Acting isn’t easy, but some performers are able to make it look effortless. No matter who they play, they disappear into their role like a chameleon. Sometimes, your friends have to point out that the character you’re watching is actually a renowned actor! Here’s our list of the actors who simply vanish into a role.
Dustin Hoffman
Legendary actor Dustin Hoffman is renowned for his ability to bring life to a variety of roles. Look no further than his stacked awards shelf, which includes two Oscars and four BAFTA Awards, to see how decorated he is as an adaptive actor. Described as the “perfect everyman actor” by some, his performances in movies like The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy were considered fundamental in the early days of the New Hollywood movement.
Amy Adams
Amy Adams might not be a name you’re super familiar with, but that’s partially because she’s so good at vanishing into a role. She’s starred in everything from Arrival to American Hustle, and her early roles in Enchanted and Julie & Julia helped show off her incredible range.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks plays protagonists better than anyone. His effortless ability to slip into the role of an everyman or a trained specialist is something many actors would trade anything for. From Forrest Gump to Captain Phillips, Hanks’ range is on full display across his illustrious career.
Rooney Mara
Rooney Mara might not be the biggest A-list star in the world, but her role in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was downright gripping. She’s also got a supporting role in The Social Network, and got an Academy Award nomination for her role in Carol. If anything, her ability to effortlessly blend into a character has made her harder to pinpoint as an actress, because she disappears completely and the character is left over.
Jack Nicholson
From his role as the unhinged protagonist of The Shining to the maniacal Joker in the 1989 adaptation of Batman, Jack Nicholson has proven that he’s a truly adaptive actor. His ability to convincingly play characters with a tenuous grasp on reality is his specialty, but he’s just as adept at playing heroic roles, too.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence is such a phenomenal actor that she plays a literal shapeshifter in the X-Men movies, portraying the villain Mystique to excellent effect. She’s been the hero in movies like The Hunger Games, too, which helped kickstart her career as a leading lady who can effortlessly carry an action movie.
Karen Gillan
Whether she’s playing Amy Pond on Doctor Who or Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Karen Gillan is an unmistakably talented performer. She’s able to so effortlessly switch up her accent and completely change her screen presence that it can sometimes be tough to even spot her in a role!
Helena Bonham Carter
The only real way to tell if Helena Bonham Carter is in a movie is to check if Tim Burton directed it. Otherwise, you’re going to need a sharp eye to spot her when she graces you with her ethereal screen presence. While she prefers darker and more ambiguous roles, she’s just as likely to appear as a supporting character as an antagonist.
Bryce Dallas Howard
The incomparable and multi-talented Bryce Dallas Howard is just as amazing in front of a camera as behind it. In her acting roles, she’s been in everything from Jurassic World to The Help. As a director, she’s shot episodes of The Mandalorian and the documentary Dads.
Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger’s casting as the Joker in The Dark Knight initially confused fans. The Australian guy from A Knight’s Tale and Brokeback Mountain was going to be the Clown Prince of Crime? Well, the laughs subsided once the movie hit theaters in 2008. Tragically, Ledger himself passed away before the film came out, but fans had a newfound appreciation for the actor in light of his heart-stopping performance in the film.
Christoph Waltz
It doesn’t matter who you cast Christoph Waltz as. He can be a cold, calculating villain, like in Inglorious Basterds. He can be a sympathetic, bright-eyed hero like in Django Unchained. And, he can be an outright weirdo, like in Specter and No Time to Die. And he’s absolutely impossible to look away from in each role.
Meg Ryan
When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, Top Gun, City of Angels… what do all of these movies have in common? Well, for one, they’re great. For another, they’ve all got Meg Ryan carrying genuine pathos and a distinct performance that makes the movie just work.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp is well-regarded as a character actor and has the rare distinction of being a leading man who often plays against type. While it would be easy to cast him as a conventional protagonist, he’s best known for his roles as weirdos like Willie Wonka and Captain Jack Sparrow.
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Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis isn’t in many movies. However, when he pops up in a role, you know it’s about to be good. There Will be Blood and Gangs of New York alone should be enough to convince anyone he’s the greatest to ever do it. Then you’ve also got Lincoln and Phantom Thread, in case you needed more reasons to love him.
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Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman is such a chameleonic actor that sometimes you won’t even realize that’s him until someone points it out. From The Fifth Element to The Dark Knight, his range is so massive that you could basically cast him as anyone and he’d pull it off without breaking a sweat.
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