10 Actors Who Totally Transformed Themselves For Roles in 2022

It’s no secret — to get a nomination or accolade at some point as an actor, a celebrity will need to undergo a dramatic transformation. Whether it’s insane prosthetics, extreme weight loss or weight gain, this transformation shows a true dedication on the actor or actress’s part and a willingness to fully become the character they’re trying to embody. Here are all the celebs over the past year who have dedicated themselves 100% to their roles.

1. Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen

It’s hard to believe that this character wasn’t totally CGI. In fact, actor Stellan Skarsgard was the famously terrifying Dune character. He admitted in an interview that acting as he normally would was rather difficult when weighed down by an 88-pound prosthetic suit that took over 6 hours and 5 makeup artists to complete. Still, he found it fascinating to watch the experts “paint every vein by hand.”

2. Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp

Sarah Paulson played this role phenomenally in “Impeachment: American Crime Story” but even her stellar acting couldn’t have reached its peak without those unforgettable prosthetics that look absolutely nothing like Sarah Paulson. It took the actress about three and a half to transform, and while she did gain 30 pounds, she also wore extra padding for the role, which was deemed controversial.

3. Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye Bakker

Recently, Jessica Chastain transformed herself into the Tammy Faye, creator of an evangelical empire including a Christian ministry and broadcasting network. Chastain turned from her naturally elegant self to the extremely 90s Tammy Faye, with a short perm, prosthetics, and a wild amount of heavy, hot makeup and bronzer. In fact, the makeup, which took 7.5 hours to apply daily, caused “permanent damage” to Chastain’s skin, according to the actress.

4. Andra Day as Billie Holiday

The naturally voluptuous queen Andra Day whittled down by 40 pounds to truly encapsulate the famous blues singer from the 1930s and 40s. Andra even did the singing of Billie in the movie, and to get the role right beyond the weight loss, she had to starve herself, start smoking and drinking, and even not getting sleep. According to Day, she’s naturally a fast mover while Billie was “like molasses.”