Side-By-Side Pics Of Actors And The Famous People They Played

Since its inception, the silver screen has been home to endless biopics that recount the captivating lives of world-famous figures. From movie stars to athletes, political activists to legendary musicians, Hollywood has truly made the informative genre its bread-and-butter. Three-time Academy Award-winner Meryl Streep has proven time and time again that she is the queen of embodying any character, whether they are real or fictional.

Likewise, Daniel Day-Lewis has established himself as one of the industry's most distinguished method actors, the decorated performer memorably stepping into the shoes of people like William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting and President Abraham Lincoln. Actors undergo dazzling transformations to portray such figures, and often their resemblance to their counterparts have been downright jaw-dropping.

Some of these celebrities skyrocketed to stardom by winningly playing real life people, their performances enchanting audiences, impressing critics, and honoring their film subjects. While some of these portrayals initially reel in viewers thanks to their uncanny likeness, others must dig deep and capture their spirit through research and relentless dedication to their craft.

R&B singer Andra Day won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of trailblazing jazz singer Billie Holiday in "The United States vs. Billie Holiday." To prepare for the 2021 film, Day lost nearly 40 pounds and began drinking and smoking in an effort to capture Holiday's distinct vocals and relate to her addiction struggles. "I just asked God to give me all of the pain and trauma. I asked him to give me her pain and give me her trauma," she told Variety in 2021.

Rami Malek played legendary musician Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody," a role that originally belonged to Sacha Baron Cohen. The biopic chronicled Queen's global domination between 1970 to 1985, Malek undergoing intense training to transform into Mercury. "When I started to embrace that aspect of him — the mischief, the joy, the freedom, and the lack of any inhibition, or so it seems —that's when the real spontaneity started to occur for me," he told The New Yorker in 2018. Malek won the Oscar for best actor.

Hollywood icon Denzel Washington starred as civil rights activist Malcolm X in the eponymous 1992 film. The Spike Lee drama highlights crucial events in the public figure's life, ending with Malcom X's shocking assassination in 1965. Lee was set on having Washington take the lead role in the biopic.. "I was nervous but I knew what was at stake. And Denzel and I both knew that we were the right people for the job and that we could do it," Lee said to Entertainment Tonight. Washington delivered a stunning, Oscar-nominated performance.

Before she began dominating the music world with her own original mnusic, Jennifer Lopez underwent a stunning transformation and fully embodied the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in the 1997 biopic "Selena." Lopez became the first Latina actor to receive $1 million for a role, and endured an intense auditioning process to play the icon. Lopez, who was nominated for a Golden Globe, was honored to have been a part of the film. "It was about portraying her as best I could, to where people weren't thinking of anybody but her when they were watching," she told Billboard in 2017. 

Three-time Oscar-winner Meryl Streep whipped up some big screen magic when she played the famous chef Julia Child in 2009's "Julie & Julia." The film depicts Child's early culinary days while also focusing on a New Yorker's attempt to cook all 524 of her recipes. Streep gained 15 pounds for the role and won a Golden Globe, her performance earning rave reviews. "What she does here, in its lightness and outright glee, is the best kind. Streep uses her gift for mimicry to make the link between Julia as pop-culture presence and human being," Salon wrote.

Hollywood leading lady Julia Roberts brilliantly tackled the real-life role of environmental activist Erin Brockovich in the 2000 film, which chronicles her valiant fight against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Roberts was initially considered a long shot to star, though she was eventually paid a record-setting $20 million for the project and won an Oscar. "I had no idea what the outcome was going to be, but what we did hope for was that these people became a very strong voice and one that was heard. And in that sense, they protected their integrity," Brockovich told AFI. 

Two years before she made history at the Oscars herself, Halle Berry played pioneering performer Dorothy Dandridge in 1999's "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge." Dandridge was the first African American woman nominated for an Academy Award for best actress, and Berry fought hard to create the biopic, for which she won an Emmy and Golden Globe. She secured the rights to Dandridge's story after Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston failed to. "I felt the pressure as an artist because I had been trying to do that for so long, so the heat was on," Berry told the HFPA in 1999. 

Embodying the icon behind hits like "Tiny Dancer" is no easy feat, though Welsh actor Taron Egerton knocked it out of the park when he transformed into Elton John in "Rocketman." John and husband David Furnish tried for decades to produce a film about his life, stars like Tom Hardy and Justin Timberlake attached to the project at different times. Egerton learned to sing live and play the piano for the role, his efforts resulting in a Golden Globe win. "I've never felt so devoted to something over such a protracted period of time," he told Entertainment Weekly in 2019.

