5 of the Most Incredible Actor Transformations for a Movie Role

Actors are not only expected to be passionate about their craft, but they must also be willing to undergo dramatic changes to bring their characters to life. In this article, we look at the incredible transformations of actors like Colin Farrell, Demi Moore, Nicolas Cage, and more.

Colin Farrell’s ‘The Penguin’ Transformation

For HBO Max’s “The Penguin,” Colin Farrell plays the lead role of Oz, also known as The Penguin. According to the show’s executive producer, Matt Reeves, Farrell loved the script for “The Batman” but was initially unsure about taking on the role of The Penguin.

Reeves informed makeup prosthetic designer Mike Marino of his vision for The Penguin’s look, and after reading the script, Marino developed a clear sense of the character’s appearance.

The executive producer then checked in with Farrell to find out if he and Marino had been discussing the character’s transformation.

Farrell revealed he had texted with Marino, sending pictures to each other to settle on the character’s look. Reeves then asked the actor if he wanted to see what he would look like as The Penguin. That’s when Farrell saw a sculpted 360-degree bust of his character.

The star recalled, “I looked at the character, and I just saw history, and I saw pain, and I saw aggression, and I saw cruelty, and I saw a bit of sadness. And it was all there.” Marino’s job was to express what he felt through his design.

To achieve this, the designer gave the character a large scar across his face and a long nose that resembled a beak. Farrell confessed, “I was overwhelmed by the brilliance of what Mike Marino and his team created.”

Every day, the actor had to sit in makeup for three hours.

Part of his transformation included flattening his hair before gluing on a bald cap, which was sculpted and painted to look like flesh.

The next step involved attaching the neck and cheeks, which were also glued on.

Farrell’s lower earlobes were hooked onto his cheeks, and his chin is given a different shape.

Then, the nose and upper lip were applied, pushing his features upward.

The eyebrows were added next, giving him a bird-like, penguin-esque look.

They also contributed to the character’s angry expression.

Marino and his team completed the transformation by giving Farrell’s character combed-back hair with a receding hairline and a side part.

To fully embody the role, the star’s character also has an affliction in his foot that causes him to waddle like a penguin.

Farrell’s transformation as The Penguin not only left him unrecognizable, but the role also earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Limited Series. On January 6, 2025, DC Studios shared an Instagram photo of Farrell as Oz, congratulating him on the recognition.

When the actor isn’t preparing for his role as The Penguin, he’s home caring for his son, who has cerebral palsy. The 48-year-old actor’s son, James, 21, has a rare neurogenetic disorder called Angelman syndrome.

The condition renders him nonverbal, and he has a live-in caregiver to assist him. Colin Farrell shares James with his ex, model Kim Bordenave.

The actor once shared his hopes for his son, saying, “I want the world to be kind to James,” adding, “I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect.”

The star has since launched the Colin Farrell Foundation in honor of James. The organization provides support for adults with intellectual disabilities by offering advocacy, education, and innovative programs.

Nicolas Cage’s ‘Longlegs’ Transformation

Nicolas Cage underwent a drastic transformation to portray a satanic serial killer in “Longlegs.” When the actor read the script, he said, “I’d love this, and I want to do this.”

The film’s writer-director, Osgood Perkins, envisioned Cage’s villain as “a pathetic-ish guy who kind of comes to your kid’s birthday party, sort of a clown, but not really.”

With this vision in mind, special makeup effects artist Harlow MacFarlane and Vancouver-based makeup effects company, Amazing Ape, began sculpting the character.

Cage wanted to disappear into his “Longlegs” role.

Perkins recalled, “He really wanted to go under prosthetics, which he hadn’t really done, I don’t think, in any movie before.”

One of the key aspects of Longlegs’ appearance was bad, cheap plastic surgery.

Cage also had to develop his character’s creepy mannerisms and singsong voice. The star revealed that his late mother, Joy Vogelsang, influenced his portrayal.

Vogelsang had struggled with depression and schizophrenia—two conditions that were incorporated into Longlegs. For much of Cage’s youth, his mother, a former dancer and choreographer, was institutionalized for these conditions.

Cage, whose parents divorced when he was 12, recalled watching Vogelsang talk to the walls. Instead of being disturbed, the actor saw it as surrealistic inspiration, thinking, “Well, this is really interesting.”

