Most movies are based on original scripts or they might be book adaptations, however, some are inspired by real-life stories that couldn’t have come from anyone’s imagination. The artists that face the challenge to portray these iconic and, sometimes, terrifying real-life characters, more than often, have to undergo complete makeovers to better portray these roles.

When makeup is not enough, impressive physical transformations are in order. Let’s take a look at some of the best portrayals that have ever been done in biopics. The effort and dedication invested by these artists to represent their characters in the most accurate way are truly breathtaking!

Taron Egerton as Elton John in Rocketman

Taron Egerton became a known face after starring in the Kingsman movie franchise and he then faced a whole new challenge. After much deliberation, he was the one chosen to portray the iconic Elton John in the movie Rocketman, which was released in May 2019.

Egerton had to shave half his head to better represent Elton’s incipient bald head in the ‘70s. Given that Elton himself was involved in the progress of the movie, he also performed in front of him on more than one occasion. According to Egerton, this was challenging and nerve-wracking but also a motivation to do Elton justice.

Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody

Freddie Mercury is one of the biggest icons of rock music and together with his band, Queen, he became a legend that lives on to this day. Rami Malek, who had previously starred in Mr. Robot, his breakthrough role, did a spectacular job at portraying Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody; it was such a spectacular performance, in fact, that it earned him an Academy Award.

After the release of the movie, Queen was introduced to the newest generations and the total net worth of the band skyrocketed (again). Rami had to use prosthetics in order to look more like Freddie so that his nose and teeth could look closer to the Queen’s frontman.

Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in Monster

On one of the most impressive transformations on this list, Charlize Theron forgot all about her model looks and gained 30 pounds, shaved her eyebrows and used prosthetics in order to look –and feel- like Aileen Wuornos in the movie Monster. Her efforts to portray the dramatic life and murders committed by Wuornos were recognized by everyone.

The role put Charlize in the spotlight, and she won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her performance. Charlize will be soon fleshing out another real-life person in an untitled project, in which she will play the part of former news anchor Megyn Kelly.