These Actresses Look Absolutely Nothing Like Their Characters

Hollywood likes to incorporate ugly and frumpy characters in movies, especially to create a contrast between a main character with the rest of the cast. But when the make-up comes off, you find that the actresses playing these roles are quite beautiful. Let’s have a look at some of these beauties behind their less-than-attractive characters.

Naomi Grossman – Pepper

Best known for her role as Pepper in the television series American Horror Story, Naomi had to shave her head bald for this role. This is to date her biggest role, even though she has appeared in other shows and movies.

Taryn Manning – Tiffany Doggett

Tarryn plays the role of Tiffany Doggett in Orange Is The New Black. She plays a woman from western Pennsylvania who proudly calls herself a redneck. For the first season, her character had some rotten teeth and some were even missing.

Elisabeth Moss – Peggy Olson

Elisabeth plays the role of office secretary Peggy Olson on the hit series Mad Men. Her character is innocent and frumpy and was described as too homely by her co-workers. They even comment on how she needs to change her appearance to fit in more.

America Ferrera – Betty Suarez

The role of Betty Suarez on the series Ugly Betty, was America’s career breakthrough. Her character was an ambitious young woman who had unruly hair, wore glasses, braces, and eccentric outfits. Towards the end of the show, she got a makeover and looked more like her real self.

Emma Thompson – Nanny McPhee

In 2005 Emma Thompson played the role of a magical nanny in the movie Nanny McPhee. Her character suddenly appears in people’s homes to help parents with unruly children. Her character starts off frighteningly hideous and progresses throughout the movie.

Judy Greer – Kitty Sanchez

Judy is famous for many different roles but has also played some bizarre characters such as Kitty Sanchez on the show Arrested Development. This was such a quirky role and which she loved paying because she could make people laugh.

Vanessa Hudgens – Gabriella Montez

Vanessa’s character as Gabriella in Disney’s High School Musical made her famous. In 2013 she played the role of a struggling teen that was in and out of foster care in an independent drama called Gimme Shelter. She had to drastically change her appearance for that role.

Rooney Mara – Lisbeth Salander

Rooney Mara rose to stardom in 2011 after playing Lisbeth Salander in the movie The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. She had to undergo an intense transformation in order to get into character for this movie. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.

Bette Midler – Winifred Sanderson

In 1993 Bette Midler played one of her most iconic roles in the Disney movie Hocus Pocus. She played Winifred Sanderson, who was the head witch of the Sanderson sisters. She and her witch sisters were executed and brought back to life in the movie.

Drew Barrymore – Josie Gellar

In 1999 Drew starred in Never Been Kissed as Josie Gellar, who was a cop that gets to go back to high school as a student for an undercover operation. In high school she was quite a geek so this was her opportunity to redeem herself.

Cameron Diaz – Lotte Schwartz

Cameron was always known for playing the roles of beautiful women in movies like The Mask and There’s Something About Mary. In 1999 however, she broke the mold and played Lotte Schwartz in Being John Malkovich, where she looked nothing like that pretty starlet everyone was used to.

Kate McKinnon – Justin Bieber

Kate is one of the funny women on Saturday Night Live. On the show, she plays all different kinds of characters. She has impersonated people like Justin Bieber, Jean King, and many others. In order to get it right, she has to alter her look drastically.

Meryl Streep – The Witch

Meryl Streep played The Witch in the film Into The Woods that was released in 2014. This legendary actress played the role of a frightening witch so she had to look the part. Hair and makeup did such a great job of it that she was unrecognizable.

Salma Hayek – Frida Kahlo

This Latin beauty played the role of Frida Kahlo in the biopic 2002 film Frida. In order to truly represent her character, Salma had to don a unibrow. Frida was known for having an unconventional look so she had to play the part.

Linda Cardellini – Velma Dinkley

In 2002, Linda Cardellini was cast as Velma Dinkley in the movie version of Scooby-Doo. She had to wear her hair in a bob with a pair of thick-lensed glasses. She was made to look nerdy so had to wear unsightly outfits.

Mayim Bialik – Amy Farrah Fowler

Mayim is famous for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler on the hit series The Big Bang Theory. She plays the role of a frumpy neuroscientist who is highly intelligent and stereotypically nerdy. She plays an unattractive character but is far from unattractive in real life.

Mae Whitman – Ann Veal

Mae plays the role of Ann Veal on the show Arrested Development. Her character is meant to be a plain Jane, who is homely, and forgettable because of the way she looks. In real life, her beauty shines through and she’s anything but forgettable.

Charlize Theron – Aileen Wournos

At the height of her career, Charlize landed the role of Aileen Wournos for the movie Monster. Her performance as Aileen was seen as one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema. She portrayed the role of a serial killer.

Thesy Surface – Margaret McPoyle

She may not be as well known as other Hollywood actresses but you’d know her as Margaret McPoyle from the series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. She played the role of a deaf-mute woman who has a unibrow and doesn’t care much about her appearance.

