These TV Stars Look Nothing Like Their Characters

One of the coolest things about Hollywood has to be the makeup and wardrobe geniuses who work hard behind the scenes to transform an actor into their character. These beauty and style gurus can take someone famous and make them look completely different than they do on the red carpet, and it's pretty incredible to see. In fact, the celeb transformation is sometimes so good that you might even find it hard to believe that the character and the celebrity are the same person. Here are some of the most intense examples out there of TV transformations and stars who look nothing like their infamous characters.

The world of American Horror Story is no stranger to bizarre and extravagant makeup effects. In season 6, American Horror Story: Roanoke, Lady Gaga portrayed Scathach, a bloodthirsty witch from the 15th century. The character was exiled from her own village and was forced to live in the woods, hence her disheveled appearance. The character's ragged look is a far cry from Gaga's glamorous and over-the-top red carpet attire.

In Schitt's Creek, Moira Rose is an over-the-top, ex-soap star. She has a taste for the finer things in life and appears to have a different wig for every day of the week. But Catherine O'Hara, the comedy legend who plays the Rose family matriarch, is much more subtle in her real-life appearance than her television counterpart.

The Hollywood starlet has been in the spotlight since she was a teenager, so it's wild to see the actress aged several decades for the present-day scenes in This Is Us. In reality, Moore is in her 30's, but through the use of incredible makeup effects, the show manages to successfully age her character as the Pearson family matriarch by several decades.

In the case of Hulu's limited series, The Act, stars Patricia Arquette and Joey King had the heavy task of playing real people. For her role as the overprotective mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, Arquette had to trade in her signature blonde locks in exchange for a brunette hairdo. The transformation paid off as Arquette won an Emmy for her portrayal of the character.

The Walking Dead is one of the highest-rated shows in cable history, so it's no surprise that the zombified makeup effects are top-notch. But even some of the living characters within the show's universe get a taste of gnarly side. For example, the character of Dwight dons a nasty burn that covers the entire left side of his face. In real-life, Austin Amelio, the actor who plays Dwight, is quite handsome, and although his long blonde hair might be real, the burnt face makeup effects are merely a touch of Hollywood magic.

British actress Phyllis Logan looks almost nothing like her character, Mrs. Hughes, on Downton Abbey. Mrs. Hughes tends to be more straight-laced, tidy, and looks super conservative, while Logan always looks trendy and fresh on the red carpet—and she looks a lot younger than Mrs. Hughes, too!

In Modern Family, Alex Dunphy is known as the super-smart, kind of nerdy, awkward, and shy sister—especially when compared to her older sister, Haley. But Ariel Winter, who plays Alex very well, seems to almost be the exact opposite in real life (at least according to her social media pages). In fact, it seems like Winter is more like Haley Dunphy than Alex! Without the glasses and the casual clothing, Winter looks like a different person.

You wouldn't even know that Ewan McGregor plays Emmit Stussy in Fargo if you didn't read the credits. That's how different the character and the actor really look. McGregor must spend quite a bit of time in the makeup chair before going on screen as Emmit. In real life, the actor looks younger and has a considerably better hairline.

Naomi Grossman does an incredible job playing Pepper, a woman with microcephaly, on American Horror Story. Grossman, who does not have this medical condition in reality, is another celebrity who must spend hours in the makeup chair to achieve this look.

In Orange Is The New Black, Uzo Aduba plays Suzanne Warren, better known as "Crazy Eyes" to many of the women in the prison. In the show, Crazy Eyes is always in a neutral prison jumpsuit and is known for her super wide-eyed look. Aduba is the total opposite on the red carpet—sleek, stylish and composed.

When Matthew McConaughey played Rust Cohle in True Detective, he looked nearly unrecognizable thanks to his straggly long hair, weird handle bar mustache, and dead, unhappy eyes. While McConaguhey has had his fair share of interesting hair moments, he usually looks a whole lot more put together (and happier!) in reality.