The actor explained how he incorporated his mother’s struggles into his performance, saying, “I was coming at it from, what exactly was it that drove my mother insane?” He added, “It was a deeply personal kind of performance for me because I grew up trying to cope with what she was going through.”

Cage’s Longlegs character, whose appearance was largely concealed in trailers, required heavy makeup and looked nothing like the actor.

In 2019, Cage described how growing up middle class among wealthy peers fueled his ambitions. Although his father, August Coppola, was a professor and writer, Cage’s family lived modestly on the outskirts of Beverly Hills, near luxury car dealerships. He recalls feeling misunderstood because of his famous last name—many assumed he was wealthy when, in reality, he wasn’t.

His frustration was especially strong when it came to social status and dating, as he compared himself to classmates who had Maseratis and Ferraris while he took the bus. This contrast made him feel disadvantaged in his attempts to impress others.

However, his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, offered him glimpses of a different lifestyle during summer visits, where Cage experienced wealth and success firsthand. These experiences ignited Nicolas Cage’s drive, making him aspire to that level of success—not just for financial gain, but for the lifestyle, prestige, and sense of achievement that came with it.

Demi Moore’s ‘The Substance’ Transformation

For 2024’s “The Substance,” Demi Moore took on the thrilling role of Elisabeth Sparkle. Margaret Qualley played “Sue,” the younger, more beautiful, and temporarily reborn version of Moore’s character, created by taking an injection of The Substance.

In the film, Moore’s character is a fading celebrity who takes the black-market drug—a cell-replicating substance—to temporarily become a younger and better version of herself. The transformation required extensive work, as Sparkle’s look evolved from an older version of Moore to one that aged rapidly.

In an interview, Moore revealed that the transformation process took between six to nine-and-a-half hours. She used the time in the makeup chair to fully immerse herself in the role, shifting and progressing mentally to embody the character.

In January 2025, “The Substance” was nominated for five Academy Awards, making it the seventh horror movie to be nominated for Best Picture.

For Halloween in 2024, Moore shared several images of her aged-out character, complete with a balding head, eyeglasses, and sagging skin.

In an interview, the actor confessed that it took around six to nine-and-a-half hours for her transformation. She used the time in her makeup chair to embody, shift, and progress slowly to allow the character to become a part of her.

In January 2025, “The Substance” was nomintaed for five Academy Awards. It is the seventh horror movie to be nominated for Best Picture. For last year’s Halloween, Moore shared several images of her aged-out character, complete with a balding head, eye-glasses, and hanging body parts.

The star’s acting career is shaped by her challenging past. In her 2019 memoir, “Inside Out,” she revealed that both her parents struggled with alcoholism, causing them to move frequently across the country.

Later, she discovered that the man she believed to be her father was not her biological father. She admitted that she told herself “that I wasn’t wanted, or that I don’t deserve to be here.”

After her parents divorced, Moore lived with her unstable mother, who attempted suicide for the first time when the actress was just 12 years old. These incidents repeated throughout her youth, making her realize that the “life-changing moment,” the first suicide, marked the end of her childhood.

She later married Bruce Willis, with whom she had three daughters. However, after their divorce and amid her mother’s battle with cancer, she made a choice her parents never did—she stepped back from acting to focus on raising her children.

Zac Efron’s ‘The Iron Claw’ Transformation

For his wrestling debut in “The Iron Claw,” Zac Efron underwent significant physical changes, including bulking up to portray Kevin Von Erich. This transformation involved three distinct phases: bulking, cutting (reducing body fat), and maintenance (adapting to the new physique).

To prepare for the role, Efron dedicated himself completely to the transformation. He embraced the challenge of achieving the right aesthetic, prioritizing it over everything else.

The actor acknowledged that the most difficult part of playing Von Erich was physically embodying him, which he focused on from the very beginning. He revealed that training was enjoyable for him, describing it as a hobby he loved.

Achieving his character’s physique required intense bodybuilding. But while he enjoyed the process and thought that it was “really very neat to do that for a character and invest that time,” he admitted that it isn’t something he’d do today.

Beyond building muscle, Efron also had to master wrestling techniques.

