Naomi Grossman – Pepper
Naomi Grossman actually had to shave her head for the role of pepper on TV show American Horror Story. To date, this is her most recognized role although she has appeared in several other shows and movies.
Naomi Grossman Pepper
Taryn Manning – Tiffany Doggett
Taryn Manning is known for playinf the role of Tiffany Doggett, also known as Pennsatucky, on Orange Is The New Black. She was proud to call herself a redneck and throughout the first season, the character had missing and rotten teeth.
Taryn Manning Tiffany Doggett
Elisabeth Moss – Peggy Olson
Elisabeth Moss became a household name when she played Peggy Olson on Mad Med. Her character starts out as frumpy and timid but transforms into a confident leader at the company.
Elizabeth Moss Peggy Olson
America Ferrera – Betty Suarez
Betty Saurez on Ugly Betty was played by actress America Ferrara, who looks nothing like her frumpy on-screen character. However, Betty’s ambition and heart of gold sets her apart and won everyone over anyway.
America Ferrera Betty Suarez
Emma Thompson – Nanny McPhee
Emma Thompson portrayed of the magican Nanny McPhee in the film Nanny McPhee in 2005. Nanny McPhee would appear at people’s homes to help deal with out of control children. She is first seen as frighteningly unattractive.
Emma Thompson Nanny McPhee
Judy Greer – Kitty Sanchez
Judy Greer has played many roles in TV shows and movies, but one of her most out there characters include Kitty Sanchez on comedy show Arrested Development. The role was one of Greer’s favorites because she loved that Kitty entertained people and made them laugh.
Judy Greer Kitty Sanchez
Vanessa Hudgens – Agnes “Apple” Bailey
Vanessa Hudgens first became famous when she played Gabriella in High School Musical. She later played the role of Apple Bailey, a struggling teen that spend most of her life in and out of foster homes in a movie called Gimmie Shelter. Hudgens was nearly unrecognizable in this role.
Vanessa Hudgens Gabriella Montez
Rooney Mara – Lisbeth Salander
Rooney Mara became a household name when she portrayed Lisbeth Salander on the hit film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the US version of the Swedish film. She went through a total transformation to play Lisbeth and was nominated for a Golden Globe for the role.
Rooney Mara Lisbeth Salander
Bette Midler – Winifred Sanderson
Better Midler had one of her most iconic roles of her career in 1993 when she played Winifred Sanderson in Hocus Pocus. Head witch of the Sanderson sisters, the three were executed but brought back to life.
Bette Midler Winifred Sanderson
Drew Barrymore – Josie Gellar
Drew Barrymore played Josie Gellar in 1999’s Never Been Kissed. In the movie, she played a cop that went undercover as a high school student. Joise saw it as an opportunity to relive her high school experience and become more popular this time around.
Drew Barrymore Josie Gellar
Cameron Diaz – Lotte Schwartz
The stunning Cameron Diaz was known for playing beautiful women in films like The Mask and There’s Something About Mary. When she was cast in 1999’s Being John Malkovitch, she played Lotte Schwartz, a character that looks absolutely nothing like the real life actress.
Cameron Diaz Lotte Schwartz
Kate McKinnon – Justin Bieber
Kate McKinnon is quite a talented comedian and impersonator. She has impersonated people like Billie Jean King and Justin Bieber. Her hair and makeup made her look so unrecognizable and made her performance even more iconic.
Kate McKinnon Impersonates Justin Bieber
Meryl Streep – The Witch
Meryl Streep played The Witch in 2014’s Into The Woods. The iconic and celebrated actress was unrecognizable in the role, which featured extensive hair and makeup prosthetics to make her look like a scary witch.
Meryl Streep The Witch
Salma Hayek – Frida Kahlo
The stunning Salma Hayek portrayed artist Frida Kahlo in the 2002 film Frida. For the role, Hayek had to have a prosthetic unibrow to match the real life Frida’s iconic eyebrow.
Salma Hayek Frida Kahlo
Linda Cardellini – Velma Dinkley
Linda Cardellini portrayed Velma Dinkley in the live action movie version of Scooby-Doo in 2002. She donned Velma’s signature bob and thick rimmed glasses along with the thick orange turtleneck that completed her look. As you can see, in real life, Cardellini is very lovely.