Claire Foy pulled off playing a young Queen Elizabeth in The Crown so well that it was almost hard to imagine her looking any other way. In real life, Foy has darker hair and her style isn't nearly as old-fashioned as her character's. Actually, she doesn't really look like Queen Elizabeth on the red carpet at all!

In Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen is well-known for her long, white-blonde hair that brands her as a typical member of the Targaryen family. She's also known for her intricate braids and her warrior outfits. Emilia Clarke, the actress who plays her, has much shorter and darker hair that couldn't be more different—and she also has a completely opposite personality, trading Daenerys' steely disposition for her bubbly demeanor, always with a smile on her face.

As Blair Waldorf's maid/assistant (and also maybe her closest and only true friend) on Gossip Girl, Dorota always looked exactly the same: hair pulled tightly back in a black and white outfit. But in real life, Zuzanna Szadkowski looks much more laid-back, stylish, and radiant.

Most of the celebrities who appear in The Handmaid's Tale look quite different than they do in real life, but that's especially true when it comes to Madeline Brewer, the actress who plays Janine Ofwarren. Janine only has one eye due to a dispute in season 1, and she hides herself behind the red robes and large white hats the handmaids have to wear. Brewer, on the other hand, is your typical glamorous Hollywood actress.

Looking at Conleth Hill, you might think he seems vaguely familiar... and then you'd probably be pretty shocked to find out he plays Lord Varys on Game of Thrones. Varys was reguarly on screen with a completely bald head, black robes, and a very serious expression. Hill, on the other hand, seems more animated (and less plotting) and has much more hair.

On Downton Abbey, Daisy Mason plays a maid/housekeeper who looks a lot more dowdy and unkempt than the actress who plays her. It's not surprising that Sophie McShera looks so different, considering the show is basically a period piece, but it's still interesting to see how opposite the actress seems from her character.

Orange Is The New Black is another show that features a lot of characters who look almost nothing like the celebrities who play them. Another one who particularly stands out is Tiffany Doggett, better known as Pennsatucky to the other inmates. Pennsatucky has only a few yellowed teeth and messy hair, while the actress who plays her, Taryn Manning, is a lot more put together, and usually rocks a platinum blonde look.

On Game of Thrones, The Hound is known for being, in many of the character's words, extremely ugly. The same cannot be said for Rory McCann, the actor who plays him. This is another actor who definitely spent an extraordinarily long time in the makeup chair for filming—his character had some gnarly scars.

Many of the Game of Thrones characters look different than the stars who play them, but aside from Daenerys and The Hound, Cersei Lannister is another one who especially stands out. Lena Headey, the actress who plays Cersei, has dark hair and a friendly face in real life that makes her look completely different from her smirking blonde character.

In Big Bang Theory, Johnny Galecki is known as another science nerd, with thick glasses and zero facial hair. In reality, the actor who plays him, Leonard Hofstadter, is often rocking a beard, and looks especially unrecognizable without his own pair of specs.

Who could forget Barb Holland from Stranger Things season one? The character was known for being one of the more nerdy girls in school, with large glasses and hair that gave off an extremely '80s vibe. The actress who plays her, Shannon Purser, is decidedly more chic and stylish.

Arrested Development's Kitty Sanchez is known for being a slightly crazed woman with out-of-control curls and a ridiculously dramatic cross-eyed look without her glasses. The actress behind her, Judy Greer, couldn't be more different.

Another Stranger Things character who looks quite different than the celebrity playing her is Eleven, especially from season one. In the beginning, when Eleven had a shaved head, she looked unrecognizable from Millie Bobby Brown. Even in season three, with a messy short bob, Eleven could still be a completely different person than Brown, who is known for being fashion-forward.

In Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston plays Walter White, a science teacher who becomes an unlikely criminal. With his shaved head, thick facial hair, and infamous glasses, Walter White looks totally different than Cranston.

America Ferrera and her character Betty Suarez from Ugly Betty might share long dark hair, but that's pretty much the extent of it. While Betty is always seen in braces and red glasses, Ferrera is more glamorous, mature and put-together in the public eye.