6 Actors Who Look Nothing Like The Real-Life Person They Were Portraying Vs. 7 Actors Who Could Have Been Separated At Birth

    Gary Oldman has to be a shapeshifter, TBH.

    Elizabeth Cotton
    by Elizabeth Cotton

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Whenever an actor is tasked with playing a real-life person they're always going to be compared with how accurate they look...

    NBC

    Editor's note: A lot of these actors portrayed the character perfectly with their mannerisms and tone, this is purely a comparison on their looks.

    Of course, a lot of it is down to the costume and makeup department, but I've rounded up some actors who either nailed or failed looking like the person they were playing:

    1. Jonathan Price looked the spitting image of Pope Francis in The Two Popes

    Netflix / Vatican Media via Vatican Pool / Getty Images

    2. But Michael Fassbender definitely didn't look like Steve Jobs in Steve Jobs

    Universal Pictures / Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

    3. Elizabeth Debicki seriously impressed with her portrayal of Diana in The Crown

    Netflix / Anwar Hussein / WireImage / Getty Images

    4. However, Dominic West as Charles really missed the mark in The Crown

    Netflix / Tim Graham Photo Library / Getty Images

    5. Daniel Day-Lewis made the perfect Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln

    20th Century Fox / US National Archives / Getty Images)

    6. But Julia Roberts didn't really resemble Erin Brokovich in Erin Brokovich

    Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International / SGranitz / WireImage

    I actually would have loved to have seen Sarah Jessica Parker or Lucy Punch in this role!

    7. Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious was perfectly cast in Sid and Nancy

    Palace Pictures / Avalon / Getty Images

    8. But Zoe Saldana never should have portrayed Nina Simone in Nina

    RLJ Entertainment / David Redfern/Redferns

    Zoe received a lot of criticism for taking on this role as they used skin-darkening makeup and a prosthetic nose on her for the part. In a 2020 interview, Zoe looked back on accepting the role: "I should have never played Nina, I’m so sorry. I know better today and I’m never going to do that again. She’s one of our giants and someone else should step up. Somebody else should tell her story."

    9. Meryl Streep nailed her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady

    20th Century Fox / Bettmann / Getty Images

    10. Hugh Jackman didn't resemble P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman

    20th Century Fox / Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

    Let's be honest though, I can't picture anyone else taking on this role as well as Hugh did.

    11. But Gwilym May was a great fit for Brian May in Bohemian Rhapsody

    20th Century Fox / Mick Hutson/Redferns

    12. Robin Williams didn't work as Patch Adams appearance-wise in Patch Adams

    Universal Pictures / Stephane L'hostis / Getty Images

    His performance, however? Now THAT was spot on.

    13. However, Ben Kingsley really did nail his part as Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi

    Columbia Pictures / Bettmann / Getty Images

    According to the director, Richard Attenborough: "physical resemblance was a prerequisite, I had Ben Kingsley in mind for five years, from the first time I saw him. Nobody struck me as Ben did."

    Can you think of any other actors who either looked like the real-life person they were portraying, or who completely missed the mark? Let us know in the comments below!