Linda Cardellini Velma Dinkley
Mayim Bialik – Amy Farrah Fowler
Mayim Bialik is recognized by many for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler in his comedy sitcom The Big Bang Theory, where she plays a nerdy and frumpy neuroscientist. Though her character is deemed unattractive, Mayim is quite beautiful in real life.
Mayim Bialik As Amy Farrah Fowler
Mae Whitman – Ann Veal
Actress Mae Whitman played the role of plain jane Ann Veal in comedy show Arrested Development. Her character is supposed to be forgettable, but in the meantime, Mae is both beautiful and charismatic, making her totally unforgettable.
Mae Whitman Ann Veal
Charlize Theron – Aileen Wournos
In one of her most acclaimed roles, Charlize Theron totally transformed her look to play serial killer Aileen Wournos in the film Monster. Her performance is often cited as one of the best in the history of cinema.
Charlize Theron Aileen Wournos
Thesy Surface – Margaret McPoyle
Thesy Surface is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Margarey McPoyle in the hit comedy series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. She played the character, who is deaf and mute, and really made quite an impact in this very small role.
Thesy Surface Margaret McPoyle
Maisie Williams – Arya Stark
English actress Maisie Williams became a well known actress after she stared portraying Arya Stark on the hit HBO show Game of Thrones. She had to adopt a very different look for the role, but it helped her win an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama.
Maisie Williams Arya Stark
Tina Fey – Liz Lemon
Tina Fey is known for her work on SNL as well as her role of Liz Lemon on 30 Rock. Lemon is a quirky and often frumpy character. In real life, Tina Fey is very stylish and we think she is very cool.
Tina Fey Liz Lemon
Lea Michele – Rachel Berry
Lea Michele played Rachel Berry on hit TV show Glee. Berry is a bossy high school student who dedicated her entire life to the glee club. She was not very popular because she came off as a know it all.
Lea Michele Rachel Berry
Anne Hathaway – Mia Thermopolis
Anne Hathaway plays geeky Mia on The Princess Diaries and later in 2012 played Fantine in Les Miserables, which required her to lost a considerable amount of weight and also shave her head.
Anne Hathaway Mia Thermopolis
Patricia Heaton – Debra Barone
Patricia Heaton is an award winning actress who is best recognized as Debra Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond as well as Frances Heck on TV show The Middle. Though in her roles she plays frumpy women, she is quite glamorous in real life.
Patricia Heaton Debra Barone
Melissa Rauch – Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz
Actress and comedian Melissa Rauch played Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz on Big Bang Theory. She played the high-pitched annoying character that married one of the main cast members.
Melissa Rauch Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski Wolowitz
Sophie McShera – Daisy Robinson
English actress Sophie McShera played Daisy Robinson, the plain kitchen maid, on hit TV show Downton Abbey. She later played one of the ugly step sisters in the 2015 Kenneth Branagh adaptation of Cinderella.
Sophie McShera Daisy Robinson
Janel Parrish – Mona Vanderwaal
Janel Parrish played the stuck up nerdy girl Mona Vanderwaal on TV show Pretty Little Liars. In real life, Parrish is quite beautiful and we struggle to see how anyone could believe that she is unattractive, even on the show.
Janel Parrish Mona Vanderwaal
Jenna Fischer – Pam Beesly
Jenna Fischer played the timid yet adorable Pam Beesly on hit sitcom The Office. She is portrayed as a plain Jane, but Fischer told NPR that she absolutely loved playing the character of Pam.
Jenna Fischer Pam Beesly
Tori Spelling – Violet Bickerstaff
Tori Spelling played nerdy character Violet Bickerstaff that wore braids and glasses on Saved By The Bell. In real life, Spelling is quite stylish and more resembles her character in her other hit show, Beverly Hills 90210.
Tori Spelling Violet Bickerstaff
Alyson Hannigan – Willow Rosenberg
Alyson Hannigan played Willow Rosenberg, Buffy’s best friend on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. She played the best friend part, who was not the main star. She later appeared in films like Boys and Girls, American Pie, and played Lily Aldrige in How I Met Your Mother.
Alyson Hannigan Willow Rosenberg
Kaitlin Olson – Deandra Reynolds
Kaitlin Olson plays Deandra Reynolds on the comedy hit series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She’s often described as a rude borderline sociopathetic drunk. Olson is quite stable and beautiful in real life, which makes her performance quite impressive.
