What is the one thing that actors do the best? Pretending to be someone that they’re not, of course. Some actors are really good at it while others – not so much. Keep on reading to find out about those actors who portrayed historical figures and not only played the role, but they became the role and captivated everyone with their enchanting performances. Grab your popcorn and let’s get started.
Eddie Redmayne And Felicity Jones As Stephen Hawking With His Wife Jane Wilde In The Theory Of Everything (2014)
If you haven’t watched the movie ‘The Theory of Everything’, you should definitely watch it. The two actors, Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, were spot on with everything that ranges from their acting to their resemblance to Stephen Hawking and his first wife Jane Wilde. Eddie Redmayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Facility Jones was also applauded for her acting and she won nominations for the Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA and Academy Award for Best Actress.
Naomi Watts As Princess Diana In Diana (2013)
Naomi Watts has played many memorable roles in her career and this one is definitely the one that she did flawlessly. The movie received negative reviews from both British and American critics and the only shining light was the acting of Naomi Watts.
Emile Hirsch As Christopher McCandless In Into The Wild (2007)
Whether you are a travel enthusiast or not, this movie is something that can touch your heart and make you want to travel the world. Emile Hirsch delivered a performance of his career with this role. The accurate word used for his performance would be “spellbinding.”
Meryl Streep As Margaret Thatcher In The Iron Lady (2011)
When Meryl Steep plays a character, you are guaranteed to witness a truly exceptional performance. Often described as the “best actress of her generation,” Streep portrayed Margaret Thatcher, the first-ever female and longest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of the 20th century. Streep called her casting “a daunting and exciting challenge” and attended a session of the House of Commons to see British MPs in action in preparation for her role as Thatcher. Her performance helped her win third Oscar and also her third Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama award.
Cate Blanchett As Bob Dylan In I’m Not There (2007)
I’m Not There is a 2007 unconventional biopic that is inspired by the life and music of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Amazingly, six actors played the lead role in depicting different facets of Dylan’s public personas and one of them was Cate Blanchett. The others were Christian Bale, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw. Blanchett was praised for her spectacular performance and it helped her receive Volpi Cup for Best Actress from the Venice Film Festival, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, along with a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Charlize Theron As Aileen Wuornos In Monster (2003)
Many people won’t believe that beautiful Charlize Theron portrayed Aileen Wuornos in the biographical crime drama film about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a former prostitute who was executed in Florida in 2002 for killing six men. As he delivered a powerful performance, it wasn’t a big surprise for everyone as the actress won Academy Award for Best Actress, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and the Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress.
Jennifer Lopez As Selena Quintanilla-Pérez In Selena (1997)
Jennifer Lopez played her breakout role as Selena in the 1997 American biographical musical drama film. It showed the life and career of Tejano music star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, a recording artist well known in the Latino communities in the United States and Mexico. She was only 23-years-old when she was murdered by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club. The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences. Lopez was nominated for Golden Globe Awards while she won ALMA Award for Outstanding Actresses in a Feature Film and Imagen Award for Best Actress.
Hellen Mirren As HM Queen Elizabeth II In The Queen (2007)
It won’t be wrong to say that Hellen Mirren is an absolute class act and she was born for this brilliant role. In the 2006 British biographical drama film that depicts the death of Diana, Helen Mirren portrayed Queen Elizabeth II. The role helped Mirren earn numerous awards and even the Queen herself praised Mirren’s performance. She invited Mirren to dinner at Buckingham Palace, but the actress couldn’t attend it due to some filming commitments.
Salma Hayek As Frida Kahlo In Frida (2002)
In the 2002 American biopic drama film Frida, Salma Hayed made a lot of people her fan with her surreal acting skills. Her acting helped her get Academy Award nomination. The film itself received positive reviews from critics and even won two Academy Awards for Best Makeup and Best Original Score among six nominations.
