The best biopic movie makeovers of all time
A shocking picture of Margot Robbie in character for the upcoming Mary Queen of Scots movie has surfaced on the internet - and it is quite something. The gorgeous star looks nothing like herself and Margot is once again surprising fans with her chameleon abilities.
But Robbie is no stranger to transforming for the camera, after playing Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, the actress filmed I, Tonya, a biopic about competitive ice skater Tonya Harding, and is now on set as Queen Elizabeth I.
After all, there's no better story than a true story, and that adage certainly holds true in Hollywood, where playing other famous people has become big business - not to mention Oscar-winning.
Whether that be J-Law as Joy Mangano, Selma Blair as Kris Jenner or Naomi Watts as Princess Diana, we run down the good, the bad and the most downright uncanny celebrity biopic incarnations of all time...
Queen Elizabeth I
The upcoming motion picture, Mary Queen of Scots will have all the drama you're hoping for, a nasty family feud, infidelity and murder. With Saoirse Ronan, playing Mary, there's been speculation on who would portrait Queen Elizabeth I, and when we heard the news that it would be Margot Robbie we were quite surprised.
FlynetMargot Robbie in Mary Queen of Scots
Unrecognisable. That's how Margot Robbie looked on the set of Mary Queen of Scots. The impressive photo is making the rounds on the internet and shocking fans with the actress' chameleon ability. The Virgin Queen has also been previously portrayed by Judie Dench, Bette Davis, Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett and Miranda Richardson.Likeness? 8/10. Although Margot looks nothing like Queen Elizabeth I, the makeup and hair crew sure did a good job. Thumbs up!
Rex FeaturesJacqueline Kennedy Onassis
The latest biopic on this iconic woman came in 2016 with Jackie. The drama would portray the First Lady during the 7 days after the death of her husband. One of the most incredible renderings to Jackie O deserved an Oscar-winning actress. Enter...
20th Century FoxNatalie Portman in Jackie
Natalie took the role to heart, the actress looks uncanny on the biopic, that was one of the most dramatic movies about the First Lady ever done. The amazing performance earned her another nomination for a Best Actress Oscar.Likeness? Impressive likeness - 10/10.
Getty ImagesTed Kennedy
Another Kennedy biopic. The mini series The Kennedys After Camelot, will portray Ted Kennedy, the younger brother of John F. Kennedy who was the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history, having served as a member of the Senate for almost 47 years.
Splash NewsMatthew Perry in The Kennedys After Camelot
Actor Matthew Perry is taking on the role of Ted Kennedy, with Katie Holmes playing Jackie Kennedy. Here the Friends actor can be seen in character filming in Toronto, wearing a polo shirt and trousers.Likeness? 8/10
Fox SearchlightBillie Jean King and Bobby Riggs
A new biopic named Battle of the Sexes, as it was dubbed, will document Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs' highly publicised 1973 exhibition match. The match sparked global interest as man and woman went head to head - and more when 29-year-old King beat 55-year-old tennis champion Riggs. The film will also delve into their personal struggles off the court...
Fox SearchlightEmma Stone and Steve Carell in Battle of the Sexes
Comedy actors Stone and Carell will be taking on the more serious roles in the biopic undertaking. We think the likeness is definitely there, which is a good starting point.Likeness? V. v. good. It's a 10 from us.
Nina Simone
It was about time the legendary career of American musician and singer Nina Simone was played out on screen. And it finally hit our screens in April 2016...
Zoe Saldana in Nina
The Guardians of the Galaxy actress received some controversy after the casting reveal and was accused of using 'black-face' for the role.Likeness? 6/10 – We’re excited to see the film but we're not totally convinced of the likeness.
Getty ImagesHank Williams
Hank William was a American country singer-songwriter who is often credited as being one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Hits include Move It On Over and Hey Good Lookin' .
