This article was originally published on Kueez
There are plenty of parallel universes in Hollywood, and actors seem to jump around between them all the time. They morph into different characters with ease, and most of the time, they are almost unrecognizable in many of their roles. As some of their transformations are so dramatic, you might refuse to believe that these fictional characters are the same person, but the chameleons of Hollywood will have you fooled.
1. Sirius Black From Harry Potter And Zorg From Fifth Element
Gary Oldman is an incredible actor who won our hearts over as Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He made us laugh, scream, and cry throughout the series, and it's hard to imagine this man as the evil man who is willing to do whatever it takes to reach his goals.
In the 1997 sci-fi film Fifth Element, Oldman plays Zorg with his futuristic hairstyle and evil persona. This character seems like he would be on Lord Voldemort's side rather than in the Order of the Pheonix. Oldman is a transformative actor, and we still refuse to believe this is the same person.
2. Harry From Love Actually And Prof. Severus Snape From Harry Potter
The late and great Alan Rickman was the character we wanted to like in Love Actually. Harry was a loving husband when we first met him, but the beauty of another woman caught his eye and ruined his marriage. Rickman might not look very different, but the persona could not be further from Snape.
In contrast to Harry from Love Actually, Professor Snape is dark, cold, and doesn't show any kind of love until his final moments. Throughout Harry Potter, Snape scares you, but you end up liking him. The characters are polar opposites, and Rickman played them so well.
3. Captain Hook From Peter Pan And Lucius Malfoy From Harry Potter
We know what you are thinking; there is no way in the world that Jason Isaacs was in both of these movies, but take a closer look at the pictures. In Peter Pan, Isaacs played the marvelous Captain Hook, and with his brown hair, he was transformed into a completely different person.
Most only recognize Isaacs with icy platinum hair in his role of Lucius Malfoy. He is cold, dark, and will follow whoever makes him feel the most powerful. Isaacs is the perfect villain, and we love to hate him. Would you have guessed that these were played by the same person?
4. Mr. Tumnus From Narnia And Professor X From X-Men
In The Chronicles of Narnia, James McAvoy plays Mr. Tumnus the faun. For the role, he was transformed into this half-human, half-animal character who went from evil to good. Because he is in such an intricate costume with horns, ears, and hooves, it is hard to recognize McAvoy.
In contrast, McAvoy is instantly recognizable as Professor X in the X-Men movies. McAvoy has always been incredible at making himself a fully realized character for each movie that he stars in, and these show how diverse he is when he steps onto a movie set.
5. Inigo Montoya From The Princess Bride And Jason Gideon From Criminal Minds
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya; you killed my father, prepare to die." With his fluffy hair and mustache, no one would ever guess that the same actor plays Indigo Montoya from The Princess Bride as Jason Gideon from Criminal Minds. However, Mandy Patinkin brought both characters to life.
While Indigo Montoya is a criminal, Jason Gideon is a person who catches criminals. Although there were quite a few years between these two roles, which makes the characters look even more different, the portrayal is on opposite ends of the spectrum, and Patinkin did a fantastic job.
6. Dudley Dursley From Harry Potter And Harry Beltik From The Queen's Gambit
Little Dudley Dursley was just a spoiled child with a bad attitude and a chubby pink face. As Harry's cousin in Harry Potter, Harry Melling didn't have a significant role, but it made an impact on the story. However, once those movies ended, we all wondered what happened to him.
Well, years later, we finally got to see Melling on screen again, and he is all grown up and no longer that chubby little boy. He traded his British accent for a southern one, and it's hard to think that these are the same actor. However, there is something about it that still makes him recognizable.
7. Molly Weasley From The Harry Potter Series And Rosie Mulligan From Mamma Mia!
Julie Walters made us fall in love with her when she played Molly Weasley in Harry Potter. She was such a wonderful mother and wife, and she was strong no matter what happened to her family. Walters will always be Mrs. Weasley with her auburn hair, so it's hard to picture her in any other role.
It's amazing what a wig, glasses, and a new wardrobe can do for someone. Walters also played Rosie Mulligan in Mama Mia, and everyone refused to believe that these two characters were the same person. It just goes to show how transformative an actor can be in different parts.
8. Kate McCallister From Home Alone And Moira Rose From Schitt's Creek
Catherine O’Hara famously played Kate McCalister, the busy mom who completely forgot about her son when the family took a vacation in Home Alone. Her late-'80s/early-'90s style and hair were perfect. O'Hara's role might have been minor, but she can't be missed.
