Top 20 Biopic Actors Who Look EXACTLY Like the Real People
#20: Jason Mitchell as Eric “Eazy-E” Wright
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“Straight Outta Compton” (2015) It takes more than a passing resemblance and some rapping skills to bring this artist to life. Don’t get us wrong, Jason Mitchell definitely had those covered. But, what really set his performance apart is how he conveyed “Eazy-E’s” distinct attitude. Mitchell used that personality to adjust how he moved, how he spoke, and most importantly, how he looked. The result is an impersonation that borders on uncanny. It’s even more impressive considering the caliber of his co-stars. After all, casting Ice Cube’s own son as his film-counterpart is a pretty tall bar to meet. But, Mitchell’s impeccable physicality met those expectations, and then some.
#19: Austin Butler as Elvis Presley
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“Elvis” (2022) This is the role Austin Butler was born to play, and all it takes is one look to see why. That’s no hyperbole, either. Anyone with eyes can tell that he and Elvis Presley have scarily similar features, all the way down to the shape of their faces. To say nothing of Butler’s work in the film. He put on a few wigs, changed his voice, and voila - the spitting image of Elvis Presley appeared. In fact, Butler’s appearance is so convincing, he could almost pass as the real thing. Even throwing aside the hair, makeup, and costuming; you simply “can’t help falling in love” with this casting.
#18: Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs
“Jobs” (2013) On paper, you wouldn’t think there’d be much overlap between an innovative tech genius and a model-turned actor. But, Ashton Kutcher’s turn in “Jobs” begs to differ. If you need convincing, look no further than their cheekbones. Still not enough? How about their hairstyle? We could go on, but it’s probably faster to list the attributes they don’t have in common. Like, Jobs’s signature black turtleneck. Thankfully, the movie provided Kutcher with that one. It was the last piece he needed to pass as Steve Jobs’s long-lost twin. Even though the movie itself didn’t quite connect with audiences, most agreed that Kutcher’s casting was a surprisingly inspired choice.
#17: Jennifer Lopez as Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
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“Selena” (1997) The search for “Selena’s” leading lady constituted one of the largest casting calls in Hollywood history. Eventually, the team settled on Jennifer Lopez - and the response was mixed, to put it lightly. The New York City native was criticized for not being a true Mexican American. But, Lopez silenced all the naysayers with a thoughtful, nuanced, and jaw-droppingly accurate performance. In hindsight, it’s not too surprising. Outside of their obvious physical similarities, Lopez stayed with Quintanilla-Pérez’s own sister to study the singer’s recordings and home videos. The family even commended Lopez’s faithfulness to the part. If that’s not the highest praise a biopic can get, we don’t know what is.
#16: Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela
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“Invictus” (2009) If you ever wanted to learn more about Nelson Mandela, there’s plenty of biographies to choose from. Or, you could just rent “Invictus” and watch Morgan Freeman prove why he’s the best of the best. The posture. The gait. The rhythm of speech. Freeman’s entire performance is a complete mirror to the real-life Mandela. Of course, none of that would matter if he didn’t look the part. But, thankfully, Freeman’s got that down pat, and he doesn’t even need much makeup to do it. From their graying hair to the spots on their cheeks, it’s obvious that Morgan Freeman was the right guy for the job.
#15: Paul Dano as Brian Wilson
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“Love & Mercy” (2014) Whenever an actor plays a real reason, there’s always a pressure to do them justice. But, Paul Dano’s portrayal of Brian Wilson also had to compete with several other, high-profile imitations. Including in “Love & Mercy.” That’s a tough position to be in. And yet, Dano was halfway to brilliance based on his looks alone. While the actor did put on some weight for the role, the way his rounded face resembles a young Brian Wilson is something you can’t teach in acting school. Once Dano steps behind the microphone, you could easily pass it off as a restored cover of a Beach Boys album. This casting was 20/20, that’s all we’re saying.
