15 Celebs Who Became Iconic for Portraying Real Life People, and Their Resemblances Are Uncanny

Sure, an actor playing a real-life character is supposed to look like them. But even when they’re not exactly a twin of the person they play, some actors go so deep into their role that they somehow start resembling them. Their talent and ability to mimic the speech, movements, and gestures can bring the person back to life. And if we add excellent hair and makeup to the mix, the likeness is often astonishing.

Take a look at Bright Side’s list of 15 actors whose remarkably realistic portrayals of real people left us in awe.

1. Judi Dench as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown

2. James Franco as James Dean in James Dean

3. Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody

4. Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator

5. Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo in Frida

6. Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy

7. Sherilyn Fenn as Elizabeth Taylor in Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story

8. Michael Douglas as Liberace in Behind the Candelabra

9. Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in The Favourite

10. Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith in Bessie

11. Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth in The King’s Speech

12. Anthony Hopkins as Pablo Picasso in Surviving Picasso

13. Saoirse Ronan as Queen Mary Stuart in Mary Queen of Scots

14. Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland in Judy

15. Ingrid Bergman as Joan of Arc in the 1948 movie Joan of Arc

What historical character would you like to see portrayed on the silver screen?