Actors that you did not recognize right away in films

[Otto!]

Once in a while I watch a movie and fail to recognize an actor right away. Sometimes I only recognize them a few scenes later, or sometimes only in a subsequent viewing.

For example the first time I saw Tropic Thunder I did not realize that Tom Cruise was in it until I saw his name in the credits.



Sometimes a character looks really familiar but all it takes is different hairdo or looking heavier to prevent me from recognizing him.

For example Dum Dum Dugan looked really familiar in Capt America 1, but it took me 4 or 5 viewings before I recognized him as Neal McDonough, which is kind of crazy considering he has a very distinctive look.





What about you, do you have examples?

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Gary Oldman in a lot of his films.

 

[The Good The Bad The HBK]

Elliot Page playing roles of women. He hid it well, I actually believed he was a real woman. Bravo.

 

[Otto!]

Gary Oldman in a lot of his films.

Amazing make up.

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Amazing make up.

View attachment 855213

Extraordinary.

 

[Otto!]

Also failed to recognize Pedro Pascal in the Mandalorian until he took off his helmet, but that’s next level stuff.

 

[Bacco]

Gary Oldman in a lot of his films.

Came to say that
Churchill in particular had me

 

[ShadBo]

Gary Oldman in a lot of his films.

I was blown away when I learned that Gary Oldman was Zorg in the Fifth Element.

 

[M4rk]

Frank Oz, master of disguise.

 

[Myrddin Wild]

Guy Lepont from a movie I could've passed on called "Tusk" is played by Captain Sparrow

 

[x__stylez__x]

Oddly enough Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman, the scene where Charlie meets Frank for the first time.

I remember watching this in the theater and thought “ok I know that’s Al Pacino, but it kinda doesn’t look like Al Pacino, but it is Al Pacino.”



Maybe the fact he was playing a blind man, and did such a good job.

 

[Zinger]

I can't believe that Mike Myers was both Dr. Evil and Austin Powers. My little 6 year old heart broke When I figured it out.

 

[HUGHPHUG]

Colin Farrell in the new Batman movie

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Peter O'Toole from Lawrence of Arabia to Lion in Winter. I think it was quite a change back than, he even deepen his voice.

 

[One MMA Fan]

I think it happens from time to time for me too.
I failed to recognize Autolycus (from Xena and Hercules cheesy/campy and pure awesome TV series):
Bruce Campbell

Oh and from Young Hercules (this show no go for me, bailed on it):
Ryan Gosling

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Not a big time actor but James Downey from his character in Billy Madison to the character in There Will Be Blood. He's unrecognizable really in There Will Be Blood.

 

[ralphc1]

I didn't recognize Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones. The role was so much different than anything I had seen him in and he used that deep voice. Usually I recognize a voice and try to recall where I heard it before.

 

[gspieler]

Matt Damon in Eurotrip.

 

[Uber_Noober]

Matt Damon in Eurotrip.

Scotty doesn’t know

 

[Oeshon]

Also failed to recognize Pedro Pascal in the Mandalorian until he took off his helmet, but that’s next level stuff.

I thought it was the guy from Justified at first