Movie lovers and tech fans, if you think a superhero’s powers are cool, wait until you see the prosthetic transformations in Hollywood’s biggest films. From wizards with scars to robotic warriors, these prosthetics do more than change an actor’s appearance—they turn them into unrecognizable characters.
Ryan Reynolds / Deadpool
Ryan Reynolds is known for his charm, but in Deadpool, he transformed into a scarred vigilante. To make it realistic, the makeup team used nine silicon prosthetics just on his head. Talk about dedication!
Johnny Depp / Alice in Wonderland
In Alice in Wonderland, Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter look was inspired by “Hatter’s Disease,” caused by chemicals used in hat-making. His skin was made pale with orange accents, giving him the look of someone who had been exposed to toxic fumes.
Angelina Jolie / Salt
In Salt, Angelina Jolie went undercover as a man, and it was so convincing that even her son didn’t recognize her at first. Apparently, Brad Pitt wasn’t a fan of her “manly” makeover, refusing to kiss her with the fake mustache.
Richard Brake / Game of Thrones
The Night King’s look in Game of Thrones took weeks to design. The prosthetic team made a cast of his head, and Richard Brake spent hours in the makeup chair to become the iconic character.
Ralph Fiennes / Harry Potter
Voldemort’s look in Harry Potter was unforgettable. The makeup team gave him near-transparent skin and snake-like nostrils, with slits instead of regular nostrils, using prosthetics like fake teeth and vein tattoos.
Jim Carrey / How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Jim Carrey really embraced the Grinch character, spending hours in makeup to transform into the iconic green figure. The process involved applying layers of prosthetics, including hairpieces to make him look furry.
Emma Thompson / Nanny McPhee
In Nanny McPhee, Emma Thompson’s makeup turned her into a hag with a mole, snaggle-tooth, and unibrow. It’s amazing that her acting still shone through all the prosthetics.
Jennifer Lawrence / X-Men
In X-Men, Jennifer Lawrence spent seven hours in makeup to become Mystique, with her entire body painted blue. Six people helped with the process.
Ian McKellen / Lord of the Rings
To become Gandalf, Ian McKellen wore a prosthetic nose, long hair, and a beard. He even asked for a smaller nose after seeing the initial design.
Brendan Gleeson / Harry Potter
Brendan Gleeson’s Mad-Eye Moody took hours of makeup. His face had prosthetics and an animatronic eye, which took two and a half hours to apply each day.
These transformations show just how much effort goes into bringing movie characters to life.