Kaitlin Olson Deandra Reynolds
Aimee-Ffion Edwards – Lucy Sketch
Aimee Ffion Edwards is a Welsh actress that played Lucy Sketch in teen series Skins as well as Esme Shelby in Peaky Blinders. Her role as Sketch involved her playing a stalker that was very unstable, but in real like Edwards couldn’t be more different.
Aimee Ffion Edwards Lucy Sketch
Gwendoline Christie – Brienne Of Tarth
Gwendoline Christie played Brienne of Tarth on the hit series Game of Thrones. Christie did a fantastic job portraying the aggressive warrior who is not interested in clothes and prefers wielding a sword. Christie looks great all glammed up in real life, but is just as fierce as Brienne.
Gwendoline Christie Brienne Of Tarth
Pauley Perrette – Abby Scuito
Pauly Perrette is an actress, activist, singer, and writer. She is best known for playing Abby Sciuto on NCIS, who loves dressing in dark clothes that are goth style.
Pauley Perrette Abby Scuito
Ellie Kemper – Kimmy Schmidt
Ellie Kemper stole everyone’s heart as Kimmy Schmidt, the title character in hit series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, where she plays a woman that was trapped in a cult for 15 years and is now facing the outside world for the first time.
Ellie Kemper Kimmy Schmidt
Sandra Oh – Cristina Yang
Sandra Oh played Dr. Cristina Yang for many seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. Dr. Yang is known for being cold and distant. Oh won a Golden Globe Award as well as two Screen Actors Guild Awards for her role as Dr. Yang.
Sandra Oh Cristina Yang
Phyllis Logan – Elsie Hughes
Scottish actress Phyllis Logan is best known for portraying Elsie Hughes on the beloved show Downton Abbey. Elsie is a matronly housekeeper, meanwhile Logan is quite glamorous in real life, especially while at award ceremonies.
Phyllis Logan Elsie Hughes
Demi Moore – Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil
The stunning Demi Moore totally transformed her look by shaving away her long and luscious locks in order to play Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil in the movie GI Jane. The look was absolutely different but Moore rocked it anyways.
Demi Moore Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil
Kate Winslet – Sarah Pierce
Kate Winslet has played for many different roles, showcasing her skills as an actress. She’s best known for her breakout role as Rose in Titanic. She also portrayed Sarah Pierce in Little Children, a role that made her look quite different from her usual self.
Kate Winslet Sarah Pierce
Delphine Chanéac – Dren
Actress Delphine Chanéac went through an extreme transformation in order to portray Dren in the Canadian sci-fi film Splice. The makeup artists did a fantastic job with her look.
Delphine Chanéac Dren
Ariel Winter – Alex Dunphy
Ariel Winter played Alex Dunphy on Modern Family, who was the quiet and shy sister who was focused on schoolwork. In real life, Ariel Winter is very glamorous and enjoys dressing up.
Ariel Winter Alex Dunphy
Uzo Aduba – Suzanne Warren
Uzo Aduba plays Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on Netflix original series Orange Is The New Black. She does such a great job with the role, that it’s hard to recognize her in real life when she looks totally different and always glamorous.
Uzo Aduba Suzanne Warren
Tilda Swinton – Dianna
Tilda Swinton is known for her avant-garde style, which is why it was quite a shock when she appeared in Trainwreck alongside Amy Schumer. A lot of fans didn’t even recognize her until they saw her name in the credits. Her hair is long and she looks quite tanned in the role.
Tilda Swinton Dianna
Sophie McShera – Daisy Mason
Sophie McShera portrays Daisy Mason in Downton Abbey, a kitchen made that looks a bit plain and drab. In real life, McShera is quite the stunner.
Sophie McShera Daisy Mason
Sarah Paulson – Marcia Clark
Sarah Paulson is an award winning actress who has starred in many TV shows and films. She totally transformed her look to play Marcia Clark on American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson. She looked very different from her usual self but she perfectly captured Clark’s look.
Sarah Paulson Marcia Clark
Rachel Brosnahan – Midge Maisel
Rachel Brosnahan plays Midge Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She totally rocks that classic 1950’s housewife look, but she looks very different in real life, especially with her blonde locks.
Rachel Brosnahan Midge Maisel
Millie Bobby Brown – Eleven
Millie Bobby Brown became a household name when she portrayed Eleven in the Netflix hit show Stranger Things. In real life, Millie sports long hair and is always a lot more smiley than her on-screen character.
