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Actors pretend to be other people. It's what actors do. Sometimes they fail. Other times they succeed. And sometimes they embody their characters so completely that you forget you're watching a movie. Take some of the best biopics for example. Did you notice Helen Mirren while watching The Queen, or was it Elizabeth II you saw? What about Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia, or Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln? Even now it's difficult to think of Ben Kingsley or Mahatma Gandhi without associating one with the other, because like all of the above, the actor didn't just play a role - they became that role.
In homage to these amazing performances, Bored Panda has compiled a list of the most accurate real-life portrayals to ever hit the silver screen. Take a look at the pictures below and vote for the most convincing!
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#1
Eddie Redmayne And Felicity Jones As Stephen Hawking With His Wife Jane Wilde In The Theory Of Everything (2014)
Morgen Shirley 9 years ago
The actor looks very much like the man, but the girl only has the same hair.
Amanda Panda 9 years ago
Eddie is one hell of an actor, he can morph into just about anyone...even a woman!
Rabea Löwenherz 9 years ago
and of course, the woman in the movie had to be way skinnier... *sigh*
Kelly Noble 9 years ago
I HAVENT SEEN THE MOVIE BUT THE MATCHING OF ACTORS TO THE REAL PEOPLE IS AWESOME!!!
RELATED:
#2
Jamie Foxx As Ray Charles In Ray (2004)
Tammy Chapman 9 years ago
Great story, great movie, and Jamie Foxx was awesome as Ray Charles. Really enjoyed this one.
#3
Robert Downey Jr. As Charlie Chaplin In Chaplin (1992)
Linda Abbott 9 years ago
Varwenea...I totally agree. I think this one was his best piece of work.
Maheak 9 years ago
Now I wouldn't say that. Robert Downey Junior is an amazing actor. The fact that he has played such diverse roles in his career is amazing.
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Ben Kingsley As Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi In Gandhi (1982)
Tammy Chapman 9 years ago
I loved him in this role, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't know very much about the real Gandhi. I also loved him in "Schindler's List". He is an excellent actor.
Zombie 9 years ago
You should probably look up Ben Kinglsey. He is British but he is half Indian.
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LeJoy Rothe 9 years ago
Ben Kingsley is half British, but also Indian by way of his father who was Ismaili Muslim Khoja decent. Whitewasing doesn't really fit here. I also don't remember anyone getting upset by his portrayal. He was amazing in this role and showed great respect for the man.
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#5
Val Kilmer As Jim Morrison In The Doors (1991)
Karin Ebdrup 9 years ago
The film "The Doors", and Val Kilders great acting skills was of great importance to me and my freinds as were growing into being teenagers with an openess to and hunger for something different than Danish mainstream. The film was an opening for me to years of listening to music, reading poetry and watching films with real artistic potential. Paying a visit to Jims grave in Paris. It was the key to a youth with doing semi professional theatre, working at several filmfestivals and doing a Master of Arts. Thank you Jim and Val
Tamra Smith 9 years ago
He was so good in this. It's a shame he really hasn't aged gracefully. He was hot!
Tammy Chapman 9 years ago
I love this one. Val Kilmer did hemself and Jim proud. Both of these pics were of them in their prime of life. We lost Jim way too soon. But, Val pulled us into the story and the movie in such a wonderful way. Both of these men were hot as hell. I would've ; D
#6
Daniel Day‑Lewis As Abraham Lincoln In Lincoln (2012)
Luis Sancho 9 years ago
I know he looks the part, but I read somewhere that Lincoln seemed to have a high toned voice, instead of the gravely sounding voice on the movie...would be wonderful to have had recording technology when he was alive.
Dave Fontana 9 years ago
He did have a higher-toned voice, much higher than any adaptation of Lincoln in the past. Many of those adaptations, such as Gregory Peck's portrayal, were far more likely to give Lincoln that deep, "gravely" sound as you mentioned. Daniel Day-Lewis read over 100 biographies about the president in preparation for the role, so he attempted to make the voice as close to accurate as we could have known without the benefit of sound recording technology.
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Zain Chupacabra 6 years ago
Very ironic, because in Gangs of New York he throws a knife at a poster with Lincoln's face on it.