SonyTom Hiddleston in I Saw The Light
Tom Hiddleston depicted Williams in a biopic based on the turbulent life of the late country singer. The film chronicled his rise to fame, its tragic effect on his health and personal life, and his eventually tragic death. Tom performs much of the singing segments in the film himself including hits like “Jambalaya”. He said of the undertaking: “I had listened to ‘Love Sick Blues’ and to ‘Long Gone Lonesome Blues’, and I didn’t know how to make my vocal cords vibrate to make that specific sound,” he told Rolling Stone. "I thought it was an accident of genetics."Likeness? 10/10... A+ from us
Rex FeaturesTonya Harding
90's ice skater Tonya Harding was the subject of massive speculation when at the age of 24, she was set to go up against ice skating rival Nancy Kerrigan for the gold medal at the 1994 US Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. One day after practice, her opponent Kerrigan was clubbed in the knees by unidentified attackers using a police baton. She was told of her injuries - which left her out of the ring for a number of weeks - that had she been hit a centimetre lower, her kneecap would have been shattered and she would have never have walked again. It was later discovered that Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and her bodyguard Shawn Eckhardt assaulted Kerrigan in an attempt to sabotage her and they were each sentenced respectively.
Getty ImagesMargot Robbie in I, Tonya
Focus actress Margot Robbie is due to depict Harding in an upcoming biopic titled I, Tonya.Likeness? We're yet to judge.
Getty ImagesJoy Mangano
Joy Mangano is an American inventor, entrepreneur and business woman known for her inventions such as the self-wringing Miracle Mop. Mangano's life is the topic of 2015 film Joy and she is depicted by none other than everyone's favourite Hollywood lady...
Rex FeaturesJennifer Lawrence in Joy
J-Law plays the struggling divorced mother-of-two who becomes an over night success when she invented the Miracle Mop by chance. She stars alongside Bradley Cooper who plays Neil Walker, an executive at her company QVC who helps Joy by giving her help with her mop.Likeness? 10/10 – Excellent.
Rex FeaturesJames Dean
Cultural icon and esteemed actor, James Dean's premature death at the height of his fame, aged just 24, gave him a legendary status.
Dane DeHaan in Life
The film follows the pair's "anti-romance" as they travel from LA to NY to Indiana for a pictorial piece about the star. The release of the film coincided with the 60th anniversary of Dean's death at 24, seven months after his Life cover.Likeness? 8/10. Pretty good.
Getty ImagesKris Jenner
The matriarch of the Kardashians was previously married to Robert Kardashian, the lawyer responsible for getting OJ Simpson acquitted during his murder trial.
FXSelma Blair in American Crime Story: The People V OJ Simpson
Selma Blair played Kris Jenner in the biopic - and she was the perfect match. Selma starred alongside David Schwimmer, who played Robert Kardashian.Likeness? 10/10
Rex FeaturesStephen Hawking
English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge, Stephen Hawking’s illustrious scientific career has made him one of the preeminent scientific minds of the era. Diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease at the age 21 and given just two years to live, Hawking continues to work today with his most successful book A Brief History Of Time having sold millions of copies around the world.
WennEddie Redmayne in The Theory Of Everything
Baring an uncanny resemblance to Hawking on the set of biopic The Theory Of Everything, Eddie Redmayne played celebrated physicist alongside Felicity Jones as Jane Wilde, the arts student he fell in love with whilst studying at Cambridge in the 1960s. The two were later married and had three children together and the movie will chart their romance.Likeness? 9/10. We're surprised by how much Eddie looks like the young Stephen.
PA PhotosDonatella Versace
The top woman at Versace has had a tumultuous time since the death of her brother Gianni, but emerged to reinvent the brand as the fashion powerhouse that it is today.
Gina Gershon in House of Versace
The made-for-TV movie aired in the US in 2013, starring actress Gina Gershon (of Cocktail and Showgirls fame) as Donatella and documenting the most dramatic stages of the designer's life - with rehab, murder and recovering from drug addiction all covered in sensational detail.Likeness? 8/10. We have to admit, Gina is a dead ringer for Donatella in terms of the make-up, platinum blonde hair, deep tan and honed physique.