Millie Bobby Brown Eleven
Lorraine Stanley – Karen Taylor
Lorraine Stanley portrays Karen Taylor on the popular soap opera EastEnders. Her character is often made fun of for having absolutely no style, while Stanley is quite stylish in real life.
Lorraine Stanley Karen Taylor
Tilda Swinton – Madame D.
Tilda Swinton has made the list again. She was completely transformed when she portrayed Madame D. in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Swinton made it clear that she is a total chameleon and is able to transform herself completely for any role.
Tilda Swinton Madame D.
Lizzy Caplan – Janice Ian
Lizzy Caplan played Janice Ian in the comedy film Mean Girls in 2004. She looks totally different from Caplan in real life, as Janice sports a goth, alternative look. In real life, Caplan does her hair and makeup in a more mainstream way.
Lizzy Caplan Janice Ian
Lena Heady – Cersei Lannister
Lena Heady is best known for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on hit TV show Game of Thrones. Cersei is known for her elegant gowns and long hair that is often done up in intricate braids. In real life, Lena usually sports shorter hairstyles and rocks her many tattoos.
Lena Heady Cersei Lannister
Laura Gómez – Blanca Flores
Blanca Flores on Orange Is The New Black is played by actress Laura Gomez. While the character usually looks quite unkempt, in real life Gomez is always effortlessly stunning.
Laura Gómez Blanca Flores
Julie Lake – Angie
Yes, another Orange Is The New Black character has made the list. Julie Lake plays Angie and looks like a completely different person while in character.
Julie Lake Angie
Julia Garner – Ruth Langmore
Julia Garner plays Ruth Langmore on Netflix show Ozark, which earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Julia Garner Ruth Langmore
Francesca Curren – Helen
Francesca Curren is unrecognizable in her role of Helen, a skinhead prison inmate on Orange Is The New Black. She totally transforms her look in order to get into character.
Francesca Curren Helen
Emilia Clarke – Daenerys Targaryen
Emilia Clarke portrayed fan favorite Daenarys Targaryen on hit HBO show Game of Thrones. Her character’s signature hair is icy blonde, but in real life, Emilia is a beautiful brunette.
Emilia Clarke Daenerys Targaryen
Elizabeth Banks – Effie Trinket
Elizabeth Banks played Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games film franchise. Effie is known for her over the top outfits, which made Banks looks like a totally different person. The crazy hair, outfits, and makeup completely changed Banks’ look.
Elizabeth Banks Effie Trinket
Clair Norris – Bernadette Taylor
Bernadette Taylor, daughter of Karen on EastEnders, is played by actress Clair Norris. Clair’s real life style is totally different than her character on screen.
Clair Norris Bernadette Taylor
Amy Sedaris – Jerri Blank
Actress and comedian Amy Sedaris plays Jerri Blank on Strangers With Candy. The character is a 45 year old who chooses to go back to high school, and she looks totally different from herself in real life.
Amy Sedaris Jerri Blank
Alison Brie – Annie Edison
Alison Brie played Annie Edison, an adorable yet annoying try-hard on comedy series Community. She has a very conservative style of dress, but in real life Alison Brie is very glamorous and stylish.
Alison Brie Annie Edison
Lady Gaga – Scathach
Pop star and Grammy Award winner Lady Gaga pursued acting and appeared in the sixth season of American Horror Story. She played a 15th century witch named Scathach, in a role where she looks completely unrecognizable.
Lady Gaga Scathach
Catherine O’Hara – Moira Rose
Catherine O’Hara plays a very dramatic former soap star on Schitt’s Creek. The character, Moira Rose, constantly dresses in crazy outfits and wiggs, while in real life, O’Hara has a more understated personal style.
Catherine O’Hara – Moira Rose
Mandy Moore – Rebecca Pearson
Mandy Moore transitioned from teen pop star to Hollywood actress. She plays matriarch Rebecca Pearson on the tearjerker series This Is Us. Even though Moore is only in her 30’s, she plays a much older version of the character and looks completely different.
Mandy Moore Rebecca Pearson
Patricia Arquette – Dee Dee Blanchard
Patricia Arquette portrayed Dee Dee Blanchard in the Hulu series The Act. For the role, Arquette dyed her blonde hair brown. The transformed look earned her an Emmy Award.
