Top 10 Biopic Actors Who Look EXACTLY Like the Real People

For this film, Redmayne accepted the challenge of playing the theoretical physicist with a debilitating case of ALS. Despite being offered the role without an audition, he prepared for months by binging on documentaries and video clips of Stephen Hawking. But Redmayne’s hard work and dedication to perfecting Hawking’s speech inflections and mannerisms only supplemented the physical similarities. After seeing the film, Hawking reportedly emailed the director to praise the portrayal, saying that there were certain points when he thought he was watching himself. It’s no wonder Redmayne earned the Best Actor Academy Award that year.

Actress Salma Hayek and painter Frida Kahlo are both Mexican artists, but the similarities don’t end there. Just as Frida’s passion bursts out of the self-portraits she painted, Salma’s charisma surges from the screen. Both personalities were professionals and pop-culture icons, so Hayek was an excellent fit for the role. She was actually so inspired by the surrealist painter’s legacy that she made every effort to land the part: she tracked down one of the exes of Kahlo’s late husband for direct access to her paintings, and even assembled a supporting cast on her own. In this case, Salma Hayek saw Frida in herself – and now that we’ve seen the final result, we have to agree.

#8: Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious “Sid and Nancy” (1986)

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Top 10 Gary Oldman Performances

Can you tell which is the actor and which is the musician? Back in the ‘80s, Oldman bored such an uncanny resemblance to the punk rock, heroin-abusing Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious that they were practically indistinguishable. However, despite the physical likeness, Oldman had no interest in the musician or his genre and – according to the DVD commentary – had to be pressured by his agent to take the role. But once he accepted it, Oldman went all-in, starting a crash diet so he could even more closely resemble the practically emaciated musician. While that ultimately led to his hospitalization, the performance Oldman delivered was eerily spot-on.

#7: Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison “The Doors” (1991)

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Top 10 Times Actors Nailed Real People's Accents Perfectly

Director Oliver Stone considered Val Kilmer for the biopic about The Doors’ front man after seeing his striking physical likeness to Jim in the 1988 film “Willow.” And Kilmer was so enthused about the opportunity that he made his own Jim Morrison impersonation reel to cement the director’s decision. Once booked, he lost all the weight necessary, and learned 50 of the band’s songs. What’s more, Kilmer reportedly went full method for this one: he dressed, behaved and lived like Jim Morrison for a full year before filming. But, perhaps even more impressive is the fact that members of The Doors themselves were unable to distinguish between the two singing voices.

#6: Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin “Chaplin” (1992)

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Top 10 Robert Downey, Jr. Performances

Although Charles Chaplin’s career spanned over 75 years and quite a bit of Hollywood film history, the average moviegoer knows him best from his time as a silent film star. And, although Robert Downey Jr. did an admirable job speaking and acting as Chaplin the man, it’s the non-verbal language that stands out most: everything from Charlie’s posture to his silhouette was duplicated for authenticity’s sake, since Chaplin was such a physical actor. In addition to mimicking his affectations, the dedicated Downey also learned tennis and took violin lessons for some scenes. And, since Downey looked the part as well, the final result was practically perfect.

#5: Denzel Washington as Malcolm X “Malcolm X” (1992)

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Top 10 Times Denzel Washington Went Beast Mode

A pair of glasses and a haircut were all that was required for Denzel Washington to physically transform into one of the most influential human rights activists and political figures of the civil rights era. But there’s more to Malcolm X than that: there’s attitude, charm and a determined manner of speaking as well – and Washington nailed every aspect. It’s an iconic and controversial role, but with Spike Lee in the director’s chair and Denzel’s eye for nuance, the charismatic actor was able to not only give an Oscar-nominated performance but also to convince non-believers that – despite a few physical dissimilarities – he could effectively portray Malcolm at multiple stages of his life.

#4: Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln “Lincoln” (2012)

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Top 10 Daniel Day-Lewis Performances

Abraham Lincoln lived before a President’s mannerisms could be captured for all time, so it’s difficult to critique the accuracy of Daniel Day-Lewis’ portrayal. However, thanks to available archive photos and memoirs, this famous method actor was able to bring Lincoln to life in an Academy Award-winning biopic portrayal. A picture is worth a thousand words, and Day-Lewis had little more than that in order to channel the pensive, objective, self-aware, influential and articulate 16th President of the United States. But the English actor’s screen presence is so strong that all he needed to excel in this historical drama – other than his excellent acting chops, of course – was extra facial hair.

Marilyn Monroe was undoubtedly a singular star, but the similarities between the real Marilyn and the one in this film are still striking. In this not-so-typical biographical drama, Michelle Williams did not have to portray Monroe through an extended period of her life; instead it’s about – as the title suggests – a 7 day-period during the film shoot of “The Prince and the Showgirl.” Perhaps more scandalously, the film also portrays the blonde bombshell’s alleged affair with her personal assistant. The biopic format allowed Williams to showcase different aspects of her own abilities, by channeling the actress, the lover and the singer in her. It also earned her a well-deserved Golden Globe Award.

#2: James Franco as James Dean “James Dean” (2001)

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James Dean: Biography of a Rebel Without A Cause

To say that Franco bears an uncanny resemblance to the rebel without a cause would be an understatement. But, to portray someone in a biopic, an actor must do more than look the part: to master his role in this made-for-TV film, Franco scrutinized all three of Dean’s movies and picked up a number of his habits, like smoking, playing instruments and riding a motorcycle. He also picked up on Dean’s more intangible qualities, from his attitude and swagger, to what Franco characterized as a “pervasive loneliness.” In the end, James Dean is a symbol of teen angst and non-conformist behavior, and Franco depicted him to a tee. Before we hold the mirror to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - Jennifer Lopez as Selena “Selena” (1997) - Paul Dano as Brian Wilson - Past “love&mercy” (2014) - Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs “Jobs” (2013)

#1: Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles “Ray” (2004)

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Top 10 Jamie Foxx Performances

For his Oscar-winning performance, Jamie Foxx was inspired by Ray Charles’ ability to overcome both poverty and disability to find success. And with loads of talent of his own and more than a passing resemblance to his subject, Foxx completely transformed into the blind soul music pioneer many years his senior. Although Foxx didn’t dare imitate Ray’s singing voice for the film, he did dedicate himself to duplicating everything else he could to represent the man; he even rehearsed with his eyes glued shut and took lessons in Braille. Foxx was also fortunate enough to play piano with the musical genius – and it certainly shows in the film.