Top 20 Biopic Actors Who Look EXACTLY Like the Real People

[@WatchMojo]

What’s the closest celebrity look-alike you’ve ever seen? Let us know in the comments below! For more content like this, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqTTooipo8ucmNE Don't forget to play our Live Trivia games at 3pm and 8pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!: www.watchmojo.com/play

[@mousemd]

Most of them I wouldn't say exactly. I do know that they wrote Cash's songs in a higher pitch for Phoenix range. He practiced so much that he could sing bass. So they threw the remade songs out. I could never mix up John and June with the actors that portrayed them

[@jcj268]

Can you do Top 20 The Office Memes?

[@The_Fanatical_Centrist]

You forgot about Barry Pepper as Roger Maris in 61*.

[@Bullyboy38]

Stephen Fry as Oscar Wilde

[@NoelBenavente]

I think Will Smith as Ali was better than many listed here, but nice list anyway 👌🏼

[@sophiepomerleau708]

Fun fact about Johnny Cash. He saw The Gladiator and really loved Joaquin in it. He invited him at dinner and said that if someday they do a biopic of him, he wanted Joaquin to play him !

[@ghostface3655]

Val Kilmer in the "Doors." That was pretty crazy when it came out. Not only the similar look, but Val moves like him also. Thanks for the video!

[@BeeAmazingg]

How did Angela Bassett as Tina Turner not make this list

[@tacoenvy]

Yeah seriously

[@jj-grays0n]

because racism

[@theylied1776]

My favorite behind-the-scenes interview was with Brian May on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody. He said before shooting started, Hair and Make-up asked him to approve of some whigs they were testing on Gwilym Lee, and when Brian May saw Gwilym in full costume, May claimed that he freaked out for a minute. He said it was like looking into a mirror of himself in the 1970s.

[@CashelOConnolly]

Well something has to be convincing about the lie that was Bohemian Rhapsody💩🤢

[@theylied1776]

@@CashelOConnolly Sure, why not???

[@CashelOConnolly]

@@theylied1776 well it was awful. don’t you think? They straight washed Mercury

[@theylied1776]

@@CashelOConnolly No, I don't think it was awful. It was a movie, not a documentary. It was a character study, not a biopic. This is why Fleetwood Mac has turned down several movie offers. They understand in order (to do justice to any band) the movie would have to be at least 6 to 8 hours long.

[@CashelOConnolly]

@@theylied1776 it was certainly pushed as a biopic! Quite simply Brian May instructed the studios to not include anything that made the band look bad,like Mercury’s frequent orgies,his copious amount of drug taking and him having unsafe sex knowing he was H.I.V+ ! he gave people a death sentence🤬 They also didn’t include how Mercury would abuse his partners! Factually it’s also a mess!!!

[@jalabi99]

As much as I like Al Pacino in _Scent of a Woman,_ Denzel Washington absolutely should have won the Best Actor Oscar that year for _Malcolm X._

[@wh0r3chatas]

I love how O'Shea Jackson Jr. was omitted from the list for the simple fact that he's literally Ice Cube's body double 😂

[@mikeveselov]

not just a double, A SON!

[@spacepunk_nappy]

He looks like Cube.but doesn't LOOK like Cube....He looks more like his mom, but he does...however... kinda sound like him......and he's way lightskinned than his father....

[@kevonlarosa4880]

​@@spacepunk_nappyO'Shea Jr looks more like Cube than Jason looks like Eric though

[@joannryan5929]

Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth (The Queen), Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury (Bohemian Rhapsody), Gary Bakewell as Paul McCartney (The Linda McCartney Story), Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher (The Iron Lady), Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland (Judy), Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford (Mommie Dearest).