In contrast, O'Hara plays Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek, and she is the star of the show in her own little world. These characters might share the same actress, but they are far from alike. Besides the fact that they are both mothers, would you guess that O'Hara brought both of them to the screen?
9. Cesar Flickerman From The Hunger Games And George Harvey From The Lovely Bones
Stanley Tucci played Cesar Flickerman, who is a chameleon in his own right. He is known for changing his hair and makeup often and hosts the Hunger Games. In this character, Tucci is liked by many people and makes the tributes feel safe, which is far from George Harvey's persona.
In The Lovely Bones, Tucci portrays the creepy neighbor who killed Suzie Salmon. Everything about him screams typical serial killer, and Tucci surely convinced us of that. These characters don't look alike at all, and it's hard to picture them being brought to life by the same person.
10. Nanny Mcphee From Nanny Mcphee And Prof. Sybil Trelawney From Harry Potter
If you look at a picture of Emma Thompson, you might convince yourself that she didn't play either of these characters. In Nanny McPhee, she plays this ugly nanny who slowly becomes more beautiful as the children learn to behave. By the final scene, Thompson looks like her beautiful self.
In Harry Potter, Thompson is Professor Trelawney, the divination teacher at Hogwarts. Although she doesn't look as strange as Nanny McPhee, she is certainly not normal. With her thick glasses and wild hair, Thompson is still unrecognizable. Maybe she is too beautiful to look like her real self in a movie.
11. Queen Elizabeth II From The Crown And Lisabeth Salander From Girl In The Spider's Web
If you watched Netflix's The Crown, you will know that Claire Foy played the young Queen Elizabeth in the first two seasons. Although she was supposed to be young she did dress a little frumpy and conservative for her age, but that was the Queen's style. However, Foy played another role where she looked completely different.
In Girl In The Spider's Web, Foy plays Lisabeth Salander. The only thing alike between these characters are their similar-sounding names. However, Foy's prim and proper wardrobe was replaced with black grungy clothes and a short bowl cut. Her face might look the same, but we bet you didn't recognize these characters were played by the same actress until we told you.
12. Hal From Malcolm In The Middle And Walter White From Breaking Bad
Bryan Cranston as Hal in Malcolm in the Middle was an iconic role, but it is not what he is most known for. Most people recognize Cranston as Walter White from Breaking Bad, and these two characters are polar opposites in terms of lifestyles. They might be family men, but that is where the similarities end.
While Hal is goofy and dumb, Walter White is intelligent and serious because of his business. There were quite a few years between these two shows, so Cranston aged quite a bit, which makes it hard to think that he was the actor behind these two iconic characters.
13. Nymphadora Tonks From Harry Potter And Twi'lek From Mandalorian
In the later Harry Potter movies, Nymphadora Tonks is a shape-shifter of sorts, so she can turn herself into anyone she wants. Natalia Tena brought her character to life, and she might be a shapeshifter in real life because she looks nothing like herself for each different role she plays.
In Mandalorian, Tena plays Twi'lek, who is one of the harder faces to recognize due to all the makeup she was wearing. The two characters played by Tena might both be purple-toned, but no one drew the comparison between them to know that they were both played by the same actress.
14. Poe Dameron From The Star Wars Series And Apocalypse From X-Men: Apocalypse
Oscar Isaac plays Poe Dameron in the Star Wars series, and he is beyond handsome in these movies. Isaac doesn't have any makeup or prosthetics in this role, so he looks like his usual self. However, for his role in X-Men: Apocalypse, he took on a much different face.
As Apocolypse, Isaac sat in the makeup chair for hours to make his skin blue and change his facial structure entirely. Unless you are a huge fan of Isaac, most people don't realize this is the same actor as the man from Star Wars.
15. Bellatrix Lestrange From The Harry Potter Series And Princess Margaret From The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter is someone we loved to hate in Harry Potter. She plays Bellatrix Lestrange and kills the last family Harry had left. For the role, she was messy, disheveled, and evil-looking. Carter is incredibly talented, which is why some people didn't know she was the same actress in The Crown.
In The Crown, she played Princess Margaret in the more recent seasons, and she is much more polished and put together. If Carter didn't have such a distinct face, some people might not have connected the two, but the characters live in two different worlds, that's for sure.
