These 20 Movies Convincingly Capture Real-Life Stories

Being an actor isn’t an easy thing to do. Taking on the daunting task of putting yourself into somebody else’s shoes is difficult yet rewarding. Actors must be chameleons who can miraculously shapeshift, embodying another person or character completely.

There have been many silver screen portrayals of the legendary bombshell Marilyn Monroe over the years. While Michelle Williams’ embodiment of Monroe in My Week with Marilyn was well-done, the Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas brought something unique to the role.

During her incredible career, Cate Blanchett has proven to be a natural-born shapeshifter and diverse actress. Stepping into Bob Dylan’s shoes in the 2007 film I’m Not There seemed to be one of the boldest choices she could have made, considering a woman is playing that particular part and not a man.

When Charlize Theron was cast as the American serial killer Aileen Wuornos in 2003’s Monster, many people were unsure about that choice. Theron even had her doubts. Up until that point, Theron had retained her status as a beautiful blonde bombshell.

Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for her mesmerizing portrayal of French singer Edith Piaf in 2007’s La Vie en Rose. Cotillard shared how connected she felt to Piaf, considering she grew up listening to her songs. 

Daniel Day-Lewis is one of those extraordinary actors that disappear so deeply into a role that it’s hard to distinguish the character from the actual figure. Lincoln was directed by the legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg who convinced Lewis to take on the massive undertaking of playing the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

Jamie Foxx has had a successful career, one where he completely embodies the roles he plays. When Foxx landed the lead of famous blues musician Ray Charles, it was evident that he put his heart and soul into making the portrayal accurate and believable.

Even though Portman stated that she has “little in common” with Jackie Kennedy Onassis, she certainly outdid herself in the role.

Cate Blanchett is known for being one of those actresses that can scarily blend into a role and disappear, which is fitting since this is her second mention. She’s a natural chameleon – this is especially evident when she took on the daunting role of Queen Elizabeth I in 1998’s Elizabeth. 

Will Smith has openly acknowledged how playing the legendary heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali, changed his life. His performance was so spot-on and influential that even Ali recognized Smith’s work.

As the other talented performer who slipped into the graceful shoes of Marilyn Monroe, Michelle Williams’ portrayal of the bombshell will leave anybody breathless.

Denzel Washington has cemented himself as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of his generation. In Washington’s chilling portrayal of the extraordinary civil rights activist Malcolm X, he truly replicated the leader accurately.

Considered one of the best movies of the 2010s, David Fincher’s The Social Network showed how convincing Jesse Eisenberg was as the hoodie and flip-flop-wearing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Daniel Kaluuya continually chooses roles that showcase his enormous talent as a chameleonic actor. Portraying Black Panther activist and leader Fred Hampton, Kaluuya revealed in an interview with NPR: “I had to let go of a lot of myself. I had to let go of concepts that I have been wedded to, even, like, the concepts of age.”

The fact that Meryl Streep earns an Oscar nomination for nearly all of her roles certainly rings true with her performance as former Prime Minister of the U.K., Margaret Thatcher. It also happens to be her most riveting role.

Theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, revolutionized how we understood the inner workings of the universe. When he was only 21, Hawking was diagnosed with motor neuron disease.

Salma Hayek is a gifted actress who spent seven years trying to get a movie about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo made. Ultimately, it became Hayek’s passion to play Kahlo, and she was clearly born for the role.

Stepping into the role of any famous figure is daunting. So, when Philip Seymour Hoffman took on the role of writer Truman Capote, he was naturally a bit intimidated.

Joaquin Phoenix knew he wanted to play Johnny Cash without even reading the script for Walk the Line. The director, James Mangold, didn’t want Phoenix to do an exact portrayal of Cash, but rather his version of the singer.

Playing Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla-Peréz who tragically died at 23. The movie was a passion project for actress Jennifer Lopez, which helped catapult her career. Lopez stepped into the role when she was 28 years old.