[@NaticzkaKaminskaHenryDolphin]

Malek didn't look like Freddie at all. you have to be blind to think so

[@joannryan5929]

No need to be nasty. That's the problem with this world. It's my opinion and I am entitled to it. And, by the way, I'm not blind anymore. Have a nice day!@@NaticzkaKaminskaHenryDolphin

[@AtheneHolder]

Ithink the narrator said anyone with heavy prosthetics won't qualify... Rami and those teeth would be out the runnings@@joannryan5929

[@Hail54336]

Imagine if Sasha baron Cohen did the role of Freddy Mercury, it would bomb drastically

[@ResidentRob]

I don't think Joaquin Phoenix really looks like Johnny Cash but I think he did a great job of channeling him. Gwilym Lee as Brian May was freaskish between how close they look and how much he sounded like him

[@Animeguy300]

Jamie Foxx looks exactly like Ray Charles

[@katrinastorm5907]

Maybe not a biopic, but Charlize WAS Aileen in Monster. Chilling how close they looked alike

[@jamiethal1319]

It’s a biopic.

[@emanuelgaskins8318]

My family joined Temple #7 in Harlem in 1957. The head minister at that time was Malcolm X. To us he was Minister Malcolm. When I saw Denzel in that film, a chill ran up my spine. I thought I was watching a ghost! He should've been higher up on this list and he should've won the Oscar. He nailed that role. I know because I saw the real thing every Sunday for 6 years.

[@darkdetective1939]

I'm shocked that "I Saw The Light" isn't here. Tom Hiddleston actually resembles Hank Williams quite well.

[@mostly_insane2291]

Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn? Maybe not 100% physically accurate but boy did she definitely nailed the speech and the mannerisms.

[@Sammy.goNavy70]

I agree with Jennifer Lopez as Selena, Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela, Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capore, Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious, Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, Robert Downey Jr as Charlie Chaplin, Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln, James Franco as James Dean and last is Jamie Fox as Ray Charles. They all look as well did an excellent job performances the parts! I’m not saying the other didn’t especially Denzel Washington! But the title did say look exactly like the real people. These actors and actress do!

[@jalenwashere7754]

Will smith as Muhammad Ali was so good I actually thought he was Muhammad Ali for a brief time 😭

[@navidhudson7065]

There's also Angela Bassett as Tina Turner, Gary Busey as Buddy Holly, Christian Bale as Dick Cheney, Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers, Charlize Theron as Aileen Wournos AND Megyn Kelly, Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena, Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn, Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, Meryl Streep as Lindy Chamberlain, Julia Child AND Margaret Thatcher, Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland, Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana. I was blown away by how Kristen played Diana. The resemblance was uncanny down to the mannerisms, gestures, accent and voice tone. As for Cate, she absolutely became Katherine it was uncanny. Same for Christian Bale, unassuming people watching Vice wouldn't even know that it was him playing Dick Cheney. Meryl doesn't get enough credit for A Cry in the Dark, she disappeared into the role with a complete Australian accent and uncanny similarity to Lindy Chamberlain.

[@jeank8061]

Hilary Swank as Amelia Erhart, too - she was perfectly cast!

[@blackguyofthesouth2161]

Alot of those you said involved make up and prosthetics

[@wendykoepnick489]

I agree with all of those especially Charlize Theron. I say we need a part 2

[@RhaegarTargaryen1st]

Angela gave a mesmerizing performance as Tina Turner but she doesn't really look like her.

[@janicehummel8447]

Yeah... there were a lot of big omissions on this list.

[@NotMeNaNaNa]

I will always remember Jamie Foxx from In Living Color. Funny thing is back then it was David Alan Grier who did the Ray Charles impression while Jamie did a spot on Lionel Richie.

[@WomanRoaring]

what about Tommy Davidson doing Sammy Davis Jr.? I always thought he should have been cast as Sammy in a bio pic.

[@NotMeNaNaNa]

@@WomanRoaring yes! His agent is failing him by not getting that project to make him the award winning and well respected actor his In Living Color cast mate has become.

[@allendunson2826]

Should add in George C. Scott for Patton. And Sissy Spacek for Coal Miner’s Daughter

[@Kickinthescience]

Denzel should’ve been ahead of Michelle Williams

[@WilliamTheMovieFan]

Yeah. Kilmer should have been #1 or #2 at least.