Patricia Arquette Dee Dee Blanchard
Claire Foy – Queen Elizabeth II
Claire Foy stars in The Crown where she plays a young version of Queen Elizabeth II. She does such a fantastic job in the role, it’s quite shocking to see how different she is in real life.
Claire Foy Queen Elizabeth II
Zuzanna Szadkowski – Dorota
Gossip Girl fans all know and love Dorota, Blair Waldorf’s beloved maid and her real confidante. Zuzanna was made to look quite prim and plain, but in real life she is very radiant and glamorous.
Zuzanna Szadkowski Dorota
Madeline Brewer – Janine Ofwarren
Actress Madeline Brewer plays Janine Ofwarren on the dystopian series The Handmaid’s Tale. Ofwarren’s face is quite disfigured and she is deeply disturbed.
Madeline Brewer Janine Ofwarren
Shannon Purser – Barb Holland
Shannon Purser had the breakout role of Barb Holland on the Netflix hit series Stranger Things. She was made to look quite frumpy with her hairstyle, oversized glasses, and outfits. In real life, Purser is quite adorable.
Shannon Purser Barb Holland
Hannah Murray – Gilly
Hannah Murray joined the cast in later season of Game of Thrones and portrayed Gilly, Sam’s love interest. Her character is portrayed as plain, in real life Murray is quite stunning and always glamorous in her red carpet appearances.
Hannah Murray Gilly
Laura Carmichael – Lady Edith
In real life, actress Laura Carmichael looks nothing like her Downton Abbey character Lady Edith. This is the case with many of the characters on the period drama.
Laura Carmichael Lady Edith
Olivia Colman – Detective Sgt. Ellie Miller
Olivia Colman plays Detective Sgt. Ellie Millie on Broadchurch, on which she looks nothing like her real life self. This is particularly true when she sports her blond pixie cut like she did at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Olivia Colman Detective Sgt. Ellie Miller
Jenna Coleman – Queen Victoria
Jenna Coleman played Queen Victoria on the series Victoria. In order to play the Queen, she dressed in austere clothes. In real life, Coleman is quite stylish and always looks chic.
Jenna Coleman Queen Victoria
Vanessa Kirby – Princess Margaret
Vanessa Kirby is a beautiful blonde in real life, but in order to play Princess Margaret (Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister) on The Crown, she had to dye her hair brown, which totally transformed her look.
Vanessa Kirby Princess Margaret
Dascha Polanco – Dayanara “Daya” Diaz
Dascha Polanco starred in Netflix’s hit series Orange Is The New Black as Dayanara “Daya” Diaz. While she has natural brown hair on the show, in real life Dascha enjoys colorful hair and outfits.
Dascha Polanco – Dayanara “Daya” Diaz
Charlize Theron – Megyn Kelly
Some incredible makeup work was able to transform Charlize Theron into news anchor Megyn Kelly for the film Bombshell. The makeup artists used eyelid prosthetics and colored contacts in order to complete this incredible transformation.
Charlize Theron Megyn Kelly
Siobhán McSweeney – Sister Michael
Siobhán McSweeney plays Sister Michael on TV show Derry Girls. She wears a nun’s habit and absolutely no makeup in the role. In real life, she has platinum blonde hair and enjoys looking all glammed up.
Siobhán McSweeney Sister Michael
Paloma Faith – Andrea
Paloma Faith really doesn’t look anything like her gothic character Andrea on St. Trinian’s. In real life, Faith prefers brightly colored clothes with a vintage spin rather than so much darkness.
Paloma Faith As Andrea
Nicole Kidman – Virginia Woolf
When Nicole Kidman portrayed Virginia Woolf in The Hours, she was totally not recognizable. Using many prosthetics and a whole lot of makeup, Kidman was transformed into Woolf, who did not really look like Kidman in real life.
Nicole Kidman Virginia Woolf
Megan Mullally – Karen Walker
Megan Mullally played Karen Walker, who was known for her signature updo and her fancy style of dressing. Mullally is also quite stylish but in a much more understated way and does not wear her hair in such a dramatic updo.
Megan Mullally Karen Walker
Ruth Jones – Vanessa “Nessa” Jenkins
Ruth Jones stars in British TV series Favin & Stacey as Nessa Jenkins. The character is known for her tight clothes and short black bob, but in real life, Jones has a much more understated style and longer hair.
Ruth Jones Vanessa Nessa Jenkins