"That Part Couldn't Have Been Better Cast": People Are Sharing The Actors Who Knocked It Out Of The Park Portraying Real People

"Cuba Gooding Jr. was so good, I had to keep reminding myself that he wasn't actually O.J. Simpson."

We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which actors were so convincing, they actually made them believe that they were the real-life people they were portraying. Here are some of the best responses (I included a few of my personal favorites as well!):

🚨 Warning: Spoilers ahead!!! 🚨

1. Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout

Hulu/Everett Collection/Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group / Getty Images

"I was floored by how much she sounded like her and acted like Holmes. Her voice is so unique and hard to capture, but Seyfried nailed every bit of it. She deserves an Emmy for her performance."

—elysekuss

"She literally became Elizabeth Holmes in every way I could have possibly expected."

—aaronweeks101

2. Julia Garner as Anna Delvey in Inventing Anna

Netflix / Everett Collection / Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images

"The accent and mannerisms just pull you in! There wasn’t a ton of footage of Anna Delvey out there prior to the creation of the show, so I’m sure Julia Garner had to fill in a lot of blanks. But she’s got the essence of Anna down!"

—grant101010

3. Colin Firth as Michael Peterson in The Staircase

HBO Max / Chuck Liddy / Getty Images

Suggested by: annica

"Colin Firth's performance was so incredibly captivating and honestly terrifying to watch. He managed to be so charming, yet off-putting at the same time. I actually went back and forth on my opinion of the case so many times while watching the HBO series because Firth made me rethink and question so many things."

—kellymartinez

4. Patrick Schwarzenegger as Todd Peterson in The Staircase

HBO Max / Netflix

"Patrick Schwarzenegger honestly totally surprised me with just how good he was in this role. Not only did he act the part incredibly well, he clearly had an in-depth understanding of how the events of the series shaped and changed Todd Peterson as a person. His downfall was very sad to watch unfold, mostly because Schwarzenegger's portrayal was so realistic." 

—kellymartinez

5. Angela Bassett as Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It

Buena Vista / Everett Collection / Pete Still / Redferns / Getty Images

"She gave just an incredible performance."

—someone15940184

6. Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in The Doors

TriStar Pictures / Everett Collection / Andrew Maclear/Hulton Archive / Getty Images

"The man became Jim; it was uncanny. He also did all his own singing — Doors band members said they couldn't tell the difference between their voices. That part couldn't have been better cast. Val was perfect."

—mollymcduck

7. Taron Egerton as Elton John in Rocketman

Paramount / Everett Collection/ Michael Putland / Getty Images

"That man was phenomenal and Oscar-worthy. The Academy made a mistake by not giving him a nomination. I’ve never watched a biopic actor truly embody who they portrayed more."

—cammiekinz

"I don’t know how he wasn’t nominated for an Oscar. It was a perfect performance with so much attention to detail."

—elizabethbrennan1

8. Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in Elvis

Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection / Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

"I was a little skeptical going into the movie, but Austin Butler exceeded my expectations in every way. The scene where he performs "Trouble" to the wild crowd literally gave me chills. I was just totally engrossed by his performance for the entire film." 

—kellymartinez

9. Elle Fanning as Michelle Carter in The Girl From Plainville

Hulu / Everett Collection / Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

"I'm honestly stunned that she didn't get an Emmy nomination for this. From the incredible acting to the spot-on mannerisms to even the signature eyebrows, Elle Fanning completely nailed the character. I can't imagine anyone else playing the role half as well as she did."

—kellymartinez

10. Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. Simpson in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Byron Cohen / FX / Courtesy: Everett Collection / POOL/AFP via Getty Images

"He was so amazing in it that I had to keep reminding myself he wasn't actually O.J."

—beckichino

11. Zac Efron as Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Netflix / Everett Collection / Getty Images

"Efron's little mannerisms and details really brought it all together. During the scene where he escapes out the window of the library, I actually found myself rooting for his character before I caught myself and remembered, 'That’s literally Ted Bundy!' Such a good performance!"

—adelaidehawthorne

12. Joey King as Gypsy Rose Blanchard in The Act

Hulu / Everett Collection / HBO Max

"The makeup department did an amazing job, but her voice was incredible!"

—alext4e3fc38a7

"It's her best role to date, in my opinion. I feel bad because I cant stand like 95% of her movies, but can just tell she's a good actor who needs better parts." 

—colleend9

13. Cameron Britton as Ed Kemper in Mindhunter

Netflix / Everett Collection / Bettmann Archive / Getty Images

"Just look at a few photos of the real life Ed Kemper and you will get the chills. Cameron really captured the off-putting friendliness of the killer while matching his mannerisms to a T."

—hiitsnicetomeetyou

14. Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos

Amazon Studios / Everett Collection / International Center of Photography / Getty Images

"I was very worried when I heard about the casting choices, but I was pleasantly surprised by her performance, especially when she recreated scenes from the old episodes, like the grape-stomping scene."

—sageandlinen

15. Denzel Washington as Malcolm X in Malcolm X

Warner Bros. / Everett Collection Bettman / Getty Images

"It was such a good dramatic portrayal of his life that I sometimes forget what Malcolm X really looked like and just imagine Denzel Washington. He did such an amazing job playing him that when I actually see the real Malcolm, I'm thrown off."

—ninablack

16. Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett in The Runaways

Apparition/Courtesy Everett Collection/ Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

"She NAILED Joan perfectly, from her distinctive voice and accent to her mannerisms, even the way Joan sits. It's a vastly underrated performance."

—losfrangeles

17. Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland in Judy

David Hindley / Roadside Attractions / Everett Collection / Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty Images

"She brought Judy back to life for those two hours that she was on screen."

—jgvigna

18. Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy

Samuel Goldwyn / Courtesy Everett Collection / Kerstin Rodgers/ Redferns / Getty Images

"Oldman has said that it wasn't his favorite role and that he doesn't think he was very good in it. Well, I respectfully disagree. I thought he completely embodied Sid. It was 100% believable."

—unrepentant_cow

19. Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child in Julia

HBO Max / Bachrach / Getty Images

"I saw footage from her recreating an episode, and I had to look it up to see if it was actually archive footage. She’s fantastic as Julia, and she has her mannerisms down pat."

—minawritesthings

20. Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line

20th Century Fox / Everett Collection / Hulton Archive / Getty Images

"To be fair, I was pretty young when I first watched Walk the Line, but I fully thought Joaquin Phoenix really was Johnny Cash. He did such a good job in that role. He had the voice, the look, and the mannerisms down."

—shelleynicole

21. Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray

Universal / Everett Collection / Michael Putland / Getty Images

"I completely forgot it was the silly, comical Jamie Foxx when he was playing that character."

—mas1987

22. And finally, Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya

30West /Courtesy Everett Collection / Focus on Sport / Getty Images

"I can't stop seeing her as Tonya Harding in everything now."

—dandelionsilver

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.