Tim Curry
Tim Curry is an actor who is mostly known for his portrayal of villainous characters, like the Concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island, the Lord of Darkness in Legend, and Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the miniseries It. For his acting credit as the evil clown who haunts Derry’s people, Curry had to sit for three hours while the makeup team worked on his appearance. Other than that, Curry needed to not only get the look right but to also nail the character’s persona, since Pennywise is known for playing evil little tricks with people’s psyche. And if his performance as Pennywise isn’t scary enough, go check out his portrayal as the Lord of Darkness in Legend.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is one of the most well-known actors in the film industry, especially for his slapstick performances. Some of his most notable performances include acting credits for films like Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber, and The Mask. For his role as the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the massive amount of makeup and prosthetics that the actor wore thankfully didn’t affect his mastery over his facial expressions – the Grinch’s iconic smile was Jim Carrey’s doing. Jim Carrey also starred in serious roles that showcased his acting skills, like in 1998’s The Truman Show and 1999’s Man on the Moon. And in 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog, Carrey showed that he still possesses his signature comedic energy as the mad scientist Dr. Robotnik.
Bill Murray
Bill Murray is an actor well-known for his comedic performances in films. Indeed, the man is a legend. For his performance in 1991’s What About Bob?, as well as the original Ghostbusters movies, Murray showed audiences that he is more than just a one-trick wonder. For his acting credit as Bob Wiley, Murray carried a more happy-go-lucky character who was scared to explore the world. In contrast to this was his performance as Peter Venkman, who’s a sarcastic ghost-hunter who makes witty remarks during serious moments. Recently, Bill Murray also played a fictionalized version of himself in the Zombieland films – where he also, rather amusingly, went out of his way to talk about his “amazing and character-driven” performance as Garfield in the Garfield movies.
Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito is a well-known actor who recently took credit for playing Frank Reynolds in the TV series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. DeVito has also directed and starred in the 1996 family-comedy Matilda, where he took on the role of Harold “Harry” Wormwood, the not-so-ideal father figure for Matilda. Another iconic performance by DeVito was his portrayal of Batman’s nemesis, The Penguin, in 1992’s Batman Returns. For his performance in the movie, DeVito had to spend three hours before filming to get his makeup and costume ready to look like the three-fingered, black-lipped villain that Michael Keaton’s Batman eventually faced in the film. Though he may have performed antagonistic roles, DeVito is more famous for being a humorous person, just like his character Frank Reynolds.
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy has become a part of almost everyone’s childhood thanks to his voice-acting credit in Disney’s 1998 animated film Mulan, where he played the dragon Mushu, and as Shrek’s good friend and sidekick Donkey in the Shrek films. In his acting career, Murphy has showcased his comedic prowess and skill in portraying relatable characters. In the 1988 movie Coming to America, Murphy and his fellow cast member, Arsenio Hall, each played four characters. Aside from being the Prince Akeem of Zamunda, Murphy also performed as Clarence and is barely recognizable as Randy Watson and Saul. In his performance as the titular character in 2016’s drama Mr. Church, Murphy showed audiences that he can also pull off more heartwarming and gentle characters.
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall is mostly known for hosting The Arsenio Hall Show, Star Search, and Thicke of the Night. However, Hall has also starred alongside Eddie Murphy in the 1988 romantic-comedy film Coming to America. For this particular acting credit – or in this case, credits – Hall performed four characters: the protagonist’s partner Semmi, Reverend Brown, Morris, and a girl in a bar (yes, you read the last one right). After getting his face applied with some makeup, a wig, and facial hair, Hall was able to completely transform into three other characters who eventually meet in the story. If there is one thing that makes acting fun, it’s the fact that acting gives actors a chance to play roles they usually don’t play in real life.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch is a name that is as recognizable in the film industry as it is misspelled – look at his fan base. His notable performances include his acting credit in the Sherlock series, as Alan Turing in 2014’s The Imitation Game, and as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Franchise. For his outing as the dragon Smaug in The Hobbit films, Cumberbatch, with advice from fellow actor Andy Serkis, provided the character’s movements and voice through performance capture, utilizing his acting skills and voice-acting. And for his Marvel debut in 2016’s Doctor Strange, Cumberbatch didn’t only portray the titular hero, but he also provided the motion capture performance and voice for the cosmic antagonist Dormammu – his voice was combined with an unknown actor’s.
Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton is one of those actresses in the film industry that, if you happen to not know her name, you can still be guaranteed a performance worth remembering. Swinton reintroduced herself as the Ancient One in the Marvel franchise starting with 2016’s Doctor Strange. The actress is also well-known for her acting credits in films like the Narnia movies, 2005’s Constantine, 2007’s Michael Clayton, and 2018’s Suspiria. In Suspiria, Tilda Swinton took on three characters: the head of a dance studio Madame Blanc, the witch Mother Markos, and the elderly psychologist Dr. Josef Klemperer. For her performance as the male doctor, Swinton had to go through four hours of makeup before appearing onset – an effort that has undoubtedly paid off since she was barely recognizable in her costume.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is an actress who is also well-known for her acting range and efficiency with using many accents – she once mimicked a fan’s accent on the spot when they met in a convention. She showcased her acting chops in films like 1982’s drama Sophie’s Choice, 2002’s psychological drama The Hours, 2006’s drama-comedy The Devil Wears Prada, and 2008’s romantic-comedy musical Mamma Mia! Her most contrasting performances would be her role as Miranda Priestly, the overly demanding fashionista in The Devil Wears Prada, and Sophia, a woman trying to find a new life after escaping a traumatic predicament in the film Sophie’s Choice. With an acting range this wide, no wonder Meryl Streep has, to a huge degree, been acknowledged as one of the greatest in the industry.
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix is, to some degree, one actor who is known to be picky about the roles he accepts. This mindset has helped the actor perform in well-received films like 2000’s Gladiator, 2005’s Walk the Line, 2013’s Her, and 2017’s You Were Never Really Here. However, in 2019, Phoenix accepted what could be one of his most controversial roles. It was a role in the psychological-thriller Joker. Before filming began, Pheonix spent months trying to lose weight to play the Joker. His sudden weight loss has greatly affected his mental state and the range of actions that he could do, which he claims proved beneficial to his performance. With his portrayal of the clown, Phoenix has brought the character to a new light, and many argue that he played the character better than even Heath Ledger did.