Rex FeaturesElizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton
Two giants of movie industry, one a Hollywood star born and bred, the other a Welsh stage actor. After meeting on the set of Cleopatra in 1963, their on-screen romance spilled over into real life causing one of the greatest scandals of time. Married twice, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s love story captured the imagination of fans and critics alike then and continues to fascinate now.
BBC/Gustavo PapaleoHelena Bonham Carter & Dominic West in Burton and Taylor
On the 50th anniversary of their film Cleopatra, BBC aired a film detailing the pair as they were in 1983, reunited for a US production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives.Likeness? 9/10. For HBC’s Liz Taylor we’re giving this a 9/10 and although we didn't quite buy Dom West as Dick Burton on looks alone, these two world-class actors wiped the floor with previous incarnations of this famous Hollywood couple.
PA PhotosJacqueline Kennedy
Undoubtedly the world’s most famous First Lady, Jackie Kennedy was the glamorous wife of President JFK who became a fashion icon and cultural phenomenon.
Photo by Kent Eanes/National Geographic ChannelGinnifer Goodwin in Killing Kennedy
In the National Geographic Channel’s series – which coincided with the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death - Ginnifer took on the role of Jackie Kennedy, opposite Rob Lowe, who played Kennedy.Likeness? 7/10 - With that iconic short Jackie Kennedy crop and chic black dress, Ginnifer made a convincing Jackie.
Rex FeaturesDebbie Harry
Undisputed Queen of the 70s New York art punk scene, Debbie Harry, better known as Blondie, made her name on the stage of legendary venue CBGCs. Such was the importance of the club to musical history, which also launched the careers of The Ramones, Talking Heads and Patti Smith, it’s earned its own biopic…
Wenn[Malin Akerman in CBGB
Malin Akerman played the style icon. Twilight star Ashley Greene was also on board the cast as Lisa Kristal, the daughter of CBGB owner Hilly Kristal. Randall Miller directed the movie, which was released late 2013.Likeness? 3/10. We’re not sure Malin’s delicate features quite captured the unique beauty of Debbie’s iconic face.
Rex FeaturesElizabeth Taylor
One of the grand dames of Hollywood, Elizabeth Taylor’s colourful private life garnered almost as many column inches as her Oscar-winning turns on the silver screen. From her staggering jewellery collection to her eight marriages, it was only a matter of time before Liz Taylor’s fabulous life was immortalised in biopic.
Richard McLaren/LifetimeLindsay Lohan in Liz & Dick
However, many probably wouldn’t have expected troubled actress Lindsay Lohan to take on the role. In one of her most high-profile comeback gigs - and despite mixed reviews - we had to hand it to Li-Lo. With a black wig, there was more than a passing resemblance between her and Taylor.Likeness? 7/10. In some shots, the likeness is almost spooky. But, alas, while it’s good, we think we’ve seen better. Read on!
Rex FeaturesGrace Kelly
One of Alfred Hitchcock’s original “ice blondes”, Grace Kelly’s real-life story from Oscar-winning actress to real-life Princess has enthralled fans for years.
Goff PhotosNicole Kidman in Grace Of Monaco
...So when her life was to become a film, Nicole Kidman was a natural choice to play the Hollywood blonde.Likeness? 6/10.
PA PhotosPrincess Diana
Diana Princess of Wales was a royal renegade who tore up the rule book, and whose unwavering dedication to charity made her a national treasure before her untimely passing in 1997.
Getty ImagesNaomi Watts in Caught In Flight
On the set of Caught In Flight, a biopic about the late Princess’ life, waifish blonde Naomi Watts has the Diana ‘do and mannerisms down to a T – so much so, we had to do a double take.Likeness? 9/10 – Uncanny.
Rex FeaturesMarilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe is practically synonymous with the golden age of Hollywood. The original blonde bombshell, Marilyn’s timeless beauty continues to captivate just as much now as it ever did then.