[@carr0760]

Except that Denzel looked like Denzel, not Malcolm X.

[@blackguyofthesouth2161]

Denzel doesnt even look like Malcolm X

[@ahmedmaklad6527]

@@blackguyofthesouth2161 yes he does

[@blackguyofthesouth2161]

​@@ahmedmaklad6527I know all black people look alike to y'all but Denzel is dark skin and Malcolm X waslight skin, but we accept it because he played the hell out of the part. Stick to wyt ppl things please.

[@christianhines666]

You left out Renee Zellweger's Oscar-winning performance as Judy Garland in the 2019 biopic Judy.

[@notorioustori]

Omg, this!!!!

[@MelaninMuva]

Wylie Draper as Michael Jackson in “The Jacksons: An American Dream” & Gary Oldman as Lee Harvey Oswald in “JFK”

[@markzuckergecko621]

Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane as Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in *61. Not only did both actors put in a fantastic performance, but they look remarkably similar to the baseball legends they portrayed.

[@Jimmersaunt]

I agree especially Barry Pepper!

[@Kaythatguy]

Chadwick boseman as james brown in "Get on Up"

[@jaclynsanture6643]

My dad and I saw the movie, Chadwick B was amaizing!

[@josephbrownjr3564]

An amazing topic for a video that is once again delivered to the standards of which only WatchMojo continually gives to us! Thank you for making time pass so effortlessly. Just one suggestion, if you make another part to this, how about putting up a split screen with stills of the original and the copy? To better illustrate the similarities

[@chelseacanales8763]

Ana de Armas look similar to Marilyn Monroe in Blonde: she even nailed that facial expression down

[@Jimmersaunt]

The first thing I ever saw James Franco in was Spider Man-and I immediately thought how much he looked like James Dean! No surprise to find out he played him in a movie!

[@lubbucs546]

The guys playing Magic Johnson, Kareem, and Larry Bird on HBO’s Winning Time are the three best castings of real life people ever.

[@werthmelissa]

Awesome list! Honorable mentions: Emma Corrin as Diana, Princess Of Wales (The Crown season 4), Naomi Watts as Diana, Princess Of Wales (Diana), Tom Hanks as Walt Disney (Saving Mr. Banks), Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis (Feud series) and Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart (Amelia).

[@NoelBenavente]

I would add Will Smith as Alí

[@keshundavis]

I would add LaKeith Stanfield as Snoop Dogg

[@The_Fanatical_Centrist]

From a pure resemblance point of view, Barry Pepper as Roger Maris in 61* really needed to be on this list. The resemblance is uncanny.

[@WilliamTheMovieFan]

Kilmer should have been #1 or #2 at the very least. He looked and sounded more like the real person than most of the actors listen after him. In fact, not only did the members of the Doors think he sounded like Morrison, when they first saw him on set as Morrison they were a bit unnerved by the resemblance.

[@michaelrue1400]

Kilmer #1, Phoenix #2, and Foxx #3.

[@williamdavis4809]

Agreed

[@EvErLoyaLEagLE]

Honorable Mention: *Tom Cruise* as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, "Valkyrie (2008)" Cruise was attracted to the role based on the resemblance of his profile (side-facing posture) to von Stauffenberg's. The actor prepared for the role for eight months by hiring a researcher, studying history books, and speaking with some of von Stauffenberg's family. Since von Stauffenberg lost his left eye, right hand and two fingers on his left hand in an Allied attack in Tunisia, Cruise affected the same disabilities to practice dressing, moving items and writing. Cruise initially found the eyepatch difficult to work with but acknowledged that von Stauffenberg had to live with this discomfort. (Wikipedia)

[@jeank8061]

There was a biopic about Madonna on Netflix a few years back. The woman who played the Material Girl looked SO MUCH like Madonna it was almost confusing; as in "wait, did someone find footage of Madonna from the 80s for this movie?"

[@cryingbananajo]

It would have remained relevant if Madonna still remained an icon.

[@redmusichouse]

Austin Butler’s facial features look nothing like Elvis. It was his tremendous acting skills that were convincing.

