40 Celebrities Who Look Completely Different From the Characters They Play on Screen

When Sarah Paulson took on the role of O.J. Simpson's prosecutor in American Crime Story season 1, she committed to replicating the lawyer's '90s eyebrows, chain-smoking habits, and perm — and she was rewarded for it with a Golden Globe.

While her Game of Thrones character had waist-length blonde curls, Emilia Clarke typically wears her hair in a rich chocolate brown shade, and opts for glam red lipstick over bronze makeup.

That's right: This silent era actor was a very handsome fellow without that thick mustache, heavy eyeliner, and goofy walk. Who would've guessed?

This member of the help on Downton Abbey looks pretty plain on the show, but when actress Sophie McShera walks the red carpet, she is totally glam.

You would never know it from her bizarre character on Arrested Development, but Judy Greer is a sharp (and stylish!) lady.

See what a simple haircut, beard trim, and glasses can do for a guy? This Sleepy Hollow star looks like a modern, well-groomed man in his everyday life.

One of the wisest characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Worf, is a pretty serious guy. Actor Michael Dorn not only knows how to crack a smile on the red carpet, but he's also quite the handsome guy without all that makeup and fake hair.

Leave it to Orange Is the New Black to totally transform an actress like Taryn Manning into a completely different person — hair, makeup, teeth, and wardrobe make all the difference, clearly.

Just looking at this Strangers With Candy star when she's in character, you might have no clue which actress it is. But Amy Sedaris, sans all the heavy eyeshadow, goofy clothes, and silly facial expressions, looks like a totally different person IRL.

Just like many of her fellow Orange Is the New Black cast mates, Laura Gómez, a.k.a. Blanca Flores, looks completely different from her character. From her smoky eye to her elegant dress to her chic topknot, her real-life look is just plain gorgeous.

While her on-screen counterpart has the long mane of Game of Thrones royalty, Lena Headey opts for a shaggy brown bob — not to mention her very un-Cersei tattoos.

While her character on Orange Is the New Black wears a khaki jumpsuit and puts her hair into bantu knots, actress Uzo Aduba wears her hair down as she rocks dazzling evening gowns and scarlet lips on the red carpet.

When you see her character on Game of Thrones, it might be tough to imagine English actress Hannah Murray looking dressed up, but she's actually super glamorous in real life. And she's got gorgeous red hair to boot.

A member of the extraterrestrial race Ferengi, Quark, was one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's funniest characters. Off-screen, you would never even realize actor Armin Shimerman as the man who played him.

He may not have the same tattoos, eyeliner, and stylized facial hair as his Game of Thrones counterpart, but actor Jason Momoa is just as hot as Khal Drogo.

If you saw actress Naomi Grossman walking down the street, there's no way you would guess that she plays American Horror Story: Freak Show character Pepper.

It's almost hard to recognize the middle Crawley sister on Downton Abbey when the actress is out and about as herself.

Clearly The Handmaid's Tale has a very good makeup department, as actress Madeline Brewer has both of her eyes in real life. The actress plays Ofwarren in Hulu's dystopian drama.

Besides the fact that Millie Bobby Brown doesn't have super powers, she also looks much more grown up in real life.

He may look different without his center part, aviator glasses, and sideburns, but Rainn Wilson will always be our favorite for creating the character that is Dwight Schrute.

Olivia Colman debuted a new platinum blonde pixie at the 92nd Academy Awards, making her look even more different from her Broadchurch character than before.

Ed Speleers' long stringy hair he sports on Outlander couldn't be further from his sharp look on the red carpet or from his other roles in shows like Downton Abbey.

Jenna Coleman's fashion and beauty choices are far less austere from what she wore for her role playing the young Queen of England on Victoria.

Ariel Winter has grown up a lot playing the booksmart Alex Dunphy on Modern Family.

Without his long hair and full beard, Richard Rankin doesn't even look like the same person as his character, Roger Mackenzie Wakefield, on Outlander.

Julie Gardner's character is known for her blonde curls almost as much as her tough girl exterior, but in real life the actress likes to mix it up and often sports straight hair.

Actor Bryan Cranston completely transformed for his role as Walter White in Breaking Bad — bald cap, goatee, and everything.

If Édgar Ramírez ever wanted to know what he'd look like grey, he got his wish when he was transformed into the late fashion designer Gianni Versace for season 2 of American Crime Story.

In reality, America Ferrera doesn't wear red glasses, braces, or bangs — and she's much more stylish than her character on Ugly Betty.

In real life, Johnny Galecki doesn't wear thick-framed glasses à la Leonard, which somehow seems to make all the difference in the world.

Claire Foy tackled the role of the British monarch in the first two seasons of The Crown. But we're reminded that she's a whole other person when she steps onto the red carpet.

Even though he can clearly rock a bald head, Conleth Hill — who plays Lord Varys on Game of Thrones — has a full head of hair and a beard when not in character.

The actor donned an impressive wig to play one of America's founding fathers for the mini series, John Adams, which made him almost unrecognizable.

Rachel Brosnahan may share her skill for comedic timing with her character, Midge, but the actress is a natural blonde in real life.

In real life, Elisabeth Moss couldn't be further from the plain Jane secretary turned advertising superstar that she played on Mad Men for seven seasons.

Zuzanna Szadkowski is just as lovely in real life as she was playing Dorota in Gossip Girl, but it is odd seeing her out of her iconic uniform and hat.

Vanessa Kirby dyed her hair brown to play Queen Elizabeth's younger sister, Princess Margaret, for the first two seasons of The Crown.

Although you typically see Hugh Grant as the object of desire in a romantic comedy, the actor transformed not only his look, but also his accent, for Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen.

David Schwimmer looked nearly identical to Robert Kardashian in American Crime Story season 1, which includes nailing the late defense attorney's hair almost to a T.