12 Actors Who Played Characters So Iconic It’s Hard To Recognize Them In Other Roles

It is very common for the public to identify some actors with a specific character. In general, this is due to the strength and uniqueness of the role played, in addition to the impact it ends up having on your career. In extreme cases, actors end up being remembered more by the name of the character they played than by their own name. When that happens, it’s hard to continue your career; that is, although the actors work in countless other films and series, they often end up being remembered for one or another prominent role.

Thinking about it, the awesome.club singled out some actors who played iconic characters they are almost always associated with.

Many people look at Jeffrey Dean Morgan and immediately think of the character of Denny Duquette, the patient optimist in love with Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), on Grey’s Anatomy. The actor has participated in many other projects, including movies and series, but for many people he will always be Denny.

Jeffrey starred in P.S. I Love You, Supernatural and, most recently, played the role of Negan on the award-winning series The Walking Dead.

Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, played by Rami Malek, is one of the historical characters who comes to life in the movie Night at the Museum. Although the actor has worked on many other blockbuster productions, such as The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 and the Mr. Robot, Rami Malek is often remembered for his incredible portrayal of rock legend Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the band Queen, in the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody. In addition to rave reviews from experts and the general public, the actor won many awards, including the Oscar for best actor.

When we saw the blue beings that inhabited the planet Pandora, in the movie Avatar (2009), we knew little about the actress who gave life to one of the protagonists (Neytiri) of this incredible science fiction story. Interestingly, behind all that makeup and many special effects, Zoe Saldaña’s face was hidden.

A few years later, she transformed into another character and became part of one of the Marvel movies. Yes, she was responsible for bringing Gamora to life in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Lupita Nyong’o shot to fame with her role in 12 Years a Slave, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. However, one of the most striking characters in the actress’s life — almost always remembered — is the warrior Nakia, from the Marvel movie, Black Panther.

Despite the almost zero resemblance between actress and character, Lupita was also in charge of giving life to Maz Kanata, a figure from another planet in the hit Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Anyone who likes the Harry Potter saga knows that Molly Weasley is Ron’s mother. The character was played by actress Julie Walters, a face that is usually associated with this universe.

That is, many people only think of this role when they look at the actress, but what they don’t know is that Julie Walters has a long career and has worked in many other successful films, including the famous Mamma Mia! and its sequence. Yes, both had her brilliant participation in the role of Rosie.

Claire Foy played the young Queen Elizabeth II in the popular series The Crown. The role was so successful that many people always think of it when they look at the actress, after all, she managed an exceptional performance and ended up looking very similar to the British monarch in her youth.

But do not think that this is the only work of the actress’s life. In fact, simultaneously with the recording of the series, Claire also played Lisbeth Salander in the fourth film of the Millennium saga: The Girl in the Spider’s Web.

Actress Emma Thompson’s versatility is something that always impresses. She is able to interpret the most different types of characters, but one of her most remembered roles (although it is not very easy to identify her in the film) is Nanny McPhee, in the super fun Nanny McPhee, the Enchanted Nanny.

However, did you know that a year earlier she worked on the Harry Potter saga? Yes, that’s right. The actress gave life to the charismatic teacher Sybil Trelawney.

Home Alone is one of the most popular films of the 1990s. In it, Catherine O’Hara plays Kate, mother of Kevin, the boy left at home (Macaulay Culkin), and she does everything to return and spend Christmas next to the son.

While many people always think of this role when they look at the actress, it’s important to point out that she never stopped working. Recently, we could see her alongside actor Eugene Levy, in the series Schitt’s Creek, with a different hair color and much more makeup.

Nymphadora Tonks is a metamorphmagus: she is noted for her changes in hair color and her ability to change her physical appearance to mimic other people. She is part of the Order tasked with protecting Harry Potter, played by actress Natalia Tena from the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

The actress has also appeared in the recent series The Mandalorian; oddly enough, she’s the one hiding behind all of Xi’an’s makeup and make-up.

In 2002, Velma, the smart and passionate girl from the movie Scooby-Doo, was played by actress Linda Cardellini.

The hairstyle, glasses and all the characterization of this classic character made the actress go unnoticed by many viewers. Perhaps for this reason, few people realized that she also plays Laura Barton, wife of the superhero Hawkeye in both the film Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Endgame.

Few people know, but Oscar Isaac played the villain Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse. With a very different appearance, the actor was also in charge of bringing Poe Dameron to life in the Star Wars films, since 2015. Who would have thought that the two characters were played by the same person, right?

In 2004, a new version of Peter Pan hit the cinema and delighted the public. However, what perhaps not everyone noticed is that the actor who gave life to the villain Captain Hook is the same one who played one of the most famous villains in the Harry Potter saga. Yes, it’s the same actor who played Lucius Malfoy, Draco’s father.

Do you know other actors who are almost always remembered for a specific character? If you have any ideas, be sure to share them in the comments.