#7
Cate Blanchett As Bob Dylan In I'm Not There (2007)
#8
Meryl Streep As Margaret Thatcher In The Iron Lady (2011)
Delores Sheppard 9 years ago
She wasn't called the "Iron Lady" for nothing. After they erected a bronze statue of her in Parliament, she said "I might have preferred iron—but bronze will do ... It won't rust."
#9
Charlize Theron As Aileen Wuornos In Monster (2003)
Maria Ivanova 9 years ago
She was amazing in this role! It is more than difficult for pretty woman like her to become such a monster!
Hind Hani 9 years ago
I think It could be also difficult for an "ugly" woman. Ugly are not more psychopath than pretty women.
Load More Replies... Linn Tara Lenby 9 years ago
Who says beautifull women can't act serious and intelligent roles?! Theron was absolutely genious in this role!
Kelly Noble 9 years ago
she was crazily amazing...she needs the weird eyebrows tho...looks like theron has none!!!
Tammy Chapman 9 years ago
It's a true story about America's most prolific, scary and just insane female serial killer. She pretended to be a prostitute, then would have the men drive to a more 'private' area. Where she would rob them and then kill them. She claimed she did this because she hated men and had been mistreated by them as a child, this was her form of vengeance. It is an awesome movie. To see the beautiful Charlize Theron made up to look like this monster is a trip. The movie is called Monster. It's a must see. Plus I didn't tell you all of it, so you will be able to watch it and be surprised too. I think I need to watch it again. : )
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#10
Jennifer Lopez As Selena Quintanilla-Pérez In Selena (1997)
Vicki Bradsberry 9 years ago
Wow, did JLo have a ton of work done on herself as the years have gone by.
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Sara Campbell 9 years ago
They had to paint Jennifer lopez's lips bigger since hers were not as thick as Selena's.
#11
Hellen Mirren As HM Queen Elizabeth II In The Queen (2007)
Liz Miller 9 years ago
Helen Mirren is absolute class, elegance and style. She was born for that role!
György Becze 9 years ago
Agreed. Helen Mirren could be just as the Queen of England. No difference at all:)
Eriansyah Nur Hakim 9 years ago
She's such a versatile and talented actress. Her movies always astonishing!
#12
Gary Oldman As Ludwig Van Beethoven In Immortal Beloved (1994)
Cesi Baca 9 years ago
Ok some of these people are long dead and we only have written historical accounts which most people have not read. No recordings, no video, and in Beethoven's case not even a photo. How can we really say he nailed it.
Michelle Osborne 9 years ago
We have portraits that were done, Beethoven's letters, accounts of what he was like. No we can't say for SURE, but I think that of all the actors to ever play Beethoven, Oldman came closest to what we imagine he was like based on what we do know.
Load More Replies... #13
Bruno Ganz As Adolf Hitler In Downfall (2004)
Atrociraptorous 2 years ago
I wanna hug that guy and tell him he's fabulous and im sorry he LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE HITLER LMAO
Bill McFarlane 9 years ago
An amazing performance...Chilling and ultra realistic! Amazing performance chilling and ultra realistic
#14
Salma Hayek As Frida Kahlo In Frida (2002)
Cesi Baca 9 years ago
Exactly.....so unnecessary to exgaerate it like that. She exaggerated it in her self-portraits, but as the picture shows, in real life it was nothing major.
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RandomPanda 9 years ago
In the real Frida's photo, there is something very questionable in the background.
Maryse Meunier 9 years ago
By painting it, she was protesting violence against women after hearing a man using those words to defend himself for killing his wife.
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Ester Graciela 9 years ago
salma looks like I am going to throw my laser. I know that I can, I can feel it!
#15
Ashton Kutcher As Steve Jobs In Jobs (2013)
Dave Fontana 9 years ago
Can't beat Michael Fassbender! Although, looks-wise, he's probably just a little more accurate.
Luis Sancho 9 years ago
Sure he nailed...the last nail on his "I am a s**t actor" billboard.
Load More Replies... #16
Kirk Douglas As Vincent Van Gogh In Lust For Life (1956
Ekin Karaeke 9 years ago
Tony Curran was like a twin brother of Vincent Van Gogh in that doctor who episode, that episode always makes me cry. @Aleexandra I was looking for this comment. Take care dear whovian :)
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Cecilia Reyes 9 years ago
Kirk Douglas was amazing as Van Gogh, he conveyed such torment. I wept like a baby at the end.
