© Getty Images

Clive Owen as Bill Clinton in 'Impeachment: American Crime Story' - The British plays former US President Bill Clinton in the FX limited series 'Impeachment: American Crime Story.'

© Getty Images

James Franco as James Dean in 'James Dean' -

Not only do they have the same first name, the two actors also have some physical similarities. No wonder Franco was cast to portray the legendary icon.

© NL Beeld

Ben Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi in 'Gandhi' - Kingsley portrayed Mahatma Gandhi in the movie 'Gandhi' (1982), and describes it as one of the most difficult roles of his life. However, it did earn him an Oscar for Best Actor.

© NL Beeld

Austin Butler as Elvis Presley -

Austin Butler was selected to portray one of history’s most influential performers: Elvis Presley. Discussing Butler's screen test, director Baz Luhrmann said, “I knew unequivocally that I had found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the world's most iconic musical figures.”

© Getty Images/Public Domain

Rachel Weisz as Elizabeth Taylor in 'A Special Relationship' -

Rachel Weisz takes on the role of Elizabeth Taylor in the biopic 'A Special Relationship.'

© Getty Images

Teyana Taylor as Dionne Warwick -

Singer and actress Teyana Taylor confirmed on April 3, 2023, that she's landed the perfect role. Taylor has been cast to play music legend Dionne Warwick in an upcoming biopic, which is as of yet untitled. In an interview with Tamron Hall, Taylor revealed that she's been getting her character notes straight from the source! "We talk almost every day," she said, referring to Warwick. "That's my girl. Me, her, and her son, yeah." When it comes to her priorities in portraying the 'Walk On By' singer, Taylor says she wants to make Warwick feel safe to tell her story, "because a lot of these stories get misconstrued or extremely dramatized to an extent, and that's not like where we really want to go." 

© Getty Images

James Franco as Fidel Castro -

James Franco has been cast as Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro in an Indie flick called 'Alina of Cuba.' The movie is named after Castro's daughter, Alina Fernandez, who is played by actress Ana Villafañe. The real-life Fernandez is involved in the production as a biographical consultant, and reportedly approved of Franco's casting! The actor bears a striking resemblance to the communist leader, particularly when he lets his beard go natural.

© Getty Images

Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna in 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' -

This biopic about the eccentric comedian Weird Al Yankovic stars Daniel Radcliffe as Weird Al himself. This might take some imagination, but Evan Rachel Wood in the role of Madonna is a perfect match. Madonna features in the movie due to Yankovic's famous parody of her song 'Like a Virgin.' The Queen of Pop gave him permission to play with her song, which he turned into 'Like a Surgeon.' 

© Getty Images

Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in 'Being the Ricardos' -

Nicole Kidman took on one of her most challenging roles to date when she played Lucille Ball in the 2021 movie 'Being the Ricardos.' She starred as the legendary female comedian opposite Javier Bardem, who played Ball's husband and co-star, Desi Arnaz. In addition to being a dead ringer for Ball, Kidman did an exceptional job at mimicking her unique gestures and speech. 

© Getty Images

Justin Chambers as Marlon Brando in 'The Offer' -

'Grey's Anatomy' star Justin Chambers has been cast as Marlon Brando in a Paramount+ limited series. 'The Offer' tells the story of the making of 'The Godfather,' Brando's most iconic movie. When you see them side by side, Chambers' resemblance to a young Marlon Brando is astonishing. 

© Getty Images 

Lily James as Pamela Anderson in 'Pam & Tommy' -

Lily James and Sebastian Stan might not seem like the obvious choices to star as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee in the Hulu series 'Pam & Tommy,' but they both fit the parts surprisingly well. 

© Getty Images

Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee in 'Pam & Tommy' -

The hit show sent fans into a frenzy, and understandably so. Anderson and Lee, who were married from 1995 to 1998 and have two children, represent a huge pop culture moment in history. 

© Getty Images

Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in 'The Crown' -

Elizabeth Debicki was cast as Diana, Princess of Wales, in the final two seasons of 'The Crown.' The Australian actress wrote on Twitter, "It is my true privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one."

© Getty Images

Kingsley Ben-Adir as Barack Obama in 'A Higher Loyalty' - British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir ('The OA') played former US President Barack Obama in a CBS Studios miniseries adaptation of James Comey's bestseller 'Higher Loyalty.'

© Getty Images

Christian Serratos as Selena Quintanilla in 'Selena' -

Known for her work on 'The Walking Dead,' Christian Serratos plays the late Selena Quintanilla in 'Selena,' a scripted Netflix show about the Mexican-American pop star. The singer was also famously brought to the screen in a 1997 biopic starring Jennifer Lopez.

© Getty Images

Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland in 'Judy' -

Bridget Jones is nowhere in sight in the the biopic 'Judy,' in which Zellweger takes on the role of the legendary Judy Garland. She doesn’t just look the part either, as she lent her real voice to the production.

© NL Beeld

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote in 'Capote' -

The late actor transformed himself into Truman Capote in the biopic 'Capote' (2005). Even though he hesitated to take the role at first, reading the script convinced him. "When I started studying him and then became semi-obsessed with him I saw the parallels," he said. 

© NL Beeld/Public Domain

Demetrius Shipp as Tupac Shakur in 'All Eyez On Me' -

Demetrius Shipp made his debut in Tupac Shakur's biopic 'All Eyez On Me' (2017), thanks to his uncanny resemblance to Shakur.

