Though good looks can get an actor very, very far in Hollywood, a good performance is even more crucial. Talent is what should be the name of the game, the thing that helps win awards, earn positive reviews and get audiences in seats.
Sometimes, actors have to eschew their good looks in favor of a good performance and the results are mind-blowing. These seven actors were barely recognizable in their roles with the help of makeup, special effects, or in some cases, weight loss and dedication to their craft.
Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in "IT"
Bill Skarsgård terrified audiences as the demonic clown Pennywise in the 2017 remake of "IT." Coincidentally, Skarsgard admitted that he also terrified himself when he looked in the mirror while wearing the scary clown makeup.
"It was an amazing, terrifying feeling of seeing the makeup go on for the first time," Skarsgard told US Weekly.
By the end of filming, though, Skarsgard told the LA Times that it was easy to doze off during his makeup process.
"It’s a lot easier to have this done early in the morning," Skarsgard said. "Then you’re too tired to know it’s going on."
But the best acting transcends makeup. Skarsgard proved this with the help of his Pennywise-style smile without makeup. Yikes. Don’t worry, though. As long as he’s not doing that creepy smile or wearing that makeup (obviously), Skarsgard remains a hottie, at least according to Twitter.
Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in "Monster"
Charlize Theron is known for being one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood, but with her role as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster" she also proved that she’s one of the most talented.
According to CNN, Theron bulked up for the role by chowing down on potato chips, as well as hitting the makeup chair for prosthetics and a set of fake teeth. As intense as that sounds, her co-star in the 2004 film said that her skills were the true test.
"There's not enough fat or prosthetics in the world to hide a bad performance, and she is incredible in the movie," Theron's co-star, Christina Ricci, told members of the press.
Critics agreed. Theron won the Oscar for Best Actress that year and she carried on with a new outlook on acting transformations.
"Every movie is its own animal and you have to kinda respect it and treat it that way," Theron told"Entertainment Tonight."
Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort in “Harry Potter"
Ralph Fiennes is known for roles in several different films, but he may be most well-known for the role in which he’s the least recognizable.
Fiennes played Voldemort in the "Harry Potter" series over the course of all of the movies, which spanned from 2005 to 2011.
This meant years of special effects makeup and time prepping for the part with a physical transformation, but it also meant new developments in visual effects for film, which explain how filmmakers removed his nose.
Somehow, the actor’s whole look had to be done in two hours.
"On Harry Potter, the designs were done in an art department, then we took a head cast of Ralph Fiennes. We only had about two hours to do Ralph's makeup, because of all the filming restrictions," makeup artist Mark Coulier explained to Bustle. "They only wanted him in the chair for two hours instead of six hours, so we had to design it around that."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider