Top 10 Worst Makeup in Movies

In the 2009 sci-fi drama, “Mr. Nobody”, Jared Leto plays the protagonist, Nemo Nobody at the ages of 34 and 118 years old. This massive age gap required the actor to undergo an extensive centenarian transformation and makeup was used to age him. However, the results are, for lack of better words, a little… unsettling. From the thick and heavy prosthetics to the dramatically saggy skin texture, Nemo’s elderly self looks fake and unnatural. If “Mr. Nobody’s” makeup blunder proves anything, it is that, unfortunately, we cannot all age gracefully.

Since Vin Diesel burst on the scene in the early 2000s, he’s become well known for two things: his deep voice and his bald head. In 2006, “The Fast and the Furious” actor, pivoted from his usual action based flicks to something different in the legal dramedy, “Find Me Guilty”. In the picture, Diesel portrays real-life gangster Jackie DiNorscio who acted as his own legal defense while on trial in the 1980s. For the role, Diesel wore a hairpiece that can only be described as a head scratcher. The hairline of the wig was pushed so far back, that he might as well have been bald! Plus, it looked nothing like DiNorscio’s actual hair!

Aging an actor through the use of makeup is no small feat. It can take a lot of patience and trial and error. And sometimes…well, it just doesn’t work out. Case in point: Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer in Clint Eastwood’s 2011 drama, “J. Edgar”. There is something so off putting about seeing DiCaprio, who would have been about 36 at the time, in this makeup. He looks stiff, and like he’s having trouble moving his face, and something about his eyes makes the artificiality of his look very apparent. Those eyebrows certainly aren’t doing him any favors either.

This next makeup transformation threw us for a loop…pun very much intended! In order to look like a younger version of co-star Bruce Willis in “Looper”, Joseph Gordon-Levitt underwent an extensive makeover. According to the actor, the process took three hours at the start of every day of filming. While we’re sure a lot of thought and careful planning went into this, the attempt kind of falls short. Even with the makeup, it’s hard to see any resemblance between the two actors. Paired with the slick back hair, Gordon-Levitt might look like a younger counterpart to someone, but it certainly isn’t Bruce Willis!

2015’s sci-fi odyssey, “Jupiter Ascending” was a box office bomb and even went on to be nominated for a handful of Razzies. Despite having an all-star casting including Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne and Channing Tatum, “Jupiter” was pulled apart by both critics and moviegoers. Even the film’s makeup design wasn’t safe from their criticism! Tatum’s character, Caine Wise, is supposed to be half-human and half-dog. However, thanks to some pointy ears and contact lenses, Wise looks more like celestial elf than canine. Between the heavy eyeliner and frosted beard, we’re not sure what the desired effect was supposed to be but it’s definitely otherworldly.

Sure, “Dick Tracy” is based on a famed comic strip, so cartoonish elements were bound to find their way into the 1990 live-action movie adaptation. That being said, Al Pacino’s appearance looks like it lept right off the page! The renowned actor portrayed mobster Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice, and the design team strove to honor Chester Gould’s illustrations by making the characters appearances similar to the source material. What resulted was Pacino’s face covered in heavy prosthetics, including an exaggerated bulbous chin and the appearance of larger eyes. Nothing about him looked vaguely human but since the team was striving for an animated look, this one might just be a success!

This makeover transformation is terrifying for all the wrong reasons. In 2010, the horror franchise “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, resurrected it’s villainous killer, Freddy Krueger, to scare a new generation of moviegoers. Actor Jackie Earle Haley assumed the role that Robert Englund made famous. Instead of replicating Krueger’s look from the ‘80s, however, they opted to go for a more realistic take on the character. In an attempt to make his skin look burnt, the crew used a mix of makeup and CGI. However, he kind of just looks like he’s melting rather than burned - and it’s just not as scary as the OG Freddy.

Tim Burton’s 2001 endeavor, “Planet of the Apes”, was incredibly ambitious. It was remaking an iconic 1968 cinematic classic - which meant it had big shoes to fill. One of its biggest undertakings was turning its cast into apes. Just like its predecessor, the film’s makeup design was crucial to its success and, thanks to prosthetics designed by Rick Baker, it pulled it off! Even critics highlighted Baker’s work in their reviews! However, there was one transformation that just didn’t land. While Helena Bonham Carter’s prosthetics look great…her wig…not so much. Not only did her character’s hair look styled and blown out, it also had highlights!

In the 2005 romcom, “Just Friends”, Ryan Reynolds plays a record exec who returns home for the holidays and reconnects with his former high school BFF and crush, played by Amy Smart. The film opens with a flashback to Reynold’s character's teenage years and the actor wears facial prosthetics, which look totally unrealistic. But that isn’t the real problem about this scene: It’s the fact that Reynolds is wearing a fat suit. The use of the garment has been a long-standing issue within the film industry. Not only is it offensive and harmful, it just doesn’t look great either. Sadly, “Just Friends” is only one example of this ridiculous practice.

1995’s dystopian sci-fi flick, “Tank Girl” is a wild and wacky adventure that includes some of the most trippy makeup effects captured on film. For instance, rapper Ice-T portrays a character named T-Saint, who is a Ripper…which means he’s a being that has the DNA of both a human and a kangaroo. Upon first seeing him, you’d think T-Saint might look more like a dog than a sub-kangaroo thanks to his canine-like snout and floppy ears. Although the look very much fits the “Tank Girl” universe and aesthetic, something about this is just straight up weird.