Top 20 Best Deepfake Videos

Jimmy Fallon and Paul Rudd share a fair deal in common. Both are funnymen, both are musically inclined, and both have somehow managed to maintain perpetually youthful appearances even as they enter middle age. The two even kind of look like each other with dark brown, slicked up hair and clear, pale skin. Their likeness is only made more apparent through this deepfake video, which plasters Fallon’s face onto Rudd’s head. Looking at this side by side comparison, the viewer may assume that they’re seeing double at first. Focusing on the right image, however, it becomes clearer that Fallon has possessed Rudd. Still, we never realized just how eerily similar the resemblance was until we took this journey into the uncanny valley.

A boxer and a rapper wander onto a talk show set in drag… That might sound like a setup to a joke, but it’s really the basis for this bizarre deepfake. Mike Tyson assumes the role of host Oprah Winfrey while Snoop Dogg fills in for her guest, Gayle King. Seeing Tyson’s iconic facial tattoo paired with Winfrey’s hairdo is beyond hysterical. King’s hairdo, meanwhile, looks even bigger than Snoop’s head. In the original video, Winfrey breaks out a photo of King’s high school prom. The deepfake, however, substitutes it with a picture of a dog with pigtails. Since Tyson and Snoop both have very distinct voices, it’s nothing short of strange listening to female laughter emanate from their mouths.

It’s no secret that comedienne Kate McKinnon can do a spot-on Hillary Clinton impression, nailing her voice, mannerisms, and appearance to near perfection. McKinnon practically becomes Clinton on “SNL,” but this deepfake video takes matters one step further. With McKinnon already sporting Clinton’s signature hairdo and wardrobe, the video seamlessly sews the politician’s face into the equation. If you were to just look at the deepfake imagery, you might assume that this is a real clip from the 2016 U.S. presidential debate. Honestly, considering how crazy that election got, it was often hard to separate satire from reality.

We can’t figure out why anyone would want to imagine Steve Buscemi swapping places with Sharon Stone in “Basic Instinct.” But, you don’t need to imagine it because here it is! And yes, the creators decided to incorporate Buscemi into the movie’s most iconic scene. While not the most believable deepfake, it’s definitely among the weirdest. Smoking a cigarette, Buscemi dons a tight, white dress that leaves little to the imagination. The deepfake inevitably works up to the notorious leg cross, leaving the authorities draped in sweat. What was once a steamy and even intimidating moment has now become a laugh riot. The censor bar in between Buscemi’s legs only adds to the hilarity.

Lip Sync Battle has become a staple of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” In the original clip used for this deepfake, Fallon competed against Emma Stone by lip syncing to Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.” Swapping out Fallon’s voice with Azalea’s is one thing, but swapping out his face with John Oliver’s is another. This deepfake is so realistic that it almost tricks the viewer into believing that Oliver is the one lip syncing. Of course, it becomes more evident that we’re watching a deepfake when the camera briefly cuts to Stone, who’s given thick glasses, a larger nose, and bushier eyebrows. Another clip shows Fallon’s voice coming out of Oliver’s mouth, which just sounds bizarre since it’s impossible to imagine Oliver without an English accent.

Russian interference has been one of the main talking points following the 2016 U.S. elections. Only a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as President of the United States, “SNL” opened with Beck Bennett doing his impression of Russian President Vladimir Putin… without a shirt on, we might add. Although Bennett made Putin look pretty silly, this deepfake video upped the absurdity by 304 electoral votes. Between Bennett’s exaggerated accent, the fact that he’s topless, and the phony Russian background, it’s obvious that this isn’t the real Putin. Nevertheless, the deepfake is still surprisingly convincing, with Putin virtually consuming Bennett’s body. Given the current political climate, we’re not sure whether this deepfake is hilarious or deeply disturbing.

Nicolas Cage was basically the first deep fake template provided to creators, so there’s a fair amount of them out there. Still, few beat the idea to have Cage replace the cast of “Friends.” The deepfake borrows a clip from an episode in which Ross introduces the gang to his “sound.” Minus Joey, all the Friends are present to watch Ross’ baffling keyboard performance with Cage assuming every role. While a few characters admittedly look awkward, Cage’s face effortlessly blends right into David Schwimmer’s body. Given Ross’ eccentric personality and proneness to freak-outs, Cage may be the only actor who could play him even better than Schwimmer.