16. Velma From Scooby Doo And Laura Barton From Avengers
Linda Cardellini might not be the most popular actress, but she has played some memorable roles. In Scooby-Doo, she played the nerdy mystery solver, Velma. With her thick black glasses and blunt haircut, she is hardly recognizable compared to some other roles she has played.
In Avengers, Cardellini plays Laura Barton. She is Hawkeye's wife and only seen a few times throughout the movies, so people might not have realized she was the same actress as Velma. One thing we know for sure, Cardellini has aged very gracefully.
17. Patrick Verona From 10 Things I Hate About You And The Joker From The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger was an incredible actor in his time. He had a multitude of different roles before his untimely death, but two of them could not be more different from each other. In 10 Things I Hate About You, Ledger played Patrick Verona, who is a rebel, but nothing close to the Joker.
In The Dark Knight, Ledger completely transformed himself on and off the screen for the role of the Joker. He was probably even unrecognizable to himself by the time he finished the movie. With all that makeup, it is hard to tell that these are the same person.
18. Danny Zuko From Grease And Edna Turnblad From Hairspray
John Travolta has such a distinct voice and face that it is still pretty easy to see this is that same actor. However, Grease was filmed when Travolta was just 23, and Hairspray was shot almost 30 years later. Travolta aged during that time, but with all those prosthetics, that wouldn't show.
Travolta looked ridiculous as a woman, which made his character all the more hilarious. Sure, if no one said it was John Travolta under all the padding and prosthetics, we wouldn't have guessed it was him, but with a closer look, you can see that his eyes give him away.
19. Kick-Ass From Kick-Ass And Quicksilver From The Avengers
Aaron Taylor-Johnson might be the most low-key of all the superheroes we know. In Kick-Ass, he played Kick-Ass and became the real-life superhero he saw in all of his comic books. He was probably reading about Quicksilver in some of those comics, which might have been an easter-egg for his next role.
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Taylor-Johnson plays Quicksilver, and he traded in his dark brown locks for some icy silver hair. As he got older, put on some more muscle, and grew out of his boyish looks, it was harder to see that these two are the same man.
20. Elliot From E.T. The Extraterrestrial And Hugh Crain From The Haunting Of Hill House
Considering there is a 40-something year difference between these two movies, most people wouldn't see the resemblance between a 10-year-old boy and his 50-year-old self. In E.T. Henry Thomas plays Elliot and he was such a talented actor from his first days on-screen.
Fast forward 40 years and Thomas is all grown up, but he has not slowed down his career. In Haunting of Hill House, he portrayed Hugh Crain, and it seems that he loves roles in films with supernatural elements. Although there is a major age gap, you can almost see some of his youthful self in the present day.
21. Selena Quintanilla From Selena And Angela Weber From Twilight
Whenever we see a reference to Selena, we automatically think of the 1997 movie with J.Lo. However, Christian Serratos recently starred in Selena on Netflix, and at certain angles, she looks just like J.Lo, so people have been confusing them lately.
Serratos also starred in Twilight, and when you look at the two roles side-by-side, it's like two completely different people. When she played Angela Weber, she always wore her hair back with glasses, so it wasn't as glam of a look as Selena.
22. Sheila From Shameless And Debbie From Addams Family Values
Joan Cusack has had many memorable roles over the years, and for the most part, she usually looks pretty similar in every part. When she played Sheila in Shameless, she had her signature brown bob, but there was one role that some people don't recognize her for because she looked drastically different.
When Cusack portrayed Debbie in Addams Family Values, she ditched her signature brown locks for a light blonde bob. It's crazy how changing your hair color can make you look like a different person. She was incredible in that role, proving she is such a diverse actress.
23. Negan From The Walking Dead And Denny Duquette From Grey's Anatomy
Jeffrey Dean Morgan brought Negan from The Walking Dead to life starting in the show's sixth season. His angry demeanor is understandable because they had to fight off zombies, but not many people connected the dots to realize he had a memorable role in another series.
In season 2 of Grey's Anatomy, we met Denny Duquette, who Morgan also plays. As he develops a relationship with Izzy before his death, he tugged on the viewer's heartstrings. Because the characters are so different in appearance and attitude, it doesn't seem like the same actor portrays them.