[@mrderek2007]

Can't forget about Charlize Theron's portrayal of Aileen Wournos in Monster

[@ShilohMarley]

Prosthetics

[@mattalan6618]

@@ShilohMarley to a point. she actually gained weight for the role as well

[@periklaskyriakidis6064]

Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious and Jennifer Love Hewitt as Audrey Hepburn were also really accurate, it feels like seeing Sid and Audrey themselves in both.

[@kandipiatkowski8589]

Helen Miren has done a good job in her biopic roles of queen Elizabeth and Golda Meyer. Granted, I dont know much about Golda, but she does look like her. Sometimes it helps when an actor uses a little makeup to complete the transition to their character, however, like Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, you don't see Gary at all under the makeup. I was able to see Leo's eyes under the prosthetics in Mr Hoover.

[@KimberlyLetsGo]

Helen needed prosthetics to look like Meir. As per the opening of this video, they excluded those portrayals.

[@kandipiatkowski8589]

@@KimberlyLetsGo thanks. I didn't know. I may watch it at some point, it's just not a priority right now. I haven't gotten my TV hooked up yet since I moved recently.

[@jhaarbur]

@WatchMojo-There are 2 more that I feel need to be mentioned as honorable mentions: Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018) and Ed Harris as Eugene "Gene" Kranz in "Apollo 13" (1995).

[@gregoriojaro8963]

JAMES FRANCO AS "THE CITIZEN KANE OF BAD MOVIES" TOMMY WISEAU IN "THE DISASTER ARTIST", LOL! 🎬👍😂

[@trinaq]

It's a shame that Austin Butler didn't nab the Oscar for his work as Elvis, but he might have had a chance had Brendan Fraser not been nominated in the same category!

[@Denis-89]

He still should have won, had people not done the old sympathy vote..

[@blackguyofthesouth2161]

I would had voted for Colin Farrell personally

[@werthmelissa]

He did get a Golden Globe for it though even though it took a little bit of a dark turn when Lisa Marie Presley who witnessed his win unfortunately passed away just two days later

[@seanford2358]

At least LMP got to see him lift the Golden Globe…

[@samonebeauford2145]

I am shocked and disappointed that Will Smith as Muhammad Ali in "Ali" AND Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne as Tina and Ike Turner in "Whats Love Got To Do With It" werent on this list.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

The ray charles on was incredible. Hit the road jack was a highlight for me 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@jaclynsanture6643]

I Love Ray, Mr Foxx is amaizing!

[@LeFouGallois]

I remember watching 'Basic Instinct' in the cinema when it came out in 1992, every time I saw Jeanne Tripplehorn on screen I could not get over how much she resembled Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and could be the first choice to play her on screen. Fast forward to 2009 and she actually played her in 'Grey Gardens'. I was blown away by Susan Sarandon's as Bette Davis in 'Feud'. Not only did she look just like her, but her voice, mannerisms and presence were perfect too.

[@tammywebb1289]

They should add Tammy Blanchard as Judy Garland to the list. I was blown away by her appearance in the film "Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows"

[@jacksonfreaks.4767]

You forgot Cillian Murphy as Robert J. Oppenheimer 😨

[@SouthPawArtist]

This video should have had the title “20 POPULAR Biopic Actors Regardless If They Actually Looked Like The Real People Or Not”. Otherwise, Demetrius Shipp Jr as Tupac Shakur in All Eyez On Me would have bumped Denzel or Freeman or Austin Butler off of this list.

[@deedwayne2752]

The best Nelson Mandela biopic is Idris Alba's then Terence Howard's then Morgan Freeman's... hands down, Idris nailed Mandela like crazy.

[@RhaegarTargaryen1st]

Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in "Mommie Dearest".

[@Buggy-su4oy]

Leo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes...he even hot the accent right.😊😊

[@Eshabear1213]

Who is Howard Hughes?

[@AngeliqueStP]

Google exists. @@Eshabear1213

[@jamiethal1319]

Howard Hughes was a movie director. The movie was The Aviator.