#14: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote
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“Capote” (2005) Given his undeniable resemblance to Truman Capote, you’d think that someone as versatile as Philip Seymour Hoffman would be able to tackle this role with no problem. But, that wasn’t the case. Instead, the actor spent four months perfecting Capote’s mannerisms and speech patterns before he ever stepped foot on set. The commitment definitely paid off in the acting side of things. And yet, no amount of research could ever replicate just how much Hoffman looked like the late author. Their distinctive noses and mouths are simply impossible to ignore. Still, it’s a testament to Hoffman’s work that, even though it’s his face on the screen, you only ever see Capote.
#13: Ben Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi
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“Gandhi” (1982) After this, they may never be able to make another high-profile movie about Gandhi ever again. That’s because, quite frankly, it’s hard to imagine anyone playing the part as authentically as Ben Kingsley. We’re not even talking about the acting. On a pure physical level, he looks like a photo of Gandhi brought to life. It’s nothing short of remarkable that someone in the modern day has the activist’s exact nose and body type. Let alone that Kingsley’s also an actor who was in the right place, at the right time. Based on the Academy Award he won, it’s safe to say he acted as good as he looked.
#12: Gwilym Lee as Brian May
“Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) Fittingly, this Queen biopic proved to be the crown jewel of one-to-one casting. While star Rami Malek had a few vocal detractors, there was no such fanfare for the supporting cast. For example, Joe Mazzello, whose lanky frame made him a natural fit for John Deacon. But, even he doesn’t look as picture-perfect as Gwilym Lee’s Brian May. There’s just no mistaking that chin. Throw in a convincing wig, and it might as well be May himself up there on stage. The likeness is good enough that it’ll leave you wondering “Is this real life? Or is this just fantasy?”
#11: Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash
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“Walk the Line” (2005) If you close your eyes during this film, you’ll hear Johnny Cash’s twangy cadence in all its glory. The catch is that, if you open them, you’ll still see Johnny Cash. Or, rather, Joaquin Phoenix playing Johnny Cash. Not that there’s much of a difference, visually speaking. Phoenix’s thin face and bustling screen presence is an extraordinary match for the iconic musician. That extends to every part of his performance, too. Phoenix played and sang all of Cash’s songs in the movie, and you’d be forgiven for assuming they were the originals. Clearly, this is so much more than a mere impersonation. It’s a living, breathing recreation of everything Johnny Cash.
#10: Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking
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“The Theory of Everything” (2014) 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.
#9: Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo
“Frida” (2002) Actor Salma Hayek and painter Frida Kahlo are both Mexican artists, but the similarities don’t end there. Just as Kahlo’s passion bursts out of the self-portraits she painted, Hayek’s charisma surges from the screen. Both personalities are 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 Kahlo in herself – and now that we’ve seen the final result, we have to agree.
#8: Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious
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“Sid and Nancy” (1986) Can you tell which is the actor and which is the musician? Back in the ‘80s, Oldman bore such an uncanny resemblance to the 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 is eerily spot-on.
#7: Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison
Top 10 Biopic Actors Who Look EXACTLY Like the Real People
“The Doors” (1991) Director Oliver Stone considered Val Kilmer for the biopic about the Doors’ frontman after seeing his striking physical likeness to Morrison 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 fifty 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
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“Chaplin” (1992) Although Charles Chaplin’s career spanned over seventy-five 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 Chaplin’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 Jr. also learned tennis and took violin lessons for some scenes. And, since Downey Jr. looked the part as well, the final result was practically perfect.
#5: Denzel Washington as Malcolm X
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“Malcolm X” (1992) 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 Washington’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 X at multiple stages of his life.
#4: Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln
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“Lincoln” (2012) 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’s 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.
#3: Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe
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“My Week with Marilyn” (2011) 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 seven-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 actor, the lover and the singer in her. It also earned her a well-deserved Golden Globe Award.
#2: James Franco as James Dean
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“James Dean” (2001) 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.
#1: Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles
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“Ray” (2004) For his Oscar-winning performance, Jamie Foxx was inspired by Ray Charles’s 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 Charles’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.