Bruno Ganz As Adolf Hitler In Downfall (2004)
Bruno Ganz passed away on 16 February this year and the actor will be remembered for his memorable roles in movies such as The American Friend (1977), Jonathan Harker in Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) and Damiel the Angel in Wings of Desire (1987). He received international acclaim for his portrayal of Adolf Hitler in the Oscar-nominated film Downfall. One of the critics from The Guardian described his performance as “the most convincing screen Hitler yet: an old, bent, sick dictator with the shaking hands of someone with Parkinson’s, alternating between rage and despair in his last days in the bunker.”
Nicole Kidman As Grace Kelly In Grace Of Monaco (2014)
In the movie Grace of Monaco, Nicole Kidman portrayed Grace Kelly. The children of Kelly described the film as “needlessly glamorized and historically inaccurate.” The Daily Mail praised the acting of Kidman, saying, “Kidman… rises regally to the occasion. She makes a wholly believable Grace, doubtless because she brings genuine wattage to her role as a genuine star.”
Ashton Kutcher As Steve Jobs In Jobs (2013)
Although Ashton Kutcher’s portrayal of Steve Jobs in the 2013 American biographical drama film was highly praised, the movie did not do well at the box office. It received mixed reviews from critics and viewers. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said that “Kutcher nails the genius and narcissism. It’s a quietly dazzling performance” but also notes that “Jobs is a one-man show that needed to go for broke and doesn’t. My guess is that Jobs would give it a swat.”
Gary Oldman As Ludwig Van Beethoven In Immortal Beloved (1994)
Gary Oldman is known for versatility and expressive acting style. He is arguably one of the greatest actors of his generation. He has won an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Critics’ Choice Awards, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. His performance in the movie ‘Immortal Beloved’ can be summed up with this comment from a critic: “Oldman’s performance is unimpeachable. He dives deep into the role with powerful passion and makes the audience feel the pain of the genius as he loses his hearing and fails to shape his nephew into a similarly talented musician.”
Marion Cotillard As Édith Piaf In La Vie En Rose (2007)
Marion Cotillard played her role as Édith Piaf in the movie La Vie en Rose (means Life in pink), which is La Môme in French. Cotillard’s performance was so breathtaking that it helped her earn the following awards: Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, the César Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
André 3000 As Jimi Hendrix In Jimi: All Is By My Side (2013)
Jimi: All Is by My Side is a drama film based on one of the most influential guitarists in history and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century, James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix. André 3000’s performance as Jimi Hendrix was met with critical acclaims and earned him a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.
Gary Oldman And Chloe Webb As Sid Vicious And His Girlfriend Nancy Spungen In Sid And Nancy (1986)
The 1986 British biopic portrayed the life of famous bassist of the seminal punk rock band the Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious (played by Gary Oldman), and his relationship with girlfriend Nancy Spungen ( played by Chloe Webb). Although the movie wasn’t able to recoup its production budget, the storyline and acting of both Oldman and Webb made the movie attain cult classic status.
Hannah Taylor-Gordon As Anne Frank In Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001)
People who watched ‘Anne Frank: The Whole Story’ became an instant fan of Hannah Taylor-Gordon. The two-part-mini-series received critical acclaim from both viewers and critics. Unsurprisingly, Hannah Taylor-Gordon received both Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations for her performance as Anne Frank.
Stephen Fry As Oscar Wilde In Wilde (1997)
In the 1997 British biographical film directed by Brian Gilbert, Stephen Fry’s performance was highly appreciated. Janet Maslin from the New York Times wrote in her review that: “Playing the large dandyish writer with obvious gusto, Stephen Fry looks uncannily like Wilde and presents an edgy mixture of superciliousness and vulnerability.”
Michelle Williams As Marilyn Monroe In My Week With Marilyn (2011)
Michelle Williams seemed like a perfect actress to play the role of Marilyn Monroe, one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s. Well, the actress was unbelievable at the display of her acting skills and was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. She also earned Best Actress nominations from the Academy Awards and British Academy Film Awards.
Meryl Streep As Julia Child In Julie And Julia (2009)
The American comedy-drama film received positive reviews and Meryl Streep (as always) was praised for her amusing performance. Streep was able to perfectly pull off the look of Chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary career. Go watch this movie.