Rex FeaturesMichelle Williams in My Week With Marilyn
Going up to a size 14 to portray the screen goddess in My Week With Marilyn, Michelle Williams bore an uncanny likeness to Marilyn - and earned herself an Oscar nomination in the process.Likeness? 9/10 – Although Michelle didn’t quite replicate Marilyn’s curves, she sure did look like her. Plus, when you close your eyes, the voice was almost mimicry and our spines totally turned to custard.
Getty ImagesMariane Pearl
Mariane Pearl is a French journalist and the widow of Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal columnist who was abducted and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002.
Rex FeaturesAngelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart
Pearl’s memoir about her husband, A Mighty Heart, was adapted for the screen in 2006. Co-produced by Brad Pitt, real-life girlfriend Angelina Jolie took on the role of Pearl and, despite Pearl’s Dutch and Cuban heritage, we thought the actress pulled it off.Likeness? 8/10
PA PhotosVirginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf was an English writer, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the 20th century. A member of the famed Bloomsbury Set, Woolf suffered from depression before committing suicide when she was 59.
Rex FeaturesNicole Kidman in The Hours
When Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry helmed an adaptation of Michael Cunningham's 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Hours, based on Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway, he took a punt on the glamorous Nicole Kidman to play Woolf herself. She famously donned a prosthetic nose for the role - and promptly won a well-deserved Oscar.Likeness? 9/10 – Not only was it a fab performance, Nicole did the British accent proud, too.
Rex FeaturesEdie Sedgwick
The enigmatic muse of Andy Warhol, Edith Minturn Sedgwick was the original It-girl. An American heiress, Edie was one of Warhol’s “superstars” before her untimely death following an overdose at the tender age of 28.
Rex FeaturesSienna Miller in Factory Girl
Bagging the role of Edie in the biopic Factory Girl cemented Sienna Miller’s place as a real Hollywood player. After single-handedly transforming every British woman’s wardrobe into a boho-fest two years earlier, Sienna chopped off her long blonde locks and went hell for kohl-lined eyes as she embraced her inner Edie.Likeness? 9/10 – We were totally hypnotised by Sienna’s performance as the tortured young starlet.
Getty ImagesEtta James
Nicknamed The Matriarch of R&B, Etta James’ raspy vocals saw her career span nearly 50 years before her death in 2012.
Rex FeaturesBeyoncé in Cadillac Records
Better known for her stellar musical career, Beyoncé donned a blonde wig and proved her acting salt with this one, garnering a Golden Globe nomination for the role.Likeness? 5/10 - While her version of James’ classic track At Last still gives us tingles, let's face it, Bey looks no more like Etta than our left foot does.
PA PhotosMargaret Thatcher
Love her or loathe her, Maggie Thatcher remains the longest-serving – and only female – British Prime minister ever. In office from 1979 to 1990, her conservative policies still divide opinion to this day.
Rex FeaturesMeryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Hands down one of the greatest likenesses ever. When the press shots first landed on our desk ahead of the movie’s release in 2011, we were positively floored by how much Meryl looked like the Iron Lady. Apparently, too, were the Academy, who promptly gave her the Best Actress Oscar for it.Likeness? 10/10 – One of the best.
PA PhotosQueen Elizabeth II
As if this lady needs any introduction... Figurehead of the nation, Queen Elizabeth is one of Britain’s longest-serving monarchs and recently celebrated her Diamond Jubilee.
Rex FeaturesHelen Mirren in The Queen
Baring an uncanny resemblance to our fair Sovereign in the award-winning The Queen, Helen had everything from the voice to the hair to those mid-90s specs down-pat. Once again, the Academy totally loved it, giving her the Best Actress gong. Meanwhile, Helen obviously loved playing Her Majesty so much that she is set to reprise the role in a theatre adaptation of the film in London next year.Likeness? 9/10 – Helen Mirren does regal like no other.
Rex FeaturesJackie O
Surely America’s most famous First Lady, Jackie O’s life and style has enthralled historians and fans for years. Her marriages to both JFK and shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis dominated the media for over twenty years.