#17
Marion Cotillard As Édith Piaf In La Vie En Rose (2007)
#18
Adrien Brody As Salvador Dali In Midnight In Paris (2011)
#19
Anthony Hopkins As Alfred Hitchcock In Hitchcock (2012)
Fatima Tavares 9 years ago
He looks like Anthony Hopkins because THIS IS ANTHONY HOPKINS playing A. Hitchcock in the film "Hitchcock" (2012).
Toby Jones played A. Hitchcock in the British television film "The Girl" from 2012. (see picture) toby-jones...d912fc.png 
Patrícia Luís 9 years ago
Anthony Hopkins as Richard Nixon, now that is terrific!(and not this flumsy Hitchcock)
#20
André 3000 As Jimi Hendrix In Jimi: All Is By My Side (2013)
#21
Gary Oldman And Chloe Webb As Sid Vicious And His Girlfriend Nancy Spungen In Sid And Nancy (1986)
Jennifer Meacham 9 years ago
I remember watching this movie and how iconic it felt in my life lol
#22
Denzel Washington As Malcolm X In Malcolm X (1992)
#23
Hannah Taylor-Gordon As Anne Frank In Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001)
Cesi Baca 9 years ago
I remember watching this. The acting was not great. But then I haven't seen any movie about holocaust victims so far that has seemed realistic. It must be close to impossible to duplicate and act out what it was really like living through what must have been hell on earth.
Tammy Chapman 9 years ago
Cesi Baca, you should watch the movie 'Schindler's List'. Schindler was a real guy, and it's a true story. He saved a lot of people. It's as close as you can get without actually being there. The director, Steven Speilberg (sp?) interviewed a lot of the people who lived through it. With the help of the survivors, he created a museum to honor those who died and those who are still living. The museum has a lot of video and audio interviews with the survivors. It's really sad, but it's all true. The movie is worth the watch...but you might want to have some tissues nearby when you watch it.
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#24
Morgan Freeman As Nelson Mandela In Invictus (2009)
Samuel Boundy 9 years ago
Are you f*****g serious?!?! That's a picture of Morgan Freeman as himself!!!! Jeezus!
Noxolo Booi 7 years ago
As a South African, you can hear the difference in how Me Freeman speaks and how Mandela spoke. They tried and it was a good movie but it's really hard for Americans to nail a South African accent.
#25
Stephen Fry As Oscar Wilde In Wilde (1997)
#26
Anthony Hopkins As Pablo Picasso In Surviving Picasso (1996)
#27
Geoffrey Rush As Peter Sellers In The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers (2004)
#28
James Franco As James Dean In James Dean (2001)
#29
Robert Downey Jr. As Charlie Chaplin In Chaplin (1992)
Roxanne Stuart 9 years ago
Agreed, but we get a full profile shot here, where we didn't on #10
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#30
Sean Penn As Harvey Milk In Milk (2008)
#31
Hilary Swank As Amelia Earhart In Amelia (2009)
EmaLee Noggle 9 years ago
Amelia is my cousin! My mom has her nose. Still need to see this movie
#32
Audrey Tautou As Coco Chanel In Coco Before Chanel (2009)
#33
Daniel Brühl As Niki Lauda In Rush (2013)
Atrociraptorous 2 years ago
Daniel Bruhl was born on the same day that I was! Oh my god, I love this man
Martin 9 years ago
I'm more curious as to why Marlboro patches weren't on the movie's racing suit.
Paulina 9 years ago
Because nowadays you can't advertise cigarettes. Tobacco brands used to be huge sponsors in various sports, but now by law that can't be associated with "healthy lifestyle" in any way.
Load More Replies... #34
Michelle Williams As Marilyn Monroe In My Week With Marilyn (2011)
Rajani Sarasan 9 years ago
I've never found Michelle pretty.. she seems kinda ordinary to be playing such a diva!
Maryana Serpinina 9 years ago
I think she just doesn't show Marilyn's power
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Amanda Gray 9 years ago
I don't think anyone can LOOK like Marilyn. So difficult to imitate physically.
Anca Profiroiu Tóth 9 years ago
you can`t tell from the photos, i thought she was miscast too but man she killed it in the film. she WAS marilyn!
