The triumphs and challenges of 2024
Tyler Perry plays Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a character based on the actor's mother and aunt. Of course, the character has made appearances in countless plays, movies, and on TV,
The actor plays a trans woman named "Kitten" Braden, who moves from Ireland to London in the 1970s.
The actor plays Roberta Muldoon, a transgender resident of a woman's shelter. Lithgow was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his efforts.
Adam Sandler plays twins Jack and Jill in this comedy. But the movie wasn't very well received, is and considered by many to be one of (if not the) worst film Sandler has ever starred in.
Sources: (Instantly Modern)
Leto won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as trans woman Rayon.
In this film, Dustin Hoffman plays one of his most iconic roles as a failed actor, who disguises himself as a woman to land a role. For his efforts, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
The actress plays a teen called Ray, who decides to transition. Naomi Watts stars as his mother, and Susan Sarandon as his grandmother.
Linda Hunt plays a Chinese-American photographer with dwarfism in this Australian movie. The role earned her an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
St. Trinian's, a school for poorly behaved young women, is run by headmistress Camilla Dagey Fritton, played by Rupert Everett.
Probably one of their most famous performances, the movie is about two undercover FBI agents who disguise themselves as women to solve a crime.
The actress plays real-life transgender man Brandon Teena, who lives in rural Nebraska. Swank won her first Oscar for the role.
Julie Andrews plays a woman who pretends to be a man impersonating a woman. And for her efforts, she was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress.
This iconic movie starring Marilyn Monroe has Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon playing two musicians who disguise themselves as women. For his efforts, Lemmon was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor.
Martin Lawrence plays FBI agent Malcolm Turner, who disguises himself as an elderly woman in order to solve a crime. The film spawned two sequels.
The late actor played Daniel, a divorced actor who disguises himself as a housekeeper so that he can spend time with his children while working for his ex-wife.
Swinton plays an androgynous young nobleman, who later in the movie becomes a woman.
The veteran actress plays the titular Albert Nobbs in this film set in late-19th-century Ireland. Close was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role.
Eddie Murphy plays a number of characters in this movie and its sequels. One of them is Mama Anna Klump.
Eddie Redmayne plays real-life painter Lili Elbe, in 1920s Copenhagen. She was one of the first known individuals to undergo sex reassignment surgery. Redmayne was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor for the role.
Barbra Streisand plays a Jewish girl in Poland who disguises herself as a boy so that she can enter a religious school. Streisand also directed, co-wrote, and co-produced the film.
In this movie, we can see Amanda Bynes as Viola, a girl who disguises herself as her brother so that she can play soccer on her college's men's team. The film was inspired by William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night.'
The actress plays iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in this film. She was even nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the role.
The late actor played drag queen Vida Boheme (left) in this 1995 comedy.
This remake of the 1988 John Waters' movie stars John Travolta as the protagonist's mom, Edna Turnblad.
And then we have John Leguizamo as Chi-Chi Rodriguez.
But there were more drag queens played by famous actors. One of them was Noxeema Jackson, played by Wesley Snipes.
Another female character played by the actor is yet another family member: Granny Klump.
A man playing a woman, and vice versa, may be somewhat controversial, and, indeed, the same applies for trans characters. Throughout the years, we've had numerous movies where famous actors have put on great (and other not so great) performances playing such characters.
From bordering-on-offensive roles to exciting gender-bending characters, in this gallery you'll find a list of actors who've played characters of the opposite sex. Click on to discover them.
Unforgettable role swaps: actors who played the opposite gender
From comedies to dramas
MOVIES Film
A man playing a woman, and vice versa, may be somewhat controversial, and, indeed, the same applies for trans characters. Throughout the years, we've had numerous movies where famous actors have put on great (and other not so great) performances playing such characters.
From bordering-on-offensive roles to exciting gender-bending characters, in this gallery you'll find a list of actors who've played characters of the opposite sex. Click on to discover them.