When it comes to memorable movie roles, and pure Oscar bait, there is no better vehicle than a character that transforms an actor into someone unrecognizable. We’ve compiled an impressive list of actors and actresses who took themselves “off,” and put other people “on” in order to bring that actor-truth to the screen. Some won Oscars for their roles, while others have yet to get their proper due for stellar work. Bottom line, there’s no denying the power packed in the punches of these characters. Here are the 12 most shocking transformations for movie roles.
12. John Travolta — Michael
John has put on several characters throughout his illustrious career, probably few as enjoyable as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever and Staying Alive, though Vincent Vega (Pulp Fiction) comes in a close second. That said, there is still a role that he enjoyed in the mid-1990s–after Pulp Fiction–in which he played a very interesting version of the angel, Michael. In the film named after the titular character, John Travolta served to fulfill purpose in this flick, and he did so by scrapping every idea of an angelic presence from the plate, and building off a foundation of fat. He was a sugar addicted, chain smoking, womanizing fatty. A rom-com dandy.
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