[@emaarredondo-librarian]

Honorable mentions to Gary Oldman as Lee Harvey Oswald (JFK) AND Ludwig van Beethoven (Immortal Beloved). In other roles he has worn prosthetics, like as Churchill, but in those ones (other than a wig as Ludwig) it was just him looking exactly like other people.

[@michaelrue1400]

Gary Oldman puts his entire being into every role he plays. Absolutely superb.

[@spikeluv84]

Honestly, my fave actress to play Marilyn is Kelli Garner in ‘The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe’.

[@michaelrue1400]

I most appreciated Poppy Montgomery in Norma Jean and Marilyn.

[@teenie36214]

If there is ever a George Michael biopic, I think Theo James should portray him. 😁

[@amrapalibhagat1111]

I would love to see George Michael's biopic ❤️

[@robertroberson2296]

Glad Robert Downey Jr. was included!

[@IanSkeete-lj1mq]

Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman

[@samanthaeck2319]

A couple shoutouts: Margo Robbie as Sharon Tate in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer.

[@JudgeDrey]

I remember a buddy of mine who was a huge Doors fan wanted a Morrison tattoo on his shoulder and so he got one. Once it was done, another friend of ours, may he RIP, walked into the tattoo studio we all hung out at and noticed they had been using the movie poster as a reference, so he HAD to tell him "You realize that you just got a tattoo of VAL KILMER right?" The tattoo artist and the buddy getting the tat just looking at each other trying to find a way around it. But they realized it was pretty much 100% a done deal and there was no way around it lol. So everyone there laughed their asses off and he and the tattoo artist felt like tools. Although, it really did look like Morrison, he kept getting teased about it. Buddies kept asking when he was gonna get a _At First Sight_ tattoo...etc. LMFAO

[@Sly88Frye]

Not a surprise who number 1 is. Anyways this was an awesome list

[@kman484ify]

They forgot Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas in American gangster one of the best roles of his career

[@lolariver]

Great list. The top 2 are perfect!

[@cvictoriac1]

We need round 2!! Missed sooooo many

[@NaticzkaKaminskaHenryDolphin]

Where is Christian Bale as Dick Cheney? It is scary how similar Bale looked to Cheney, and he didn't have prosthetics or a fat suit, it was all Bale! Some of these are not similar at all! For example, Michelle Williams never looked like Marilyn, sorry. And Austin Butler is not similar to Elvis at all. Jonathan Rhys Meyers who played Elvis in a miniseries in 2005 looked almost identical to Elvis!!

[@mariamalzahem7512]

"Yes; and also a universe where you're funny". 💀😲😆😂🤣

[@abbeymclane6985]

They did a great job playing real life famous people

[@brianswanigan9891]

I would add Matthew Broderick as Colonel Robert Gould Shaw in “Glory “. If you look at pictures of Colonel Shaw you can see a tremendous resemblance.

[@peter-radiantpipes2800]

Val Kilmer was amazing as Morrison.

[@amandabeaty1492]

I remember watching Yesterday for the first time and when Jack goes to visit John Lennon and he opens the door. I just about fell out of my seat. Robert Carlyle looks exactly like John Lennon.

[@tammylynnbeatricedoyle4500]

Daniel Day Lewis gives me chills!! Val Kilmer as Mr. Mojo Risin is the absolute best of all!! 🎉🎉🎉

[@BO4SHO]

Great list

[@jim43fan]

Man, you missed Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel in Stan and Ollie! Spot on! He should be near the top!

[@Princegy4ng1]

Damn I guess Watchmojo have blacklisted Will Smith for portraying Ali. Where is Angela Basset as Tina Turner? She killed that role. Also, I think Jamal "Gravy" Woolard was great as Notorious B.I.G.

[@ponya3.66]

Walk Hard - John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox. 😁💚

[@GamerFunOriginallyAarush]

That’s actually really solid!

[@flexivefowl8186]

That's just perfect casting.

