Ramblings of a Movie Junkie: Friday's Five Faves-Chameleons

Today's Five Favorites are Actors and Actresses that I think look different in a lot of their roles. Ever see a movie and then realize that it's....so and so who played a completely different role and looked different and acted different in so many of their roles? They just emerge themselves into the characters they are playing and completely transform themselves. Sometimes it's not even about the hair and make-up and wardrobe. Sometimes it's just how they act and they become the character and you forget the actor/actress that they really are.

This was hard for me because there are so many good ones. I originally had a list of about ten, but ten doesn't start with an "f", so it doesn't go with the whole Friday Five Favorite theme...so, I thought and I thought...and I crossed people off the list and put them back on again...but I finally came up with my list. My apologies to Daniel Day Lewis, Vincent D'Onofrio, James Caviezel, Charlize Theron, and the two that kept going on and off my list several times: Billy Crudup and Gerard Butler.

And I also have to mention Heath Ledger. He could have been the one. He showed so much promise, was so good right from the start. It's a shame we will never know how much more he could have given the audience.

There. I feel a little better mentioning them. Now, on to my Five Favorite Chameleons.

NUMBER FIVE-
Julie Walters:

Have you seen this woman? Chances are you have and you didn't even know who she was. We all know her as Mrs. Weasley, the redheaded mom of the redheaded Weasley brood in the Harry Potter Movies.

But, did you know that same woman is the fiesty member of Donna and the Dynamos in the movie musical Mama Mia?

And she completely blew me away as the aging, eccentric actress in Driving Lessons. Even though she played opposite her Harry Potter co-star, Rupert Grint, I never saw a Weasley in this film. Ever.

NUMBER FOUR-
Sacha Baron Cohen:

Not a big Sacha Baron Cohen fan, but I give him lots of credit for transforming himself in every role he takes on. Even if it's the ridiculous Bruno.

Or Borat, the character that put him on the charts.

Or the very funny French Car Racing Enemy in Ricky Bobby.

My favorite has to be from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. That's when I really sat up and noticed that this comic shock valued actor can really impress.

NUMBER THREE-
Jude Law:

This pretty boy has taken on several roles where you lose the whole Jude Law person and just see the character he has portrayed. There are several roles where I had to remind myself that yes, it is indeed Jude Law.

When he was the android, Gigolo Joe in Artificial Intelligence: AI.

Or the evil villain opposite Tom Hanks in Road to Perdition.

The dirty, scruffy, sickly looking, love torn Civil War Confederate Soldier in Cold Mountain.

Or the lovable widower and father in The Holiday.

NUMBER TWO-
Viggo Mortensen:

He would be number one, but his beautiful, unique eyes give him away ever time. This is a very handsome man that knows when to be handsome, when to be ugly, when to be the hero and when to be the villain. He transforms himself every single time.

Forget the Hobbits and Gollum and the elves and fairies. He is the star of all three Lord of the Rings movies.

He does western very well, from Hidalgo to Appaloosa and even Young Guns II.

He played angry, mean, cool, and cold with a twist in Eastern Promises.

And he can even do romance, like in 28 Days.

And I'm looking forward to seeing him in The Road, playing a father in a post Apocalyptic future. The DVD is sitting on my coffee table, just waiting to be watched.

NUMBER ONE-
Gary Oldman:

This man is probably one of the most versatile actors of all times. He looks different in every single role he has ever played in. From the latest Batman movies to Harry Potter. From Sid and Nancy to The Fifth Element to The Unborn to JFK to The Scarlett Letter to Dracula...and on and on and on and on.

I'm just gonna post a bunch of pictures. You judge for yourself.