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- Oppenheimer is being celebrated not only as one of the greatest films of director Christopher Nolan's career, but one of the best movies of the last decade. Cillian Murphy's work in the title role is being lauded as a massive achievement, in no small measure thanks to how surprisingly similar he looks and sounds to the real Robert Oppenheimer, reminiscent of many other outstanding biopic performances that have also looked like the movie's subject.
Biopics have always been a huge draw in Hollywood. These kinds of films shed a light on the stories of real people, and it's almost like the actors who play them are bringing them back to life. It's rare to find actors who look exactly like the icon they're playing, but as the years pass, casting directors have gotten more accurate.
Not only does the thespian have to look like the movie's subject, but also adapt their mannerisms and voice entirely. Some actors have completely lost themselves in their biopic roles over the years, from Robert Downey Jr. nailing the slapstick humor of Charles Chaplin, to Cillian Murphy boldly filling the shoes of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Updated on August 15, 2023, by Diego Pineda Pacheco:
Oppenheimer is being celebrated not only as one of the greatest films of director Christopher Nolan's career, but one of the best movies of the last decade. Cillian Murphy's work in the title role is being lauded as a massive achievement, in no small measure thanks to how surprisingly similar he looks and sounds to the real Robert Oppenheimer, reminiscent of many other outstanding biopic performances that have also looked like the movie's subject.
10 Robert Downey Jr. as Charles Chaplin
'Chaplin' (1992)
Before Robert Downey Jr. became Iron Man, the defining role of his career, he took on the role of Charles Chaplin. In the early days of his career, it wasn't uncommon for him to take on a wide variety of roles that no one could have expected him to take; so, when he signed on to play silent cinema's most legendary actor in Richard Attenborough's Chaplin, it was perfect casting.
Downey's highly expressive face allowed him to convey a myriad of emotions as Chaplin. It is one of his most endearing roles because of how much he embodies the actor's spirit. Chaplin gave RDJ his first Oscar nomination, and will always be remembered as one of the best pieces of his filmography.
9 Jennifer Lopez as Selena Quintanilla
'Selena' (1997)
Though she's best known for her music career, Jennifer Lopez made her name as an actress before pursuing music. In one of Lopez's star-making early roles, she played the Queen of Tejano Music Selena Quintanilla in Gregory Nava's Selena.
It's almost uncanny how much Lopez looked and sounded like Quintanilla in her biopic. It's hard to think of another actress that would have pulled this off better, and Lopez has been an icon ever since. It was the role that put her on the map, and everyone knew who she was after that.
8 Austin Butler as Elvis Presley — 'Elvis' (2022)
In Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, Austin Butler exceeded expectations by tackling a far more ambitious role than those familiar with his trajectory ever would have expected, delivering an electrifying performance as Elvis Presley as a result. It's fascinating to watch Butler hit every single note and move that Presley used to nail.
There were scenes where Butler looked and sounded almost eerily similar to Elvis. He lost himself in the role, continuing to talk in Presley's well-known Mississippian drawl and even adopting some of his mannerisms long after the movie was released.
7 Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe
'My Week With Marilyn' (2011)
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Marilyn Monroe has been an icon ever since she appeared in the public eye, but she also had a very tragic story, especially during the time when the studio system sought to control their actresses. It's hard to find someone to play Monroe well in a biopic, but in Simon Curtis' My Week With Marilyn, Michelle Williams took the role and moved audiences with her performance.
Williams looked strikingly like Marilyn; her deep blue eyes and her voice aligned perfectly with hers. Instead of portraying the persona of Monroe, fans got a chance to see what Norma Jean was like. The movie itself honored Monroe and her life with love and respect.
6 Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo
'Frida' (2002)
After starring in a bunch of iconic genre films, Salma Hayek took on the role that made her a serious, dramatic actor: Julie Taymor's Frida, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. Frida Kahlo was one of the most important surrealist artists in Mexican history, who went through a lot in her life and translated that through art, and Hayek portrayed that with tremendous accuracy in the unconventional biopic movie that often takes a beautiful abstract approach to reality.
If it weren't for her incredible performance as Kahlo, Hayek's career may have gone an entirely different way, which makes it an even more valuable movie. The actress will always be remembered as the powerhouse who surprised everyone with her portrayal of this fascinating woman.
5 Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles
'Ray' (2004)
A young Jamie Foxx who was fresh off of working on Collateral with Tom Cruise got the role of a lifetime in 2004. When he portrayed rhythm and blues legend Ray Charles in Taylor Hackford's Ray, his career skyrocketed. After owning Oscar season that year, the role cemented him as one phenomenal actor to look out for.
Whenever Foxx was at the piano, he lit up the screen in every single way, like he was moving with his soul and understood Charles through and through, from his physicality to his mannerisms. He looked like Charles, and was able to embody him perfectly on top of that, which makes this stand out as one of Foxx's most notable films.
4 Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking
'The Theory of Everything' (2014)
When James Marsh's The Theory of Everything was released, Eddie Redmayne's performance was the talk of award season. All he needed was a pair of glasses, and he looked just like Stephen Hawking. It was mostly his performance that made the film so tough to watch, due to everything that Hawking had to go through due to his condition.
Redmayne had to take on Hawking's mannerisms and speech to portray him accurately, showing audiences his incredible range and Hawking's love and passion for his work. If Redmayne did anything accurately, it was highlighting how brilliant a man Stephen Hawking was.
3 Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer
'Oppenheimer' (2023)
Already being called by many people the pinnacle of director Christopher Nolan's illustrious career, Oppenheimer is a biopic about one of history's most controversial figures. The film examines the character under a critical eye while allowing viewers to make up their own minds about the subject matter instead of making judgments of their own.
Cillian Murphy was the massively talented actor to take on the role of Robert Oppenheimer, and he did a majestic job. Not only did he nail the physicist's speech and deep blue eyes: but he also looks strikingly like him. It was a challenging character for sure, but Murphy channeled him with surprising depth.
2 Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln — 'Lincoln' (2012)
In Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, no one could have been as compelling to watch as former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln as Daniel Day-Lewis. Fortunately, Day-Lewis already looked much like Lincoln, so all it took was some great makeup and hairstyling to really sell the part.
For older historical figures, there are no videos for actors to watch and base their performances on. That's why Day-Lewis's performance earned him the third Oscar of his career, well deserved considering his magnificent performance as such an important historical figure.
1 Denzel Washington as Malcolm X — 'Malcolm X' (1992)
There's always one big defining moment in a Hollywood star's career, and for Denzel Washington, playing Malcolm X in Spike Lee's Malcolm X was the one. Not only did he look shockingly similar, but also spoke just like him. With his strong screen presence and charming charisma, the role gave Washington the perfect chance to show off his skills.
It's hard to imagine a different thespian better embodying Malcolm X. Even though the film's runtime is daunting, this is one of the roles where Washington loses himself completely and fights the power, providing a movie that's already excellent its greatest strength.