18 Times Celebrities Genuinely Caught Me Off Guard With How Different They Look IRL

Thomas Shelby is so smokin' and yet Cillian is so normal :/

We all know that actors often have to step out of their own clothes, their own style, hell, even their own skin to portray the people they do, but sometimes the subtlest of changes can scream the loudest.

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Subtle meaning NOT... "doesn't Rebecca Romijn look different as Mystique?"

We all know Rebecca Romijn doesn't have red hair and blue skin, but did you clock these 18 actors who tricked us into thinking they looked one way, but really they look NOTHING LIKE their on-screen counterparts?

1. Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen in Twilight.

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I was pretty gutted when I realised that Rob is remarkably hairier and a bit more unkempt than his vampiric twin. I knew those brows were too good to be true!

2. Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones.

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We're used to seeing Lena in a gown with either her long flowing hair or her short blonde crop, but IRL she's closer to her punky mum role in Fighting with My Family.

3. Tilda Swinton as Dianna in Trainwreck.

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If you only know Tilda from Trainwreck, first off, shame on you. Secondly, you might be surprised to learn she looks nothing like her TANtastic counterpart.

4. Dascha Polanco as Dayanara "Daya" Diaz in Orange Is the New Black.

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Outside of pretending to be an unwashed jailbird, Dascha stuns on every red carpet! Her face is always beat and I LIVE for her different hair colour every time!

5. Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly in Bombshell.

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It's amazing what an alteration in make up, a set of coloured contacts, and PROSTHETIC EYELIDS can do! Charlize looks completely changed in Bombshell, trust me on this one.

6. Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute in The Office.

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You may be shocked to see that Dwight is actually a pretty normal-looking guy out of character! Like, Rainn Wilson actually looks pretty approachable.

7. America Ferrera as Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty.

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Who else was dying for the makeover when they first watched Ugly Betty? I mean her style was quirky 'n all, but we all knew underneath that poncho was a KWEEN!

8. Siobhán McSweeney as Sister Michael in Derry Girls.

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You may think of Siobhán as Sister Michael in her nun's habit with her black hair showing, but she's actually a platinum blonde IRL!

9. Paloma Faith as Andrea in St Trinian's.

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A relatively unknown Paloma played an emo in St Trinian's, but when she exploded onto the scene herself, her vintage style was the polar opposite of Andrea's!

10. Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders.

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How is it possible for a person to be so sexy in character, and just your average bloke out of it? Something hits different about Cillian as Thomas, and it's not just the undercut and threads.

11. Ruth Jones as Vanessa "Nessa" Jenkins in Gavin & Stacey.

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We all recognise Nessa for her tight outfits and blunt black bob, but some viewers may be surprised to find Ruth Jones has a much tamer look IRL.

12. Donald Glover as Troy Barnes in Community.

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Everyone fell for high school jock Troy when Community first came out, but let's be honest, Donald's style is way more daring and eclectic. Troy could never!

13. Megan Mullally as Karen Walker in Will & Grace.

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Without her signature hairpiece, bougie attire, and dark locks, Megan looks worlds apart from her role as New York's richest gay girlfriend, Karen Walker!

14. Phyllis Logan as Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey.

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No polishing silver for this red carpet mama! Out of her drab dresses and updo, Scottish actor Phyllis bears next to no resemblance to housekeeper, Mrs Hughes.

15. Lizzie Caplan as Janis Ian in Mean Girls.

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Lizzy first came to our attention as alt queen Janis, and I was certainly bowled over to find out that when out of character, she looks like a straight-up glamazon!

16. Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in The Hours.

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If for some reason you thought Nicole Kidman actually looked like her part in The Hours, you'd be hella wrong. IRL she's usually blonde and stylish AF.

17. Bryan Cranston as Walter White in Breaking Bad.

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Bryan shed his usual "dad" look to play Walter White, and when he transitioned back after finishing Breaking Bad, we were all shook by the contrast!

18. Emilia Clarke as Daenerys "Khaleesi" Targaryen in Game of Thrones.

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I think many of us were originally led to believe that Emilia was a blonde. In real life, she often sports dark hair, and has a much more up-to-date wardrobe. I personally think both are a KO.