24. Daisy From Downton Abbey And Drisella From Cinderella
Sophie McShera played Daisy in Downton Abbey and Drisella in Cinderella, but she had to change her entire look for one of the roles. As Daisy, she was much more natural with minimal makeup and a basic haircut, but Drisella's style made her almost unrecognizable.
With her red curly hair and over-the-top outfits, McShera doesn't look anything like her regular self. She has one of those faces that can change for any role she takes on, and this is a perfect example of that. There are many other roles McShera played that you might not realize are her.
25. Gwen From The Amazing Spiderman And Allison From Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past
Emma Stone is one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood right now, and throughout her career she has had a multitude of varying roles. From Gwen in The Amazing Spiderman to Allison in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, she is a chameleon in the acting world.
Most people are used to seeing Stone in roles where she looks beautiful and put together like Gwen, so when she appeared as Allison with frizzy hair and braces, people wondered who she was. It's always hard to recognize an actress when they have to change up their everyday style for a role.
26. Rose From Titanic And Jeanine From Divergent
Kate Winslet will forever be known for her role as Rose in Titanic. It was truly the movie of the '90s, and she convinced us that she was born to play it. Therefore, when she traded in her signature red hair for a blonde bob in Divergent, it had fans puzzled.
It's almost as if Winslet doesn't age. We should all be trying whatever skin regimen she's using. Most people don't remember her in Divergent even though she is such a powerful actress. Maybe she loses some of her memorability when she changes her hair color.
27. Donna Sheridan From Mamma Mia And Miranda Priestly From Devil Wears Prada
Meryl Streep's acting abilities are unmatched by most, so she might not look different when she takes on a new role, but the characterization transforms her. In Mama Mia, Streep plays Donna Sheridan, the hippy-dippy mom with a zest for life. One might find it hard to imagine that she can go from that to Miranda Priestly.
In The Devil Wears Prada, Streep's character is cold, bossy, detached from her family, and the complete opposite of Donna. While Streep's face is distinct, her attitude makes it seem like these are two different actresses, which really shows off her abilities.
28. Jessica Day From New Girl And Jovie From Elf
"Who's that girl? Who's that girl? It's Jess!" In New Girl, Zooey Deschanel plays the typical quirky girl that she is known for. Whenever people do impressions of Deschanel, this is how they imagine her. So when you look back on the movie Elf, it might take you an extra second to spot her.
Instead of her signature brown hair with bangs and glasses, Deschanel had la light blonde bob. Elf was also filmed before she had her big break, which makes it hard to remember her as anyone else besides Jessica Day.
29. Barbara From Beetlejuice And Dr. Herman From Greys Anatomy
Although Beetlejuice gives us nightmares, there are many standout actors from that movie who have gone on to have successful careers like Geena Davis. In the film, she portrayed Barbara, and she was so young and beautiful when the movie was shot.
Years later, Davis appeared on screen, looking just as gorgeous in Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Herman. The two roles were so far apart from each other, so people forget that she has done so much in her career. We can barely remember what we did yesterday, let alone remember her whole career.
30. Troy Bolton From High School Musical And Ted Bundy From Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile
If you didn't have a poster of Troy Bolton on your wall in middle school, were you really a High School Musical fan? Zac Efron stole teenage girls' hearts when he got his big break on Disney Channel, and he has continued to make us swoon no matter what role he takes on.
In one of his most recent films, he plays the prolific serial killer, Ted Bundy. Even though we are supposed to hate and fear him, we can't help but look at him as just Zac Efron. Although he might not look drastically different, he has definitely grown up from a boy to a handsome man.
31. Sheila From Rocketman And Victoria From Twilight's Eclipse
It might be hard to believe that Bryce Dallas Howard has played both Sheila from Rocketman and Victoria from Twilight Eclipse because Howard is often confused for Jessica Chastain. However, we have to give credit where credit is due.
Both actresses have red hair and similar facial features, so they are often mistaken, but Howard is the one who brought these two characters to life. In this side-by-side picture, she does look like two completely different people thanks to the hairstyles and lighting.
32. Joyce Byers From Stranger Things And Kim From Edward Scissorhands
Winona Ryder is one of those actresses who knows how to bring the drama. In Stranger Things, she played Joyce Byers, who everyone thinks is going crazy because she's the only one who knows her son is still alive. Even when she was accepting an award for the role, she was still acting a bit looney.