Maisie Williams – Arya Stark

Maisie is an English actress and became well-known to the rest of the world for her role as Arya Stark on the hit series Game Of Thrones. She even won an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Drama.

Tina Fey – Liz Lemon

Tina has been known for her comedic skits on SNL. More recently she’s known for her role as Liz Lemon on the show 30 Rock. Her character on the show is a bit of a nerd which is far from what she is in real life.

Lea Michele – Rachel Berry

Lea Michele played the role of Rachel Berry on the television show Glee. Rachel was a high school student, who was an ambitious singer in the glee club. However, she wasn’t very popular because of her overbearing nature and her over-preppy sense of style.

Anne Hathaway – Mia Thermopolis

In The Princess Diaries, Anne’s character, Mia Thermopolis was a geeky girl that was in serious need of a makeover. In 2012, she had to lose a lot of weight for her role as Fantine for the film adaptation of Les Miserables.

Patricia Heaton – Debra Barone

Award-winning Patricia Heaton is known for her role as Debra Barone on the show Everybody Loves Raymond, as well as her role as Frances Heck on The Middle. All the roles she has played portray her as a frumpish, quirky woman.

Melissa Rauch – Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz

Melissa is not only an actress but a comedian too. But she’s known more for her role as Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz on the hit series Big Bang Theory. She plays the role of a geekish doctor with an annoyingly squeaky voice.

Sophie McShera – Daisy Robinson

This English actress plays the role of Daisy Robinson who is a plain kitchen maid on the award-winning period drama Downton Abbey. She has also played the role of one of Cinderella’s ugly step-sisters in Kenneth Branagh’s 2015 adaptation of Cinderella.

Janel Parrish – Mona Vanderwaal

Janel is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She rose to fame with her role as Mona Vanderwaal in Pretty Little Liars. Her character was portrayed as a plain and simple girl that could even be described as ugly, which is far from her real-life look. It is pretty unclear why she would ever be considered unattractive, even on the show!

Jenna Fischer – Pam Beesly

American actress Jenna Fischer is known and loved for her role as Pam Beesly on the popular comedy, The Office. Pam is the plain office-worker, who is described as boring, and unappealing. She has told NPR that she loves the character that she plays.

Tori Spelling – Violet Bickerstaff

On the sitcom Saved By The Bell, Tori Spelling’s character wore glasses and braids. Her character, Violet Bickerstaff was an innocent, nerdy girl with a bad dress sense. In real life, Tori is the opposite of that. She’s more like her character on 90210.

Alyson Hannigan – Willow Rosenberg

On the set of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Alyson ‘s character wasn’t meant to be a hottie. Willow Rosenberg was Buffy’s witch friend and side-kick. She also starred in movies like American Pie, its sequels, and Boys and Girls.

Kaitlin Olson – Deandra Reynolds

Kaitlin Olson’s character, Deandra Reynolds, on the show It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, is described as a rude and borderline sociopathic drunk. Her performance is spectacular because she’s fully committed to the role. She’s naturally a funny woman so this role fits her perfectly.

Aimee-Ffion Edwards – Lucy Sketch

This Welsh actress is famous for her role as Lucy Sketch in the television series Skins. She played the role of a weird stalker-type girl who had some personal issues. Her character only appeared in the second season when the entire cast changed.

Gwendoline Christie – Brienne Of Tarth

Gwendoline plays the role of Brienne of Tarth, a robust and fearless female knight on the epic series Game Of Thrones. She’s portrayed as being a powerful fighter. She’s not interested in fancy clothes and pretty things, instead, she wears her armor and dons a sword.

Pauley Perrette – Abby Scuito

Pauley is not only a great actress, but she’s also a well-known singer, writer, and civil-rights activist. She stars in the hit series NCIS as the much loved Abby Scuito. Her ‘alterna freak’ character was created by American producer and screenwriter, Donald P. Belisario.

Ellie Kemper – Kimmy Schmidt

Ellie plays the role of Kimmy Schmidt in the comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Her character is a woman who was held in a cult for the last 15 years and unleashed out into the world after being rescued.

Sandra Oh – Cristina Yang

Everybody knows who Cristina Yang was on the hit prime-time series Grey’s Anatomy. She played the role of world-renowned heart surgeon Cristina Yang, who is frigid and unemotional. Sandra has won two Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as a Golden Globe for her role as Cristina.

Phyllis Logan – Elsie Hughes

Scottish actress, Phyllis Logan is known for her role as Elsie Hughes on the British television series, Downton Abbey. Her character Elsie is a dowdy matron house-keeper. In real life she likes to dress up and get glammed up for award ceremonies at least.

Demi Moore – Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil

We all know Demi Moore as the beautiful actress with long, luscious, brown hair. In the movie GI Jane, Demi plays the role of Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil, who is a hardened and brutal army officer. She even shaved her head bald for the role.

Kate Winslet – Sarah Pierce

Kate has starred in many American films as well as other films. She’s a famous English actress who is well known for her role as Rose in Titanic. She has also starred in Little Children as Sarah Pierce where she was made to look unattractive.

