Movie – real actor

Actors v who they played

Incredible Photos of Actors Vs. The Historical Figures They Played
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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.

Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela in Invictus (2009)

When a movie is directed by Clint Eastwood and starred by Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, it is destined to become a hit.

Morgan Freeman, as always, was exceptional and earned Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and Damon got nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

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Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin (1992)

It can be said that the 1992 British-American biographical comedy-drama film titled ‘Chaplin’ convinced people to take Downey more seriously. He prepared extensively for the role and won BAFTA award for best actor.

It is worth mentioning here that this role helped him earn some much-needed recognition. It is because Downey became a part of the youngest cast of Saturday Night Live in 1985 and most of the crew was dropped/replaced a year later. Rolling Stone magazine named Downey the worst SNL cast member in its entire run, stating that the “Downey Fail sums up everything that makes SNL great.”

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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.

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Daniel Day‑Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln (2012)

Although Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis has retired from the film industry, he will forever be hailed as one of the best actors. Many consider him as the greatest and most widely respected actors of his generation, and one of the greatest actors of all time.

So when he portrayed Abraham Lincoln in the movie ‘Lincoln’, it was no surprise that his role received immense acclaim from everyone. After all, he spent a year in preparation for the role, read over 100 books on Lincoln and worked many hours with the make-up artist to achieve a physical likeness to Lincoln. He received a BAFTA Britannia Award for his performance.

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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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.

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Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix as June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash in Walk The Line (2005)

Directed by James Mangold, ‘Walk the Line’ is based on two autobiographies authored by singer-songwriter Johnny Cash.

Joaquin Phoenix played the role as Cash, Reese Witherspoon as Carter. Both actors won 78th Academy Awards nominations and Witherspoon won the award of Best Actress.

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Audrey Tautou As Coco Chanel In Coco Before Chanel (2009)

Audrey Tautou is a really talented actress. She has received many awards in her career, most notably for Venus Beauty Institute (1999) and Amélie (2011).

Her role in the movie ‘Coco Before Chanel’ was highly praised and she got nominated for best actress at the César Award.

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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.

Morgan Freeman, as always, was exceptional and earned Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and Damon got nominated for Best Supporting 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.

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Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991)

Many people who have watched the movie ‘The Doors’ are convinced that it is really difficult to tell the difference between Val Kilmer and Jim Morrison.

The Doors received mixed reviews from the critics, but Rolling Stone gave the film four out of four stars. The movie was not well received by Morrison’s bandmates, close friends, and family, due to its depiction of Morrison, but Kilmer’s acting was amazing.

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Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray (2004)

If you make the first picture full black & white, it’ll be super difficult to say who the real one is. Jamie Foxx is a remarkably talented actor who has earned many awards in his career. But his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film Ray was nothing short of special.

Such was powerful acting of Foxx that he won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as well as the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, and Critics’ Choice awards. He became the only actor to win the Golden Globe in the Musical or Comedy (rather than the Drama) category and second actor to win all five major lead actor awards for the same performance.

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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.

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Kirk Douglas as Vincent Van Gogh in Lust For Life (1956)

Kirk Douglas is one of the last surviving stars of the film industry’s Golden Age. He turned 102 years old in 2018 and it’s been over 60 years since he portrayed Vincent van Gogh in the movie ‘Lust for Life.’

The film received mostly positive reviews and Douglas won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his performance.

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Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980)

Robert De Niro starred in the Movie ‘Raging Bull’ as Jake LaMotta, the late Italian American middleweight boxer.

The movie did not do well at the start, but now it is considered one of the greatest films ever made. De Niro won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role.

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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.

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Peter O’Toole as T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

Peter O’Toole starred in the title role of epic historical drama film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. And the rest is history.

It is because the movie was nominated for ten Oscars at the 35th Academy Awards in 1963; it won seven in total. O’Toole received his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

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Will Smith as Boxer Muhammad Ali in Ali (2013)

Will Smith received two times nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor in his career: the first time was for his performances as boxer Muhammad Ali in movie ‘Ali’ and the second time as a stockbroker Chris Gardner in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’

Smith did full justice to his role but it is unfortunate that the movie did not do well at the box office.

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