Hollan Read 9 years ago
She was really good in the movie, but sorry - she still only had a vague resemblance to Marilyn!
#35
Meryl Streep As Julia Child In Julie And Julia (2009)
#36
Halle Berry As Dorothy Dandridge In Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (2000)
#37
Michael Douglas As Liberace In Behind The Candelabra (2013)
#38
Albert Finney As Winston Churchill In The Gathering Storm (2002)
#39
Jim Carrey As Andy Kaufman In Man On The Moon (1999)
Gina Gregory 9 years ago
This was a gorgeous movie. I was a kid watching Andy on TAXi, i loved Latka...it was great to see a cast reunion
#40
Johnny Depp As James 'Whitey' Bulger In Black Mass (2015)
#41
Benicio Del Toro As Ernesto "Che" Guevara In Che (2008)
maggiemoonbeam 9 years ago
Perhaps they weren't using that EXACT photograph of Che?
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#42
Liam Neeson As Oskar Schindler In Schindler's List (1993)
Tammy Chapman 9 years ago
This movie is one of the all-time greats. It's based on a true story, and it made me cry. He is much better looking than the real guy, and he's an excellent actor. Great movie.
#43
Reese Witherspoon Andjoacquin Phoenix As June Carter Cash And Johnny Cash In Walk The Line (2005)
Paulina 9 years ago
But Phoenix sang just like Cash and the movie was great :)
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Leonor Verdejo 9 years ago
if you see the complete performance, they nailed, but just the stills, nah
Tammy Chapman 9 years ago
Both Johnny and June picked out the actors they wanted to protray them for this movie. I absolutely LOVE this movie. I watch it at least once a month or so. And for me to rewatch a movie like that, you know it's good. (If you knew me you would unterstand). It is an awesome movie, and the actors were spot on. Loved it!!!
#44
Emile Hirsch As Christopher McCandless In Into The Wild (2007)
Ahmad Fathillah 9 years ago
This movie really scared me of loneliness and emptiness.. It took heart so much. Made me just wanna live among people and share many things.
Gina Gregory 9 years ago
He should have made the bus a conversion, fully self contained and more reliable
#45
Robert De Niro As Jake Lamotta In Raging Bull (1980)
#46
James Franco As Aron Ralston In 127 hours (2010)
#47
Philip Seymour Hoffman As Truman Capote In Capote (2005)
#48
Peter O'Toole As T.E. Lawrence In Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
Lily Mae Kitty 9 years ago
I fell in love with those blue eyes. what a beautiful man he was when he was young
#49
Naomi Watts As Princess Diana In Diana (2013)
with a Y and a Z 9 years ago
still the authenticity..they can recreate clothes from the 1800's and not the 90's?
Matejka Tomazin 8 years ago
Diana has an angrier more powerful look in her eyes, whereas Naomi feels more like a model walking with her glasses, phone, bag and flirty smirky smile
#50
Leonardo DiCaprio As Hugh Glass In The Revenant (2016)
#51
Colin Firth As King George Vi In The King's Speech (2010)
Karin Morris 9 years ago
The real King George looks EXACTLY like Tim Curry but Colin did an amazing job in the film
#52
Jeff Daniels As Joshua Chamberlain In Gettysburg (1993)
#53
Ralph Fiennes As Charles Dickens In The Invisible Woman (2013)
#54
Eddie Redmayne As Lili Elbe In The Danish Girl (2015)
#55
Jason Scott Lee As Bruce Lee In Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
maggiemoonbeam 9 years ago
He might not have HAD those during the period the movie portrays. Don't you think his son would have said something?
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Vanit Kashyap 9 years ago
Do check Danny Chan Kwok-kwan's Bruce Lee portrayal from IP Man 3 (2015)
Kamila Bezděková 9 years ago
WOW! Thank you for posting this. Amazing resemblance O.O I love Bruce... What a shame we lost him so early and also his son...
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#56
Ed Harris As Jackson Pollack In Pollack (2000)
Roland Weber 9 years ago
Pollock Pollock Pollock Pollock Pollock Pollock Pollock Pollock Vincent Van Gock
#57
Leonardo Dicaprio As Tycoon Howard Hughes In The Aviator (2004)
#58
Jesse Eisenberg As Mark Zuckerberg In The Social Network (2010)
Kerstian Stanley 9 years ago
Not much of a resemblance, but I loved his acting. Love this movie!
#59
Morgan Freeman As Nelson Mandela In Invictus (2009)
#60
Actor Will Smith As American Boxer Muhammad In Ali (2001)
#61
Nicole Kidman As Grace Kelly In Grace Of Monaco (2014)
#62
Johnny Depp As Hunter S. Thompson In Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)
Tammy Chapman 9 years ago
This is one of the most freaky movies I have ever seen. Johnny Depp was awesome. But he is always awesome.
#64
Madonna As Eva Peron, The Second Wife Of Argentine President Juan Perón, In Evita (1996)
Vico Alfonso 9 years ago
I love madonna with all my heart, but this movie is not faithful to the real Evita, and she really doesn't look like her. They took the characters and made a not accurate version of the reality
#65
Angelina Jolie As Mariane Pearl In A Mighty Heart (2007)
LeJoy Rothe 9 years ago
Someone above asked if Ben Kingsley (Half Indian) was whitewashing in the role of Ghandi. Nope. This roll, however, is totally whitewasing! I know she produced or directed this movie, but I'm certain there were many light-skinned fully or semi black ladies who who could have done this roll justice. Come on Hollywood. You can do better than this casting.
Natalie Lundqvist 9 years ago
Her father is white you know, and her mother of mixed origin. So technically she's more white than anything else. I mean, look at her, you can clearly tell she's part white. So why is this whitewashing? And also, can't it just be that Angelina is a great actress and that MAYBE that was more important than getting someone with the exact ethnic heritage for the part?
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#66
Jason Segel As David Foster Wallace In The End Of The Tour (2015)
#67
Bryan Cranston As Dalton Trumbo In Trumbo (2015)
Kim Lee 9 years ago
I agree with you. Took me a second to realize it wasn't him.
Load More Replies... #68
Toby Jones As Alfred Hitchcock In The Girl (2012)
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Lora Yaneva 9 years ago
I'd like to add one actor to the list - Tom Hardy as Britain's most infamous prisoner Charles Bronson in Bronson (2008). Charles-Br...fae9a0.jpg 
Courtney Milner 8 years ago
Ight where's Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turning in Imitation Game or Benedict as Stephen Hawking in Hawking
Catherine Doyle 9 years ago
I always find it interesting that only the actresses get commented on how "pretty" they are if they don't look enough like the people they portray. I'll never understand.
Julie Keating 8 years ago
Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison should have been in the list. He was brilliantly cast.
Charlotte Clayforth 8 years ago
Kathy Bates as the unsinkable Molly Brown (Titanic) is absolutely spot on imo. Also Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret in The Crown
Nesmelia-Grace Chantengco 8 years ago
There's two repeats on this list. Robert downy jr as Charlie Chaplin and Morgan freedman as Nelson
Laura Lockman 8 years ago
i dont see it, in most of these either too young to play the role or too old.
Hemant Bhatia 8 years ago
Another one from Bollywood..."Neerja" played by Sonam Kapoor 5929b77c-d...09fb11.jpg 
Lora Yaneva 9 years ago
I'd like to add one actor to the list - Tom Hardy as Britain's most infamous prisoner Charles Bronson in Bronson (2008). Charles-Br...fae9a0.jpg
Courtney Milner 8 years ago
Ight where's Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turning in Imitation Game or Benedict as Stephen Hawking in Hawking
Catherine Doyle 9 years ago
I always find it interesting that only the actresses get commented on how "pretty" they are if they don't look enough like the people they portray. I'll never understand.
Julie Keating 8 years ago
Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison should have been in the list. He was brilliantly cast.
Charlotte Clayforth 8 years ago
Kathy Bates as the unsinkable Molly Brown (Titanic) is absolutely spot on imo. Also Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret in The Crown
Nesmelia-Grace Chantengco 8 years ago
There's two repeats on this list. Robert downy jr as Charlie Chaplin and Morgan freedman as Nelson
Laura Lockman 8 years ago
i dont see it, in most of these either too young to play the role or too old.
Hemant Bhatia 8 years ago
Another one from Bollywood..."Neerja" played by Sonam Kapoor 5929b77c-d...09fb11.jpg
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