However, one of her most memorable roles was early on in her career as Kim in Edward Scissorhands. With long blonde hair and a much more youthful look, it's hard to compare these two characters. One thing that has never changed is her ability to bring a character to life.
33. Mark Sloan From Grey's Anatomy And Cal Jacobs From Euphoria
As Dr. McSteamy, aka Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy, Eric Dane was the doctor of our dreams. His rugged good looks and life-saving abilities were swoon-worthy. Once he sadly left the show, were you wondering what happened to Dane?
You might be surprised to find out that he was on a little show called Euphoria as Cal Jacobs. Without his beard, scrubs, and white coat, we hardly recognized Dane in this role. He is also supposed to be much older, so we would have never guessed it was the same actor.
34. Adam Maitland From Beetlejuice And Larry Quinn From Cat In The Hat
Alec Baldwin usually plays the character we love to hate. However, in Beetlejuice, Adam Maitland is sweet and wants everyone to like him. This was earlier in Baldwin's career, so he looked much younger and fitter. Flashforward 20-something years, and he had aged quite a bit in Cat in the Hat.
As Larry Quinn, Baldwin was the boyfriend who wanted to send his girlfriend's son to military school no matter what he had to do. This is the type of character we associate with Baldwin, and it's hard to see him in a role where he is actually the good guy.
35. Cora Hale In Teen Wolf And Mary Stuart In Reign
Adelaide Kane might not be the most well-known actress yet, but she is certainly getting her name out there. One of her first roles was in season three of Teen Wolf as Cora Hale. However, people didn't start recognizing her until was featured in Reign.
As Mary Stuart, or Mary Queen of Scots, Kane got her first big role, so people didn't recognize her from anything else. While she might look pretty similar in the pictures, people still refuse to believe that this is the same person.
36. April Kepner From Grey's Anatomy And Suzy Pepper From Glee
One of April Kepner's most memorable scenes on Grey's Anatomy was when she started telling her life story to the hospital shooter so he would leave her alone because she saw someone do that on Oprah. Sarah Drew will always be memorable for that scene, but did you know she also had a small part on another series around the same time?
Drew was featured in one episode in the first season of Glee as Suzy Pepper. She was in Will's flashback as the student turned stalker, who he rejected. Because it was such a minor part, most people didn't realize it was the same actress who played April.
37. Garrett Reynolds From Pretty Little Liars And Paolo Valisari From The Lizzie Mcguire Movie
Raise your hand if you also hated Paolo in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. We thought that was Yani Gellman's only famous role, but we must have missed him in Pretty Little Liars. Without his shaggy hair and Italian accent, how would anyone know this was the same actor?
Gellman had grown up from a teenager to a man in between these two roles, so it was hard to recognize him. We don't know what else he has been in, but most people will only think of Gellman as the boy who tricked Lizzie McGuire for his own personal gain.
38. Brixton Lore From Hobbs & Shaw And Macavity From Cats
Idris Elba is one of the most dreamy men on television, and he always transforms for the roles he is given. In Hobbs, he plays Brixton Lore, and he looks like his usual self, so it's easy to identify him. When he transformed for Cats we had no idea he was, even while watching that movie.
Like most people, Elba probably wants to forget about his role in Cats because it was such a flop. He played Shaw and Macavity, and between the makeup and costume, it looks nothing like Elba. Maybe it's a good thing people don't believe that these two are played by the same actor.
39. Mickey Milkovich From Shameless And Vladimir From The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
When you change your hair color, people might think you are a new person. That is what happened when Noel Fisher went from playing Mickey Milkovich on Shameless to Vladamir in the final Twilight film. His natural brown hair was transformed into an icy blonde bowl cut.
Fisher looks like the ghost version of himself in Twilight, so it is hard to see him as the actor behind the character. He typically has more minor roles, so it is not surprising that people think these are two different people.
40. Voldemort From The Harry Potter Series And M. Gustave From The Grand Budapest Hotel
When Ralph Fiennes appeared on screen as Voldemort in Harry Potter, he didn't even look like a human. With the help of CGI and makeup, he transformed into someone that more closely resembled a snake. Most people didn't even know what Fiennes really looked like until they realized he had another significant role.
In The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fiennes played M. Gustave, and he looked like a human for the first time. People refuse to believe that these are the same actor because he transformed himself into a different creature for the role of Lord Voldemort.