 2000)

But do you remember that at the dawn of his career, the role of a transvestite "happened"? We remembered and admired.

Edward Wood Jr. ("Ed Wood", 1994)

He also impressed us very much in the film adaptation of the biographical drama about director Edward Wood Jr. and fairly scared us with his reincarnation in "Black Mass", where he looks exactly like the famous Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger.

Whitey Bulger ("Black Mass", 2015)

It seems that Meryl Streep is subject to all possible roles, because her track record includes more than fifty paintings.

The Witch ("The Further into the Forest", 2014)

One of the greatest dramatic actresses of our time, according to film critics, is amazing in the role of a refugee whose life was broken by Nazism (for the sake of the role, Streep even learned two languages - Polish and German) and charmingly charming in the image of the bitchy performer of "fashion sentences" - the editor-in-chief of the glossy magazine Miranda Priestly.

Sophie Zawistowski (Sophie's Choice, 1982)

Miranda Priestly ("The Devil Wears Prada", 2006)

Ricky ("Ricky and the Flash", 2015)

In our opinion, the actress is absolutely incomparable in the guise of a witch in the musical "The further into the forest": we remember the fact that she is perfectly able to sing from Mamma mia, but the talent for fairy-tale reincarnation makes you just freeze with delight.

Margaret Thatcher ("The Iron Lady", 2011)

The image of another "iron lady", which was brilliantly embodied on the screen by the Strip - Margaret Thatcher in the biopic about the Prime Minister of Great Britain, for which the actress was eventually rewarded with a third Oscar.

Sergey Vitalievich has no equal in the field of reincarnation in the domestic cinema. He plays bandits and policemen, poor and rich, businessmen and military, saints and atheists, heroes of classical works and fairy-tale characters.

Vladimir Vysotsky ("Vysotsky. Thank you for being alive", 2011)

You can treat Bezrukov in different ways, one thing is clear - it is unlikely that you will not be able to see at least one picture with him in the main role. We keep the images of Ivanushka the fool and Alexander Sergeevich in priority and strongly advise you to go to the theater to evaluate the actor's performance. Fortunately, he still appears on stage. The Moscow Provincial Theater, which he has been directing since 2015.

Nikolay Ranevich ("Match", 2012)

Yeshua Ha-Nozri ("The Master and Margarita", 2005)

Alexander Pushkin ("Pushkin. The Last Duel", 2006)

Ivan the Fool ("The Most Real Fairy Tale", 2011)

It is difficult to find not only a more lively and charming, but also the most diverse actress than Inna Churikova. The supporting role in the fairy tale "Morozko" brought her personally first of all upset and only secondarily fame and popularity.

Marfushka ("Morozko", 1964)

The actress was incredibly upset when she saw herself on the screen in the image of Marfushka: she seemed so ugly and repulsive to her that Churikova even considered ending her film career.

Pasha Stroganova/Jeanne D'Arc ("The Beginning", 1970)

This, however, did not happen, and thank God. Otherwise, we would never have seen Joan of Arc performed by her screen heroine Pasha Stroganova, we would not have met the bitchy wife of Professor Munchausen, we would not have appreciated the subtle tact and steely endurance of Vera with the speaking surname Netuzhilina.

General's Wife Lizaveta Prokofievna ("The Idiot", 2003)

Each Churikova film is an ornament of the national cinema. Everything is simple here: we watch and enjoy.

Baroness Jacobina von Dunten "The same Munchausen", 1979)

Vera Netuzhilina ("Military field novel", 1983)

A shy Scot with bright blue eyes is a storehouse of talents. He can play the piano, guitar and drums, boxing, fencing and playing football are equally good.

Kevin-Patricia (Split, 2016)

Reincarnation is surprisingly easy for him: a vivid example of this is the psychological thriller by M. Night Shyamalan "Split", where he plays a person suffering from a split personality.

Rory O'Shea ("And in the Shower I Dance", 2004)

And even though in the film we see only 8 disguises of the "victim", and not 23, as expected (here, of course, we recall "The Mysterious Story of Billy Milligan", written by Daniel Keyes), McAvoy's work is still impressive.

The Faun ("Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Magic Cabinet", 2005)

By the way, it was James who could have played Bilbo Baggins in the film adaptation of John Tolkien's The Hobbit, but in the piggy bank of McAvoy's fantasy works there ended up being a lovely faun from The Chronicles of Narnia (and the role of the hobbit eventually sailed to Martin Freeman).

Valentin ("Last Sunday", 2009)

We also found worthy the transformation into Professor Xavier (by the way, it was after the forced "baldness" for this role of the actor that the director of Split noticed), secretary Lev Tolstoy Valentin and a young man confined to a wheelchair with muscular dystrophy, whom even the disease could not wean from enjoying every moment of life.

Xavier (X-Men: Apocalypse, 2016)

The filmography of the 28-year-old Australian who left the world prematurely is not too great: there are just over 15 famous paintings in it. But the role in each is an example of a masterpiece of acting.

The Joker ("The Dark Knight", 2008)

Ledger was equally good at both the roles of hero lovers (including characters with bisexual inclinations - for the role of the "blue" cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, he was nominated for an Oscar as best actor in 2006), and comedy roles, and the role of villains.

Giacomo Casanova ("Casanova", 2005)

One of the peaks of Ledger's creativity is, of course, the role of the Joker, for which many actors simply did not take up, fearing not to stand comparison with the sample of '89 performed by Jack Nicholson.

Tony ("The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus", 2009)

The director of The Dark Knight, Christophen Nolan, said that Heath spent hours working on the complex nature of his character, honing diction and movements. For this role, the actor has already been posthumously awarded the Oscar.

William Thatcher ("The Knight's Story", 2001)

Ennis Delmar (Brokeback Mountain, 2005)