Actors who look like their real-life character

Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in 'My Week With Marilyn' - Playing a Hollywood icon is a risky task, but not for Michelle Williams, who really got into character for her role as Marilyn Monroe in 'My Week With Marilyn' (2011). Williams successfully captured the vulnerability and the charisma of the star.

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Jared Leto as Mark David Chapman in 'Chapter 27' - For his portrayal of John Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman, Leto underwent an impressive physical transformation. It turns out, he looked very similar to Chapman after gaining 30 lbs (13 kg), which he did by stuffing himself with melted Häagen-Dazs ice cream mixed with... soy sauce and olive oil!

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Taylor Kitsch as David Koresh in 'Waco' - Kitsch wasn't too thrilled about portraying the cult leader. "I almost pulled out a month and a half [before the filming began]," he told Rolling Stone. However you have to admit, they look pretty similar.

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John Goodman as Babe Ruth in 'The Babe' -

The movie is about the life of American baseball player, Babe Ruth. To play the part of Ruth, John Goodman just had to lose some weight.

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Jamal Woolard as The Notorious B.I.G in 'Notorious' - Woolard portrayed Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G, in 'Notorious' (2009) and in Tupac Shakur's biopic 'All Eyez On Me' (2017). Just like his character, Woolard is also a rapper in real life.

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Geoffrey Rush as Peter Sellers in 'The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers' - Rush won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in Miniseries of Television Film for his role in the movie 'The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers' (2004), directed by Stephen Hopkins.

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Anthony Hopkins as Pablo Picasso in 'Surviving Picasso' - Hopkins took his role as Pablo Picasso very seriously. The Academy Award winning actor shaved his head and wore brown contact lenses to deliver a convincing depiction of the painter. He honestly didn't need much else.

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O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube in 'Straight Outta Compton' - In the movie 'Straight Outta Compton', a young Ice Cube was played by his own son, O'Shea Jackson Jr, who also made his acting debut in the movie. Not a surprising choice given the fact that Jackson is a carbon-copy of his father.

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Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story' - Paulson won her very first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie thanks to her role as Marcia Clark, the lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

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Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in 'The Hours' -

Kidman underwent a slice transformation for the film 'The Hours' (2002), in which she wore a fake nose to interpret English writer Virginia Woolf. The rest of her features seem pretty perfect though.

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Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady' -

Streep endured some prosthetics to age her face and neck to portray the former British stateswoman, but the base was already there. Her performance earned her a third Oscar, 29 years after winning her second one.

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Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland in 'Judy' - The British biopic about the American star will also put Zellweger's accent to the test.

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James Franco as James Dean in 'James Dean' -

Not only do they have the same first name, the two actors also have some physical similarities. No wonder Franco was cast to portray the legendary icon.

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Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote in 'Capote' -

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Demetrius Shipp as Tupac Shakur in 'All Eyez On Me' - Demetrius Shipp made his debut in Tupac Shakur's biopic 'All Eyez On Me' (2017), thanks to his uncanny resemblance to Shakur.

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Walter Matthau as Albert Einstein in 'I.Q.' - The late actor made us believe that he might be the incarnation of the German physicist.

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Gary Oldman as Ludwig van Beethoven in 'Immortal Beloved' - Gary Oldman suited up as the musical genius that was Ludwig van Beethoven. His intense performance has been widely acclaimed.

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Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in 'Ray' - Foxx won his first Academy Award thanks to his performance in 'Ray.' He went as far as using prosthetic eyelids, to make it feel like he was actually blind.

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Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in 'Walk The Line' -

(Right Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler in 'Downfall' -

(Right photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 de)

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Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart in 'Amelia' - 'Amelia' (2009) is about the life of aviatrix Amelia Earhart, who went missing over the South Pacific during a round-the-world flight.

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John Goodman as Babe Ruth in 'The Babe' -

The movie is about the life of American baseball player, Babe Ruth. To play the part of Ruth, John Goodman just had to lose some weight.

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Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in 'The Hours' -

Kidman underwent a slice transformation for the film 'The Hours' (2002), in which she wore a fake nose to interpret English writer Virginia Woolf. The rest of her features seem pretty perfect though.

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Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady' -

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Actors who look like their real-life character

Renée Zellweger is the latest star bringing life to a legendary performer

09/06/19 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Actors

Many historical figures have been given new life on-screen by some of Hollywood’s most talented actors. From Marilyn Monroe to Albert Einstein, these figures sent tremors through the world, some changing the course of history and others providing entertainment for a lifetime.

Their legacies have especially inspired, and been reproduced, by directors and actors from all around the world. While many actors have had to undergo a huge physical transformation to fully embody a character, there are also quite a few actors who fortunately show an uncanny resemblance to the character they’re portraying. It’s a real blessing for the makeup crew, but it also adds so much more to their performance.

The latest actor to be so lucky is Renée Zellweger. The star is shedding ‘Bridget Jones’ and taking on the role of the legendary Judy Garland in the upcoming biopic ‘Judy.’

The Oscar-winning actress impressively channels the iconic performer in the teaser trailer for the film, directed by Rupert Goold.

Garland’s career spanned 45 years, and while her younger years launched her to international fame, the film focuses on her career circa 1968. At the time, the star was in her mid-40s and was performing a series of concerts at a legendary London nightclub.

But Zellweger isn’t just bringing her looks to the table, she’s also bringing her voice. The actress had previously starred in the musical ‘Chicago,’ and was reportedly encouraged by Goold to move away from a direct impersonation of Garland and instead try to imbue her own character into the songs.

While you’ll have to wait until September to see Zellweger fully embody Garland, you can check out this gallery to see side-by-side photos of all the actors who look strikingly similar to the people they played on-screen.