Top 10 Times Celebs Appeared in Character in Real Life

Andrew Garfield won the role of a lifetime as the titular superhero in “The Amazing Spider-Man.” A year before the film hit theaters, he made an inconspicuous appearance as the superhero at the 2011 Comic-Con. Garfield walked up to the microphone disguised as a fan, dressed head-to-toe in a low-grade Spider-Man costume. He then began an impassioned speech about how much the character meant to him. Halfway through, the actor tore off his mask, revealing his true identity to a resounding applause from the audience. Throughout his speech, Garfield expressed how Spider-Man had made him braver and inspired him to be stronger. Clearly, there’s nothing better than an actor who’s genuinely passionate about his character.

If there’s one thing Sacha Baron Cohen knows how to do, it’s make an entrance. The controversial comedian suited up as the character Admiral General Aladeen from his movie “The Dictator” to crash the 2012 Oscars ceremony. But it wouldn’t be a Cohen appearance without a buzzworthy stunt. The comedian walked the red carpet carrying an urn that he claimed was filled with the ashes of late dictator Kim Jong-il. True to form, Cohen ended up dumping all of the supposed ashes on Ryan Searcrest’s tuxedo– an act that the host was clearly not very amused by. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that Cohen’s commitment to a bit is unparalleled.

In April 2017, visitors aboard the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride at California’s Disneyland were in for an unexpected thrill. Instead of the usual animatronics depicting Captain Jack Sparrow, the guests were delighted to find Johnny Depp himself, dressed as the iconic swashbuckling character. This surprise appearance was part of the promotional activities for the franchise’s fifth film “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”. Depp not only interacted with park-goers on the ride, he also addressed a crowd of fans and their phone cameras outside. This wouldn’t be the only time Depp donned the Jack Sparrow costume in public, as he has paid several surprise visits to children’s hospitals all over the world as the beloved character.

Talk about a dramatic entrance! Tom Hiddleston had fans eating out of the palm of his hand at the 2013 Comic-Con. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige kicked off the panel, presenting footage from “Thor: The Dark World” which was still in post-production at the time. Suddenly, the microphones were cut off and darkness enveloped the entire hall. Then, a sinister voice echoed through the speakers, followed by the abrupt return of the lights, which revealed Hiddleston in full Loki regalia. The actor remained in character, taunting fans with a series of insults and commands that ignited the crowd. Before he exited the stage, Hiddleston introduced the footage, leaving the audience with one final order.

For five years, Conan O’Brien hosted live tapings of his late-night talk show at Comic-Con. These special episodes were dubbed ConanCon. During the fifth and final edition in 2019, O’Brien invited two unexpected guests to join him on stage. Initially, the comedian presented the guests as two teenage sisters being recognized as the best cosplayers for dressing up as “Walking Dead” characters Negan and Daryl Dixon. However, the crowd went wild when the actual actors, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Norman Reedus, walked out in full costume. The duo played along with the bit, joking about sourcing their costumes from Goodwill and even undergoing hormonal treatments for months just to precisely match the characters’ appearances.

In 2015, Marvel superhero stars Chris Evans and Chris Pratt made a Super Bowl bet. The terms were simple: the loser had to make appearances as their character in the winner’s home state. Pratt lost the bet and fulfilled his part by dressing as Star-Lord and visiting the Christopher’s Haven cancer charity in Boston. Despite winning the bet, Evans reciprocated the goodwill, donning his Captain America costume and dropping by Pratt’s charity of choice, the Seattle Children’s Hospital. The actor brought smiles to many faces, handing out toys and other gifts to patients at the facility. Evans joined a tradition of superhero actors, such as Gal Gadot and Tom Holland, who have charmed children in hospitals while in full costume..

Ever wondered what it would be like if the Regenerating Degenerate got his own late-night talk show? Well, in 2018, that fantasy briefly came to life when Ryan Reynolds crashed an episode of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” as his iconic superhero persona, Deadpool. Reynolds came fully prepared, dressed in the character’s costume and sporting his trademark foul mouth. He then proceeded to poke fun at everyone from Colbert, to CBS viewers and even himself. Next, he showcased his talk show hosting skills by playfully attempting to deliver some of Colbert’s monologue jokes. Of course, this was all promo for “Deadpool 2,” but with such comedic timing, we’re all eagerly anticipating “The Late Late Show with Wade Wilson.”

Despite his extensive career in movies and politics, Arnold Schwarzenegger will forever be known for one character: The Terminator. In 2015, decades after he first portrayed the cybernetic android, Schwarzenegger took the costume for another spin in Los Angeles. He stopped at the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, where he posed among the figures and spooked visitors attempting to take pictures with him. He also took a walk around Hollywood, interacting with fans and delivering some memorable lines from the film franchise. The actor even engaged in a brief sparring session with a Terminator impersonator. This stunt was done to raise awareness for After-School All-Stars, a charity dedicated to providing extracurricular programmes for underprivileged children.

Will Ferrell never fails to subvert expectations. While the other stars on this list have merely donned costumes of their live-action characters, Ferrell took things up a notch for this animated appearance at the 2010 Comic-Con. The actor kicked off the convention dressed as the titular supervillain from the animated film “Megamind.” Decked in blue face paint, a distinctive helmet and a black cape, Ferrell stepped out with a box of doughnuts and a jug of orange juice. His plan was to distribute this as breakfast to the over 6,000 attendees. He was eventually joined by co-stars Tina Fey and Jonah Hill. To round things off, Ferrell jokingly introduced a cardboard cutout of Brad Pitt, who couldn’t attend in person.

Thousands of people attend Comic-Con every year dressed as their favorite fictional characters. So when one attendee walked the grounds at the 2013 edition sporting a Heisenberg mask from “Breaking Bad”, no one batted an eyelid. Unbeknown to fans, this masked individual was none other than the Walter White actor himself, Bryan Cranston. Cranston seamlessly blended into the crowd, casually taking pictures with fans, all of whom remained oblivious. It was only when he revealed himself during the show’s panel that people realized they had been interacting with the actor all along. Cranston’s clever disguise allowed him to enjoy the convention experience incognito, while engaging with his fans, even though they were none the wiser.

Have you ever been star-struck by a celebrity dressed as their character in real life? Share your experience with us in the comments below.