[@johndavis3921]

Kurt Russell as Elvis and Jimmy Stewart as Glenn Miller.

[@kellymarie6031]

I wish you'd do a side by side of them 😊

[@jeank8061]

I was thinkin' the same thing

[@crystalshaw8744]

Me too.

[@jennyfab312]

Well then we'd see how they don't really look EXACTLY like them.

[@phoenixducharme5209]

one of my favorite look-alikes was Gary Oldman as Beethoven in the movie "Immortal Beloved". but he's such a chameleon that it's no surprise how good he is at chaning his appearance. :)

[@erikayb]

This needs a part 2

[@LauraFu318]

You forgot Matthew Broderick as Colonel Robert Gould Shaw!

[@monicadouglas6753]

Austin did an incredible job portraying Elvis-however he looks nothing like the King.

[@carvideosandotherthings1673]

Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer 😮

[@criminalmindsgirl2936]

James Franco had won a Golden Globe for playing James Dean

[@ninaharper6282]

Jamie Fox was the total package and deserved the number one spot.

[@HeronCoyote1234]

He channeled Ray Charles.

[@skymuffn]

…in the heartbreaking life of Piaf depicted in “La Mome (La Vie En Rose, Marion Cotillard as the diminutive dynamo has to be one of the finest ever recorded on cellulose.

[@hksalsatom]

I was expecting to see high up on this list Gary Oldman's another brilliant performance: Winston Churchill.

[@AngeliqueStP]

This list was for likenesses with little to no makeup ...so that wouldn't count.

[@NaticzkaKaminskaHenryDolphin]

@@AngeliqueStP lol what? they all had makeup. this was no prosthetics list but makeup - everyone has it. and that is why they missed a few. Bale as Cheney didn't have prosthetics, just make up and he got fat for the role, so no fat suit. he should be here

[@AnitaNewport]

Fun fact: Abraham Lincoln had a bit of a high pitched voice.

[@JosePerez-bh9od]

Meryl streep as Julia child is also a good one

[@alextrevino7024]

What?!? Jim Carry’s Andy Kaufman didn’t make the list?!? 😮😮

[@Toledotourbillion]

Ben Kingsley & Gwilym Lee both do look like the characters they potray but everybody else relied more on mimicking mannerisms to play their roles. Still enjoyable to watch.

[@gundomatumba191]

I'm surprised Angela Bassett as Tina Turner did not make the list 💔

[@motivatedconor3891]

How will smith as ali didnt make this is insane

[@michellecrocker2485]

Ben Kingsley as Gandhi for the win!

[@joheljimenez696]

Austin Butler was perfect for the Elvis Presley role he knew what he was doing and Blonde omg it was amazing it was hard to know that the actress that played her look so much like her

[@Nicholasmcmath-cr1xl]

Agree

[@seanford2358]

All the mannerisms were bang on…

[@Luisito073]

What about Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Mister Rodgers?

[@Shantosh9550]

He looks nothing like Walt and Mr Rodgers

[@Eshabear1213]

I loved Tom Hanks in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

[@jamiethal1319]

Kinda does. Both of them.

[@JoseHernandez-kl2ng]

Honorable mention: James Franco as Tommy Wiseau 😜

[@marval9119]

Val Kilmer really looked like Jim Morrison, but I think it was also the only case where the real person looked more good looking than the actor who played him.

[@zenobia.wowcrockett5288]

Wow that's interesting ❤️❤️❤️

[@sweetpjess]

Love and Mercy is such an underrated movie!!!

[@pintospice]

You guys forgot Madonna as Eva Perón.

[@kloquewerk]

I feel like 90% of these look absolutely nothing like the actual people. Is it just me?

[@alexisgreen-hernandez8604]

Jennifer Lopez is beautiful and was excellent playing Salena. 🌹 💐 Morgan excellent playing Nelson Madellia 👏 👏 👏. Several of these actors and actresses were excellent 👏 at playing their roles in their movies 🎬. Thanks for the video 📹 excellent video very interesting 😀 👍. Denzel Washington is one of best excellent actor out there.