In the movie “Last Action Hero,” it’s revealed that Sylvester Stallone has replaced Arnold Schwarzenegger in his career-defining role. The visual gag is only made funnier when you consider that Stallone was eyed to play the Terminator in real life, but he turned the part down. Although we get a poster featuring Sly as the T-800, we sadly never see a clip from “T2: The Stallone Cut.” Over 25 years later, a deepfake video made this alternative casting choice a reality. Granted, it is rather jarring hearing a thick Austrian accept emanating from Stallone, who also has a very distinctive voice. Nonetheless, the face swap is damn impressive, especially when Stallone’s Terminator attempts to smile.

One’s a billionaire, engineer, and entrepreneur who has forever changed the tech world. The other is… Uncle Charlie from “Two and a Half Men.” While they come from very different backgrounds, both Elon Musk and Charlie Sheen are known for their eccentric personalities that at times almost come off as alien. Author Jennifer Wright tweeted in 2018 that “Elon Musk is like if Charlie Sheen had been good at computers.” The people behind this deepfake apparently had the same idea. Musk’s face is pasted onto Sheen’s head during his infamous “winning” interview. It appears Musk has gone from smoking weed on “Joe Rogan” to experimenting with the drug known as Charlie Sheen. The only thing more bizarre than this is Elon Musk as a baby.

Remember that scene in “Wild Wild West” where Will Smith disguised himself as a belly dancer? Well, this deepfake tops it! Making a guest appearance on “The Tonight Show,” rapper Cardi B told Jimmy Fallon about the origins of her name. The deepfake replaces Cardi’s face with Smith’s and – believe it or not – the change up is pretty darn seamless. If you were to watch this deepfake without any background information, you may assume that Smith is doing a spot-on Cardi B impression in full drag. Even Smith himself was impressed by the video, sharing it on Instagram with the caption, “This is SO GOOD.” Cardi also responded to the deepfake, posting, “That one time I drank biotin.”

Most of the videos on our list follow a certain formula, but the clever folks at Corridor Digital put their own spin on deep faking. To elevate their version of Tom Cruise, this LA based crew hired an impersonator and laid the Cruise face over top. The video itself is an exploration of the technology and equipment that goes into making deep fake videos, from the team that also brought us “Keanu Reeves Stops a Robbery”. The impersonation-based deep fake of Cruise however, is brought to another level through body language and mannerisms, making this version of the Mission Impossible actor all the more convincing.

The late Heath Ledger was among the most versatile actors of his generation, going from playing a charming peasant in “A Knight’s Tale” to the embodiment of evil in “The Dark Knight.” As radically different as these two performances are, this deepfake cleverly merges them together. The video starts off with the Joker delivering his classic “do you want to know how I got these scars” monologue. We then flash back to a scene from “A Knight’s Tale,” although William Thatcher has been given the Joker’s make-up smeared face. Charging on horseback, the squire turned knight gets his helmet knocked off by an opponent. Ah, so that’s how he went from jouster to joker.

With most deepfake videos, there’s usually some sort of connection or resemblance shared between the two celebrities swapping faces. So, we’re not sure where someone would get the inspiration to put Steve Buscemi’s face on Jennifer Lawrence’s body. The two look, sound, and act nothing like each other, although perhaps that’s why this deepfake is so amazing. What makes the deepfake even more randomly awesome is that Lawrence talks about her favorite and least Real Housewives, a subject we’d never expect to see Buscemi tackle, especially in a red Christian Dior gown. Stephen Colbert couldn’t resist bringing the deepfake to Buscemi’s attention. Buscemi was naturally taken aback, as were the rest of us, although the actor admitted he never looked better.