INFphotoKatie Holmes in The Kennedys
For the History Channel’s TV mini-series, the then-Mrs Tom Cruise took on the role of Jackie in a biopic about the whole Kennedy clan. Despite poor reviews, Katie adopted the Bostonian accent with aplomb, while her 60s bob was bang on the money.Likeness? 7/10. If only for the hair, which was seemingly replicated down to the last follicle!
Getty ImagesFrida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter, best known for her self portraits. Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as emblematic of national heritage and tradition, and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.
Rex FeaturesSalma Hayek in Frida
Salma Hayek’s portrayal of Kahlo earned her an Oscar nomination in the Best Actress category. However, it wasn’t to be as she ended up losing out to another biopic that year: The Hours, and its star, Nicole Kidman, who eventually scooped the accolade for playing British author Virginia Woolf.Likeness? 8/10. Despite losing out on the Oscar, we still think this was a good’un.
PA PhotosSteve Jobs
Steve Jobs was an American entrepreneur who pretty much rocked the world by founding Apple Inc. The inspirational and incredibly charismatic CEO of the company which supplanted MacBooks, iPods and iPhones into our world was an idol to millions. He passed away after a long illness in October 2011.
PacificCoastNews.comAshton Kutcher in Jobs
When news first reached our ears that Ashton Kutcher was to play the legendary innovator, we admit that we were sceptical. However, we had to admit that we were wrong.Likeness? 10/10. One of Ashton's finest works.
Rex FeaturesSarah Palin
Sarah Palin is a controversial American politician, who ran as the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential elections. She lost out to Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Rex FeaturesJulianne Moore in Game Change
It must be something about playing politicians... There is little to tell Julianne Moore apart from Sarah Palin. In fact, the hair and make-up department did a pretty good job on the entire cast – check out Ed Harris next to her, playing John McCain.Likeness? 10/10. This one is only equalled by Meryl Streep as Maggie Thatcher.
Rex FeaturesJohnny Cash
Johnny Cash - a contemporary of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis on the American music scene of the late 50s and 60s - remains one of the best-known stars of the country genre. You know him for hits such a Ring Of Fire and Walk The Line. He survived battles with drink and drugs to live into old age with his singer second wife, June Carter Cash.
Rex FeaturesJoaquin Phoenix in Walk The Line
Joaquin Phoenix’s quietly intense take on Cash’s rise to the top, descent into addiction and ultimate recovery makes for seriously wow watching. He sang all the songs himself, and earned himself the Golden Globe for Best Actor – narrowly missing out on the Oscar in the same category, too – in 2005.Likeness? 8/10 - Not only did Joaquin look the part, he sounded just like Cash too.
Getty ImagesJune Carter Cash
Although she never achieved the worldwide recognition and enduring fame of third husband Johnny, June Carter Cash was a huge star in her own right when she fell for the sexy young singer when they toured together in the 60s.
Rex FeaturesReese Witherspoon in Walk The Line
Reese Witherspoon’s perky-yet-no-nonsense portrayal of June in Walk The Line netted her what critics and film fans alike agree was a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Actress. It was also seen as a timely nod to June, who had sadly died just a few months before filming began.Likeness? 6/10. While we can’t really see the physical likeness between these two, there’s no taking away from that Oscar-winning performance.
Getty ImagesJoan Jett
Love rock and roll? Joan Jett does – and she built a whole career, as well as writing the definitive song, proving it. She was one of the first girls (well, she was only 13 when she got her first guitar) to make it big on the rock scene of the 70s, following in the footsteps of her idol Suzi Quattro with her band, The Runaways.
Rex FeaturesKristen Stewart in The Runaways
Talented with a side of angst... Where have we heard that before? Oh, right. Kristen Stewart’s first high-profile move away from Bella Swan was a marked take on Jett’s seminal early years with the band. Plus, the physical likeness was uncanny. Jett herself noted: “When we were hanging out together on set, it was like I had a mirror image.”Likeness? 10/10. If the person you’re playing thinks they’re looking in the mirror when they see you, you’re doing pretty well...
