# Actors/actresses that you consistently fail to recognize **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211 "2019-11-09T18:05:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/21 "2019-11-12T18:30:01Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > I don’t know why but Vincent D’Onofrio always seems to confuse me. > [@kayaker](#): > > [Proof That Vincent D’Onofrio Is A Shape-Shifter](https://www.buzzfeed.com/alannabennett/is-your-face-a-conspiracy) In the world I inhabit, Vincent D’Onofrio IS Private Pyle and he died many years ago in a latrine along with R. Lee Emery (whom I have never failed to recognize), so I never recognize him in any other role except his TV gig on Law and Order where there were constant reminders on at least a half dozen networks. Even when I know he is playing a role, I tend to not recognize him. This was most recently demonstrated when I was watching the remake of The Magnificent Seven and I wondered who was playing the character who is obviously based upon my (still living) uncle. After looking it up on IMDb, I was surprised to recall that I had known it was D’Onofrio from when the movie was first released and still didn’t recognize him. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/22 "2019-11-12T19:27:07Z")
Vincent D’Onofrio was Thor on Adventures in Babysitting??? It’s going to take some time to process that. I was watching Criminal Minds and didn’t recognize one of the characters. Later found out it was René Auberjonois. To me he’s Clayton on Benson. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/23 "2019-11-13T06:26:38Z")
Huh. Auberjonois is one actor I _never_ fail to recognize. Young, old, covered in prosthetics…the shape of his face is obvious to me. Fr Mulcahy, Clayton Endicott III, Odo…couldn’t fail to recognize him. [Edit - also the sound of his voice - I immediately pegged Mr House as him, as well.] ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/24 "2019-11-13T12:26:24Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Huh. Auberjonois is one actor I _never_ fail to recognize. > > Young, old, covered in prosthetics…the shape of his face is obvious to me. > > Fr Mulcahy, Clayton Endicott III, Odo…couldn’t fail to recognize him. > > [Edit - also the sound of his voice - I immediately pegged Mr House as him, as well.] I confess… I am bad at recognizing actors. Frequently I will be watching something, go to IMDB to look something up and see that one of the actors was someone I knew. So, my answer to the question is “almost everybody”. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/25 "2019-11-13T14:10:28Z")
Gary Oldman is my top pick for actors who can melt into their parts. I think he took over for Robert Duval. Tilda Swinton can be shockingly unrecognizable (Trainwreck). ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/26 "2019-11-13T14:22:52Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > All of them! > > I have a pretty bad case of [face blindness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopagnosia), and it makes watching movies a challenge. > All it takes is a scene change with new outfits for me to not know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. Mine is milder but I really tend not to recognize faces unless it ‘sticks’. Michael Ironside sticks. Ryan Gosling doesn’t. Nor does Tim Roth. Or Gary Oldman. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/27 "2019-11-13T14:59:19Z")
I’ll put in a vote for Arlene Martel. I recognize her now, but I still remember looking her up on IMDb once and being surprised how many things I’d seen her in without recognizing her. > [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Huh. Auberjonois is one actor I _never_ fail to recognize. > > Young, old, covered in prosthetics…the shape of his face is obvious to me. > > Fr Mulcahy, Clayton Endicott III, Odo…couldn’t fail to recognize him. > > [Edit - also the sound of his voice - I immediately pegged Mr House as him, as well.] Yep, instantly recognizable. I even remember him from guest roles on _The Rockford Files_, and _The Bob Newhart Show_. > [@kitap](#): > > Mine is milder but I really tend not to recognize faces unless it ‘sticks’. Michael Ironside sticks. Ryan Gosling doesn’t. Nor does Tim Roth. Or Gary Oldman. I tend to get Roth and Oldman mixed up. The first time I ever saw either of them was in the same movie, and they even got themselves mixed up. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/28 "2019-11-13T19:00:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I was about to mention Oldman. He does a great job with his roles, but none of them look the slightest bit like each other. I came across a photo once of Gary Oldman head shots in a bunch of roles, and no two looked alike. They could have been different people. Below that was a montage of Jason Statham head shots in a bunch of roles, and they’re all basically identical. Wish I’d kept it. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/29 "2019-11-13T19:09:45Z")
Pretty much anyone under 40. I don’t watch awards shows, but I like to look at the Red Carpet slideshows the next day. I just looked at one recently with about 40 people in it, and I didn’t recognize one single person! I stand in the checkout line at the grocery store and look at the magazine covers-- even People, a magazine I used to love!-- and I have no idea who those people are. Well, I recognize the British Royal family, but that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/30 "2019-11-13T21:26:00Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > [Proof That Vincent D’Onofrio Is A Shape-Shifter](https://www.buzzfeed.com/alannabennett/is-your-face-a-conspiracy) I would really like to whip whoever made that page with a mouse cord until they figure out how to resize a picture without distorting its proportions. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/31 "2022-03-13T22:36:00Z")
Bumping this because it has happened yet again. That Expedia (?) ad that’s been running lately with the guy with the Scots accent? I must have seen it a dozen times or more before it finally clicked that it was Ewan MacGregor. 🤦🏻‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/32 "2022-03-14T18:41:05Z")
Gary Oldman was the first one I thought of when I read the thread title, so not surprised the OP mentioned him right off the bat. Jennifer Grey post-nose job. My wife and I just saw her in a sitcom called Dollface the other day, in a guest appearance playing Kat Denning’s mom. My wife, who is much better with faces than me, said, is that Jennifer Grey? Me: I don’t think so. Maybe, though? Wife: I’m 70 to 80% sure it’s her, but…maybe not? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/33 "2022-03-14T21:29:17Z")
I also have “pretty bad” face blindness. There are many faces I simply never recognize, and the one that comes to mind is Matthew McConnaughey. I really like him as an actor but I swear I wouldn’t recognize him if he stood up in my soup. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211/34 "2022-03-14T22:00:38Z")
Speaking of René Auberjonois(who played Odo on _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_ under make up and prosthetic —there have been quite a few times I would recognize an actor’s voice and not be able to remember who they are. And then I would look online and realize “Oh he played a Klingon(or Ferengi) in Star Trek under make-up and prosthetic and this is what he really looks like.” Armin Shimmerman. Aron Eisenberg. Casey Biggs. Andrew Robinson. Marc Alaimo. John Billingsley. Robert O’Reilly. Among others. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-that-you-consistently-fail-to-recognize/843211.md?page=1)