© Getty Images/Reuters

Walter Matthau as Albert Einstein in 'I.Q.' - The late actor made us believe that he might be the incarnation of the German physicist.

© NL Beeld

Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in 'The Doors' - To prepare for his role, Kilmer basically lived as Jim Morrison for a year before filming started on 'The Doors' (1991). The actor had to go to therapy after shooting because he couldn't get rid of his character.

© NL Beeld

Gary Oldman as Ludwig van Beethoven in 'Immortal Beloved' -

Gary Oldman suited up as the musical genius that was Ludwig van Beethoven. His intense performance has been widely acclaimed.

© Getty Images/Shutterstock

Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin in 'Chaplin' - Robert Downey Jr. played the legendary Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 movie 'Chaplin.' Downey Jr. spent a year studying Chaplin's movies and iconic movements to prepare for his role.

© NL Beeld

Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in 'Ray' - Foxx won his first Academy Award thanks to his performance in 'Ray.' He went as far as using prosthetic eyelids, to make it feel like he was actually blind.

© NL Beeld

Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in 'Walk The Line' -

The lead actors—Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon—had been chosen by Johnny Cash and June Carter themselves. Unfortunately, they didn't get to see the end result. The singer died on September 12, 2003, following complications from diabetes, while June Carter died on May 15 of the same year.

© NL Beeld/Getty Images

Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler in 'Downfall' -

Hitler is a character that many German-speaking actors have refused to interpret over the years, but Bruno Ganz, who was born in Zurich, recognized that being Swiss made it possible to feel a certain distance from the character.

© NL Beeld/Getty Images

Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb as Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen in 'Sid and Nancy' - Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb portrayed Sid Vicious, bassist of the S** Pistols, and his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, in the British biopic 'Sid and Nancy' (1986).

© NL Beeld

Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart in 'Amelia' - 'Amelia' (2009) is about the life of aviatrix Amelia Earhart, who went missing over the South Pacific during a round-the-world flight.

© NL Beeld

Denzel Washington as Malcolm X in 'Malcolm X' -

Denzel Washington has played many memorable characters during his career, one of them being Malcolm X in Spike Lee's 1992 movie. The actor received his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor, but lost to Al Pacino.

© NL Beeld/Reuters

Michael Douglas as Liberace in 'Behind The Candelabra' - It was Robin Williams who was originally set to portray Liberace, but the character was eventually played by Michael Douglas, who by the time of filming was much older than "Mr. Showmanship."

© NL Beeld

Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in 'My Week With Marilyn' -

Playing a Hollywood icon is a risky task, but not for Michelle Williams, who really got into character for her role as Marilyn Monroe in 'My Week With Marilyn' (2011). Williams successfully captured the vulnerability and the charisma of the star.

© Getty Images

Jared Leto as Mark David Chapman in 'Chapter 27' -

For his portrayal of John Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman, Leto underwent an impressive physical transformation. It turns out, he looked very similar to Chapman after gaining 30 lbs (13 kg), which he did by stuffing himself with melted Häagen-Dazs ice cream mixed with... soy sauce and olive oil!

© NL Beeld

Taylor Kitsch as David Koresh in 'Waco' -

Kitsch wasn't too thrilled about portraying the cult leader. "I almost pulled out a month and a half [before the filming began]," he told Rolling Stone. However, you have to admit, they look pretty similar.

© NL Beeld

John Goodman as Babe Ruth in 'The Babe' -

The movie is about the life of American baseball player, Babe Ruth. To play the part of Ruth, John Goodman just had to lose some weight.

© NL Beeld /Public Domain

Jamal Woolard as The Notorious B.I.G in 'Notorious' - Woolard portrayed Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G, in 'Notorious' (2009) and in the Tupac Shakur biopic 'All Eyez On Me' (2017). Just like his character, Woolard is also a rapper in real life.

© Getty Images

Geoffrey Rush as Peter Sellers in 'The Life and Death of Peter Sellers' - Rush won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for his role in 'The Life and Death of Peter Sellers' (2004), directed by Stephen Hopkins.

© NL Beeld

Anthony Hopkins as Pablo Picasso in 'Surviving Picasso' -

Hopkins took his role as Pablo Picasso very seriously. The Academy Award-winning actor shaved his head and wore brown contact lenses to deliver a convincing depiction of the painter. He honestly didn't need much else.

© NL Beeld/Getty Images

O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube in 'Straight Outta Compton' - In the movie 'Straight Outta Compton,' a young Ice Cube was played by his own son, O'Shea Jackson Jr, who also made his acting debut in the movie. Not a surprising choice given the fact that Jackson is a carbon-copy of his father.

© NL Beeld

Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story' - Paulson won her very first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie thanks to her role as Marcia Clark, the lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

© NL Beeld

Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in 'The Hours' -

Kidman underwent a slight transformation for the film 'The Hours' (2002), in which she wore a fake nose to interpret English writer Virginia Woolf. The rest of her features seem pretty perfect though.

© NL Beeld/Public Domain

Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady' -

Streep endured some prosthetics to age her face and neck to portray the former British stateswoman, but the base was already there. Her performance earned her a third Oscar, 29 years after winning her second one.

See also: The best shows and movies about British politics

© NL Beeld