Delphine Chanéac – Dren

Delphine had to go a huge transformation with the help of the best makeup artists to achieve the look for her role as Dren for the movie Splice. The Canadian science-fiction movie is yet another cautionary tale about Frankenstein’s monster.

Ariel Winter – Alex Dunphy

Ariel Winter plays the character of Alex Dunphy on the hit comedy show Modern Family. Alex is the nerdy and studious sister who does not care about fashion. However, in real life Ariel Winter is quite glamorous and is always dressed to impress.

Uzo Aduba – Suzanne Warren

Uzo Aduba transforms herself into Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on the Netflix hit show Orange Is The New Black. She is almost unrecognizable in real life. She’s definitely looking very polished and put together in real life.

Tilda Swinton – Dianna

Tilda Swinton is known for her unique and avant garde signature style. That’s why when she appeared in the movie Trainwreck, alongside Amy Schumer, many fans didn’t even recognize her at all. Her hair is much longer than usual and her typically fair complexion is given a bronzed tan.

Sophie McShera – Daisy Mason

Sophie McShera first gained recognition when she appeared as Daisy Mason on the series Downton Abbey. As she plays a kitchen maid, she is made to look very plain and a little drab on the show, but in real life she is truly a stunner.

Sarah Paulson – Marcia Clark

Award winning actress Sarah Paulson is quite the accomplished star. She has starred in countless films and TV shows. For her role as Marcia Clark on American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, she totally transformed her look to resemble the real life prosecutor.

Rachel Brosnahan – Midge Maisel

Rachel Brosnahan stars as the titular role of Midge Maisel in the Prime Video series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. While she sports a classic 1950’s look on the show, in real life, Brosnahan sports a much more modern look.

Millie Bobby Brown – Eleven

Millie Bobby Brown first captured our attention when at only twelves years old she starred as the character named Eleven on Netflix’s show Stranger Things. In real life, Millie has long, beautiful hair and tends to have a much happier expression on her face than Eleven does!

Lorraine Stanley – Karen Taylor

Lorraine Stanley stars on the massively popular soap EastEnders as Karen Taylor. Her character is frequently mocked on the show for having absolutely no style. In real life, Stanley is quite the opposite.

Tilda Swinton – Madame D.

Tilda is back at it again! This time, she transforms herself into a rich old woman named Madame D. in the Wes Anderson film The Grand Budapest Hotel. Here is more proof that Swinton is truly a chameleon.

Lizzy Caplan – Janice Ian

Lizzy Caplan played the absolutely unforgettable Janice Ian in 2004’s Mean Girls, starring alongside Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. She is completely unrecognizable in real life, as she sports a more mainstream haircut and makeup style in her everyday life.

Lena Heady – Cersei Lannister

Lena Heady gives an absolutely brilliant performance as Cersei Lannister in the much beloved HBO series Game of Thrones. However, Heady could not look more different from her character in real life. For one, she is covered in tattoos.

Laura Gómez – Blanca Flores

Laura Gomez plays Blanca Flores in Orange Is The New Black. On the show, she looks disheveled and wildly unkempt. However, in real life she really is a stunner with effortless beauty and grace.

Julie Lake – Angie

Yet another cast member of Orange Is The New Black makes the list. Julie Lake plays Angie, one of the inmates, on the show, and she certainly looks like a whole other person in real life!

Julia Garner – Ruth Langmore

Julia Hargner is known for her role of Ruth Landmore on the Netflix show Ozark. She has won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the role. She looks quite different in real life from her character.

Francesca Curren – Helen

Francesca Curren plays Helen, one of the skinhead prison inmates in the show Orange Is The New Black. We guarantee that if you saw her on the street, you would not be able to recognize her. She completely transforms her look for the role.

Emilia Clarke – Daenerys Targaryen

Emilia Clarke gives an unforgettable performance as Daenerys Targaryen on the hit show Game of Thrones. While her character is known for her white-blonde hair, in real life Emilia is a natural brunette.

Elizabeth Banks – Effie Trinket

Elizabeth Banks makes a total transformation in order to play Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games film series. Effie is known for her crazy and outlandish outfits as well as crazy colored hair and makeup. In real life, Banks sports a beautiful blonde look.

Clair Norris – Bernadette Taylor

Clair Norris plays Bernadette Taylor, Karen’s daughter, in the soap EastEnders. She looks super different from her glamorous red carpet look, it’s almost like she’s a whole different person!

Amy Sedaris – Jerri Blank

Amy Sedaris plays Jerri Blank, a 45 year old woman who decides to return to high school, in the show Strangers With Candy. She looks completely different from her usual self.

Alison Brie – Annie Edison

Alison Brie plays Annie Edison, a know-it-all try-hard on comedy show Community. On the show she dresses very conservatively as she tend to be on the nerdier side. However, in real life, Alison Brie stuns in glamour and is definitely not nerdy at all.