In January 2024, he shared images of himself in character and wrote, “I have so much admiration and respect for the world of Professional Wrestling and the sacrifice and dedication of the athletes…”

He continued, “These guys tour for MONTHS putting their bodies on the line every day to perform.Was [sic] an honor to step into the ring and learn from one of the best @chavoguerrerojr 👏🫡 🤝.”

In an interview, the star reflected on his previous experience preparing for 2017’s “Baywatch.” Unlike “The Iron Claw,” his training for that film involved overtraining, eating the same three meals daily, and taking diuretics, which led to health issues.

While filming “Baywatch,” he barely slept, finishing shoots at midnight then waking up at 4:00 a.m. to train. Although he initially enjoyed starring in the action-packed film, he eventually felt drained.

Looking back, Efron admitted, “I started to develop insomnia and I fell into a pretty bad depression, for a long time. Something about that experience burned me out. I had a really hard time recentering.” He believed his health issues stemmed from excessive diuretic use. It took six months after filming concluded for him to feel normal again.

Following his 2017 film, “The Greatest Showman,” Efron took a break from Hollywood, returning in 2019’s “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.”

During his time away, he reevaluated his approach to fitness while on a sabbatical in Australia. In 2021, he sold his Los Angeles home for $5.3 million and purchased unspoiled land in Australia for $2 million, sparking speculation that he planned to relocate.

While in Australia, Efron even spent some time living in a luxury tent provided by Lotus Caravans.

Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ Transformation

Bradley Cooper underwent an intense transformation to portray legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in “Maestro.”

The actor worked closely with makeup-effects master Kazu Hiro to accurately depict the former conductor and music director of the New York Philharmonic.

Two bodysuits and four sets of prosthetics were designed to show Bernstein’s progression from the start of his career in 1943 through his 70s.

To achieve Bernstein’s signature nasal voice, Hiro created a nose plug that altered Cooper’s intonation and changed the shape of his nose.

The actor also wore a prosthetic nose throughout filming.

Mark Bridges, an Oscar-winning costume designer, recreated iconic outfits from Bernstein’s personal photos, including turtlenecks and double-breasted suits.

Cooper remained in close contact with Bernstein’s three children throughout filming to ensure his portrayal was accurate.

The late conductor’s eldest child, Jamie, commented, “There are even certain moments in the film, when he’s in motion, where he looks so exactly like our dad it makes us gasp.”

In a behind-the-scenes clip, Hiro, Cooper, and others praised the transformation, noting, “Kazu Hiro’s makeup is extraordinary.”

Like Demi Moore, Cooper’s journey to success was marked by personal struggles. In a SmartLess podcast interview, Cooper opened up about his battles with self-esteem, feeling lost, and struggling with substance abuse. He recalled a conversation with podcast co-host Will Arnett about a specific incident.

Arnett asked Cooper if he remembered being intoxicated during dinner one night. The actor was surprised by the question. Arnett then pointed out that his friend hadn’t let his dogs out to go to the bathroom, prompting Cooper to ask the time. It was 4 p.m., and the dogs were still waiting by the door. According to Cooper, that moment “was the first time I ever realized I had a problem with drugs and alcohol.”

On the other hand, his depression was fueled by insecurities, especially his inability to get into clubs or attract women’s attention. However, he was grateful to have experienced those struggles before achieving fame.

Arnett revealed that watching Cooper’s personal growth had been inspiring. By 2022, The latter had been sober for 15 years and was supporting friends like Brad Pitt in their sobriety journeys.

Cooper had already achieved sobriety by the time he moved in with his parents in June 2011. He lived with them for five months before his father’s death, even taking his dad to an Eagles playoff game one week before he passed.

After his father’s death, Cooper brought his mother, Gloria Campano, to live with him in Los Angeles, which strengthened their bond. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was living with Campano,, his daughter, and their two dogs.

Cooper shared that he rarely left the house, as his mother, who was approaching 80, had a colostomy bag. “I can’t leave the house, because if she gets it, it’s over,” he explained.

Despite their small townhouse, which had a backyard, they made the best of their time together. Cooper was running a preschool for his daughter, which included activities like swim classes in the bathtub after waking up.

These actors’ transformations prove their dedication to their craft, showcasing the lengths they would go to bring their characters to life. Whether through physical changes, personal struggles, or deep emotional connections, their performances leave a lasting impact on audiences worldwide.