As cool as deepfake videos can be, this advanced technology has also raised a few concerns. After all, some deepfakes are so convincing that they can be used to distort the truth. In this video, former President Barack Obama warns viewers about the dangers of deepfake… at least we’re initially led to believe that this is Obama. After proclaiming that the villain from “Black Panther” had the right idea and saying some harsh words about Donald Trump, it’s revealed that this Obama is merely a puppet and Jordan Peele is the one pulling the strings. The video serves as an informative PSA and an ingenious satire of fake news, all tied together by Peele’s flawless impression of the 44th.

Ross Marquand may not be a household name like Bill Hader, but he’s every bit as gifted when it comes to impressions. Marquand demonstrated his incredible range on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” channeling Matthew McConaughey, John C. Reilly, Antonio Banderas, Christopher Walken, Kevin Spacey, Matt Damon, Justin Timberlake, Gary Busey, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, and Christian Bale, all in the span of just over three minutes. As if his 11 impressions weren’t mind-blowing enough, this deepfake morphs Marquand into each individual like a human chameleon. While it’s hard to single out the best, seeing Marquand turn into Bale definitely made us feel as if we were on the set of “Terminator Salvation.”

During an appearance on “Conan,” Bill Hader attempted to impersonate his two-year-old daughter, but he ended up sounding more like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It isn’t long until Hader breaks out a full-blown Schwarzenegger impression. This deepfake completes the picture, pairing Hader’s Austrian accent with Arnold’s chuckling mug. As the conversation goes on, Hader and Conan start talking about what Schwarzenegger would be like as a little, talking baby. The two may not realize it, but they’re actually describing the movie “Junior,” in which Schwarzenegger played a pregnant man. At one point in that 1994 comedy, Schwarzenegger’s face is pasted over a newborn’s. Let’s just say that this deepfake video is far less traumatizing.

There’s no way we could only have one Nic Cage entry on this list. For W Magazine, actress Amy Adams performed “I Will Survive.” On paper, this might have seemed like an odd clip to give the Cage treatment. If you think about it, though, we could totally see Cage sporting a polka dot top, checkered skirt, and red hair while rocking out to a Gloria Gaynor song. (xref) That’s not the only deepfake that switched out Adams with Cage. In this scene from “Man of Steel,” Cage is turned into Lois Lane. Well, at least Cage finally got into a Superman movie and this effect still looks better than Henry Cavill’s mustache removal.

We’re not saying that we want another adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s book. If Ryan Reynolds played Willy Wonka, though, we’d be willing to buy a Golden Ticket. You have to admit after watching this deepfake that Reynolds has an unusual resemblance to the late Gene Wilder. What’s more, both actors share a knack for balancing sarcasm and sincerity. The video revisits several scenes from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” with Reynolds stepping in as the colorful candy man. Hearing Wilder’s performance of “Pure Imagination” come out of Reynolds’ mouth is almost as surreal as that infamous tunnel scene. Reynolds summed up the video best in a tweet, writing, “The suspense is terrible. I hope it’ll last.”

They say that Bill Hader can slip in and out of any impression on the spot, but this deepfake literally sees him become a shape-shifter. In a 2008 interview with David Letterman, Hader reflected on an encounter he had with Tom Cruise while working on “Tropic Thunder.” Although Hader can mimic Cruise’s voice and gestures pretty well on his own, the deepfake takes his impersonation to the next level. The edits go by so quickly that it’s easy to miss Cruise’s face overtaking Hader’s. Part of that’s because Cruise and Hader already have fairly similar hair and facial structures. Of course, you shouldn’t have a very difficult time pinpointing Seth Rogen’s face when Hader does his impression of him.

If there are two actors who know how to play crazy, it’s Jack Nicholson and Jim Carrey. Had Carrey been an established movie star in 1980, he likely would’ve been in the running to play Jack Torrance in “The Shining.” While the role went to Nicholson, this series of deepfake videos give us a glimpse of what might have been in an alternate universe. It’s amazing how well Carrey and Nicholson’s manic mannerisms sync up with each other. Whether Jack is typing away at his desk or axing away at a door, Carrey is seriously scary here. This matchup is only more fitting when you consider that Carrey can do a dead-on impression of Nicholson’s facial quirks.