The ability to transform beyond recognition for a role isn’t always the merit of artists themselves (often it’s the makeup artists who create a monument), but bold transformations are often required from actors.
Remember at least the birthday girl Renee Zellweger, who is 53 years old today and has changed once or twice for new projects: for the role of Bridget Jones, for example, for which she received her first Oscar nomination, for example, she gained 13 kilograms, the same was repeated for the filming of the second part of the trilogy, and only a few years ago the actress Judy had to lose a lot of weight to play Judy Garland in the biographical drama Judy.
Of course, Renee Zellweger in Hollywood isn’t the only one who accepts brilliant reincarnations, gains and loses weight, and spends a few hours in the makeup chair. We remember other artists who are not easily recognized on the screen.
Charlize Theron (“The Beast”)
For the lead role in Patty Jenkins, the actress had to gain 14 pounds, shave her eyebrows, mess up her hair and wear dentures. She later streamlined her looks, however, and received the coveted Oscar for playing the role of a prostitute who murders her clients.
Gary Oldman (“Dark Times”)
Gary Oldman spent a total of 200 hours in the makeup chair during the 48-day shoot (1/5th of the entire shooting process) to make it look like Winston Churchill in the Darkest Hour bio. In conclusion – the “Oscar” and the actor himself, and the artists in make-up and hairstyles.
Christian Bale
Christian Bale is rightfully considered a master of transformation, and his reincarnations for the sake of roles are not limited to several projects. For example, after months of training for “American Psycho”, sunbathing and wearing crowns, the actor began smoking, drinking whiskey, and losing 29 pounds in preparation for “The Machinist” (his character was scripted). a “walking skeleton”) and appeared perfectly in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins comic the following year. Then he gained muscle mass and began to gain 100 pounds.
And then for a role in Ford v Ferrari “Warrior” and losing 14 pounds, “Strength” and gaining 30 pounds and the same amount dropped.
Brad Pitt (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
The story of a man who was born at age 80 and died in infancy required a masterful plastic makeover (it took artist Greg Cannom 18 months to develop), of course. However, the first part still had to be shot with the help of computer technology, but this did not affect the opinion of the Academy, which awarded the “Curious Story” “Oscar” for Best make-up.
Nicole Kidman (“The Clock”)
For this role, the actress received her first Oscar, but cannot be recognized on the screen. To look like Virginia Woolf, left-handed Nicole Kidman wore a fake nose and learned to write with her right hand. She said in a later interview that her son did not recognize his mother on the poster.
Meryl Streep (“Angels in America”)
The actress often tries on her image, but one of her most striking reincarnations took place in the movie “Angels in America”, where she wore false hair and a beard for filming. Yes, that old rabbi is Meryl Streep.
Jared Leto (“Gucci’s House”)
For a long time, the role of a transvestite in the Dallas Buyers Club was considered one of the most powerful transformations of the artist, but Gucci House, released in 2021, definitely took first place in the list of her reincarnations.
The makeup, which included fake baldness, wrinkles and overlays to create fullness, took three and a half hours a day.
Tilda Swinton
Perhaps the only one above us who can compete with Christian Bale for the title of master of transformation. He wore a prosthetic nose and teeth for the post-apocalyptic thriller Snowpiercer, shaved his head for Doctor Strange, spent five hours in the makeup chair during the filming of The Grand Budapest Hotel to age a few decades, and played three roles in “Suspirii”: the choreographer Madame Blanc, the witch Helena Marcos, and the German psychiatrist Joseph Klemperer (the fact that he played the old doctor was long concealed and denied, the artist role was called Lutz Ebersdorf, a purely fictional debutant in the cinema).
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp owes a lot to Joel Harlow and his team of make-up artists, with whom Johnny Depp has worked with since the Pirates of the Caribbean saga, with Johnny Depp’s brightest on-screen reincarnations. For example, he wore a wig, mustache, fake long nose and thick eyebrows for “Tusk”, played the role of Donald Trump in “The Art of Dealing” (needless to say, changed beyond recognition in the movie), wig again, nose for “Black Mass” and he wore forehead pads, and for a scene at the beginning of The Lone Ranger, makeup artists had to work for a month to age the actor’s face and create an artificial torso. using arm, chest and belly pads.
Jessica Chastain (“Tammy Faye’s Eyes”)
For her role in the biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye, the actress had to age artificially, and in an interview Jessica Chastain admitted that sometimes the amount of makeup applied goes off the scale: “I think I did irreparable damage to my skin. . I eat very clean, take good care of my skin, stay out of the sun but it’s (make up, – Note. ed.) was very heavy. And when you wear it all day every day, it stretches your skin with its weight.
Source: People Talk