Angela Bassett edged out Halle Berry and Robin Givens to portray Queen of Rock 'n' Roll Tina Turner in 1993's "What's Love Got to Do with It." The film depicts Tina's rise to fame and her tragic relationship with Ike Turner, the latter of whom  was played by Laurence Fishburne. Bassett not only studied Tina's mannerisms and dance moves, but actually worked with the music icon on the project. "She was there at the rehearsals," Bassett told Variety in 2023. "And she was always calling to find out how I was doing. Always telling me that I was perfect, just perfect."

Renée Zellweger received her second Academy Award when she starred as Tinseltown legend Judy Garland in "Judy," which follows the acting great during the last year of her life. Zellweger performed her own vocals while playing Garland, and she wanted to capture the many facets of the famed star, including her vulnerability and sharp wit. "Everybody felt that she was talking to them, personally. That she somehow related to their pain," Zellweger told Town & Country in 2019 of portraying Garland. "Her talent is for the ages. Her humanity is to be emulated." 

The historical drama "The Crown" became the talk of the town when it debuted in 2016, the series chronicling the reign of Queen Elizabeth II over the span of six decades. Claire Foy portrayed the monarch during the first two seasons, winning a Golden Globe and two Emmys. Funny enough, she wasn't intimidated to play the queen. "I'd been acting for a good 10 years before then, so I had a decent gauge on how it all worked and enough experience under my belt to know that it was just another role," she told Harper's Bazaar UK in 2026. 

Comedy great Jamie Foxx proved he could conquer dramatic acting when he played soul musician Ray Charles in "Ray," for which he won an Oscar and Golden Globe. Charles was given a Braille copy of the script and provided his input during production. Foxx played the piano but had his singing dubbed, and he was so committed to embodying the legendary singer that he even had his eyelids glued shut while shooting. Foxx became the third male actor in Oscars history to receive two acting nominations  in the same year, one for "Ray" and the other "Collateral." 

Daniel Day-Lewis proved for the zillionth time that he's among the greatest living actors when he portrayed President Abraham Lincoln. The Steven Spielberg-helmed drama centers on Lincoln's efforts to abolish slavery in 1865, and to prep for the role Day-Lewis read over 100 books about the 16h president. "It's a disturbing privilege. And for that very reason, I was extremely shy about taking on this wonderful task," the star said at a Time Magazine Q&A (via The Hollywood Reporter). Day-Lewis' performance earned him his third best actor Oscar, making him the only male actor to win in this category three times.

Australian superstar Margot Robbie was Quentin Tarantino's only choice to portray the late Sharon Tate in "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood." Robbie watched all of Sharon's films and even met with her family members while preparing for the role, receiving her sister Debra Tate's blessing. "She made me cry because she sounded just like Sharon," Debra told Vanity Fair in 2019. "The tone in her voice was completely Sharon, and it just touched me so much that big tears [started falling]." 

Many actors have tried to capture the essence of screen siren Marilyn Monroe, and Michelle Williams truly rose to the occasion when she played the blond beauty in "My Week with Marilyn." Michelle Williams transformed into Marilyn Monroe, truly capturing her breathy voice and signature walk. "Everybody has their own idea of who Marilyn was and what she means to them. But I think that if you go a little bit deeper, you're going to be surprised by what you find there," Williams said to Vogue in 2011. 

Salma Hayek starred in and produced the 2002 biopic "Frida," which brought the life of surrealist painter Frida Kahlo to the silver screen. The actor had been devoted to portraying Kahlo for years leading up to the film, even seeking out the artist's close friend Dolores Olmedo Patino to champion the project. "To me this is not just another movie," she told The Book LA. "I want to tell this story about my country and my people." Hayek became the first Mexican American woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for best actress for her poignant portrayal. 

Val Kilmer had audiences doing a double take when he starred as rock legend Jim Morrison in 1991's "The Doors," which delves into the history of the influential band and its unforgettable frontman. Kilmer learned 50 songs, read Morrison's poetry, wore Morrison's leather pants, and spent six months rehearsing. He also nailed Morrison's legendary voice: When other members of the Doors heard Kilmer singing during production, they couldn't believe it wasn't their late bandmate. Kilmer beat out fellow powerhouse actors like Timothy Hutton, Johnny Depp, and Tom Cruise for the role.

James Franco bared a striking resemblance to pop culture icon James Dean in the TV film of the same name. Franco bleached his hair blond, smoked two packs of cigarettes a day, and consumed all of Dean's books and films to prepare. "It was a very lonely existence," Franco told USA Today in 2001. "If I wasn't on a set, I was watching James Dean. That was my whole thinking. James Dean. James Dean." His commitment to the role paid off, as Franco took home a Golden Globe for his uncanny portrayal.

Arguably one of the most controversial biopics of all time is 1981's "Mommie Dearest," which delves into the personal life of Tinseltown star Joan Crawford and her alleged abuse towards her children. Faye Dunaway memorably tackled playing the complex Crawford, and despite attracting rave reviews herself, she would later say that the film hurt her career and public persona. "I think it turned my career in a direction where people would irretrievably have the wrong impression of me," she told People (via ABC News) in 2016. "It's unfortunate they felt they had to make that kind of movie." 

Chronicling the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 2014's "Selma" features David Oyelowo as the revered civil rights activist, who helped the Voting Rights Act get passed with his tireless efforts. Oyelowo set out to present King as a real person rather than a larger-than-life historical figure. "He didn't walk around when he was on this earth thinking of himself as an icon; so, therefore, in the portrayal of him, one has to take that away and play him as a human being," he said to Decent Films. 

Austin Butler established himself as a certified leading man when he starred as the "King of Rock and Roll" Elvis Presley in the musical "Elvis." He beat out fellow stars like Miles Teller and Ansel Elgort for the role after singing "Unchained Melody" in his audition tape for director Baz Luhrmann. Austin Butler completely transformed into Elvis Presley, earning the praise of the Presley family and a Golden Globe. "I wanted to make Priscilla proud and do justice to her and her family," Butler said to Entertainment Weekly in 2022. "It's about his spirit. It's about merging our two souls." 

Jason Scott Lee was more than up to the challenge to portray martial artist Bruce Lee, the actor helping showcase the icon's life in "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story." While preparing for the project,  Bruce's son, Brandon Lee, encouraged Jason to really dig into the role. "He said I wouldn't survive in this part if I treated his father like a god. He said his father was, after all, a man who had a profound destiny, but he was not a god," Jason told The New York Times in 1993. 

Cillian Murphy's portrayal of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer remains one of his finest performances to date. When he was brought on to play the director of the Manhattan Project in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," Murphy read everything he could about the father of the atomic bomb. "You realize this is a huge responsibility. He was complicated and contradictory and so iconic," he told the Associated Press in 2023. Murphy racked up praise and accolades for his performance, taking home the Academy Award for best actor. 

In "A Complete Unknown," Timothée Chalamet played folk icon Bob Dylan. Chalamet threw himself into the part, learning the guitar and harmonica. "I had three months of my life to play Bob Dylan, after five years of preparing to play him," Chalamet said to Rolling Stone in 2024. "So while I was in it, that was my eternal focus. He deserved that and then more." Dylan was pleased by Chalamet's casting, writing on X, "Timmy's a brilliant actor so I'm sure he's going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me."

Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon were the ultimate dream team when they joined forces for the 2005 biopic "Walk the Line," which depicts the life of the "Man in Black" Johnny Cash and his romance with singer June Carter. Phoenix performed all the songs while Witherspoon studied Carter in order to capture her voice and stage presence. The leading lady also met with Carter's children, learning about her personality and who she was behind closed doors. Witherspoon ended up winning an Oscar for the role while Phoenix took home a Golden Globe. 

Ben Kingsley played the titular role in 1982's "Gandhi," a movie which follows Mahatma Gandhi's life and efforts to lead the Indian independence movement during the 20th century. To prepare for the part, Kingsley lost weight, practiced yoga, and took on the physical mannerisms of the anti-colonialist activist. The actor was praised for his delivery and made the role his own, devoting himself to honoring Gandhi. "Gandhi was the most intelligent and definitely the strongest man that I have ever played in my life," Kinsley told The Hollywood Foreign Press in 1982. 

In 2008, Beyoncé played singer Etta James in "Cadillac Records." The biopic centers on James' personal and professional relationship with record company executive Leonard Chess, and features Beyoncé belting out classics like "At Last" and "I'd Rather Go Blind." Beyoncé told The New York Times that she waited until after filming wrapped before she reached out to James. "I know that in some interviews she was like, 'I don't know if she can play me,'" Beyoncé said. "But when I met her, she said, 'You are a bad girl,' and I know that's the ultimate compliment from her."

Robert Downey Jr.'s career reached new heights when he played silver screen icon Charlie Chaplin in 1992's "Chaplin." Downey devoted himself to capturing the essence of Chaplin and learned the violin, studied his mannerisms and accent, and even mastered playing tennis left-handed. Though the biopic failed to make a splash at the box office, Downey's charismatic performance won over audiences and he received critical acclaim, including a BAFTA for best actor.