# Actors who become unrecognizable when old **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 26, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081 "2017-03-26T17:41:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/1 "2017-03-26T17:41:44Z")
With most actors even when they get really old you can still make out the youthful star (although sometimes it takes a while before the light dawns). I’ve been trying to come up with people that are practically unrecognizable and without a clue you might not be able to say who it is at all. Mickey Rourke might be an example. I really was shocked a few years ago by his appearance; looking closely I could see the young Mickey there but if I’d come across the photo without knowing who it was I wouldn’t have examined it so carefully and I think I would have totally missed him. [Young Rourke](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/00/e4/d3/00e4d3fc954d3b3834e5f841e197f507.jpg) [Old Rourke](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTM0MzYwNDA2MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDYzMjg4Mw@@._V1_.jpg) Any actors equally unrecognizable or more so than Rourke when they’re old? ---
**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 26, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/2 "2017-03-26T17:45:44Z")
Warren Beatty has turned into Milton Berle. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/3 "2017-03-26T18:02:55Z")
Rourke is pretty much the poster boy for this category. His overt plastic surgery mid-career didn’t help. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/4 "2017-03-26T18:04:32Z")
If I hadn’t known Supergirl’s Jeremiah Danvers was played by Dean Cain I would have never guessed. ---
**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 26, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/5 "2017-03-26T18:24:55Z")
I barely recognized Robert Redford in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”. In fact, my wife and I debated whether it was him or not for a while until one of us pulled up IMDb and confirmed it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/6 "2017-03-26T18:40:38Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > If I hadn’t known Supergirl’s Jeremiah Danvers was played by Dean Cain I would have never guessed. Wow, a few years ago, he looked like Superman, still. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/7 "2017-03-26T18:46:12Z")
I find some of these examples surprising. Redford, to me, just looks like an older version of his younger self. And Jeremiah Danvers Dean Cain just looks like a puffy version of Superman Dean Cain. OTOH, Actual Carrie Fisher in The Force Awakens had ventured deeper in the Uncanny Valley for me than digital Carrie Fisher in Rouge One. A few weeks back on SNL, Pete Davidson had a funny bit during Alec Baldwin’s opening monologue about how compared to his younger self, Baldwin looked like he had been soaking in water for 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/8 "2017-03-26T19:13:44Z")
He’s not really unrecognizable but Vincent D’Onofrio sure did change his look. > **[Vincent D'Onofrio](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_D%27Onofrio)** > > Vincent Philip D'Onofrio (/dəˈnɒfrioʊ/; born June 30, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his supporting and leading roles in both film and television. He has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. > His roles include Private Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence in Full Metal Jacket (1987), Edgar the Bug in Men in Black (1997) and Men in Black: The Series (1997–2001), Carl Stargher in The Cell (2000), New York City Police Detective Robert Goren in Law & Order: Criminal Intent... Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/9 "2017-03-26T19:37:49Z")
[Jennifer Grey](http://chickflicksandbeer.blogspot.com/2011/06/dirty-dancing-1987.html), especially because of the nose job. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/10 "2017-03-26T19:42:33Z")
I would say Diana Rigg is one who you could pass on the street now and not recognize her if you only saw her in _The Avengers_. [http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Diana\_Rigg](http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Diana_Rigg) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/11 "2017-03-26T19:53:44Z")
He’s not old now, but I was gobsmacked to learn recently that that was Michael Shannon playing Fred in _Groundhog Day_. ---
**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:** [March 26, 2017, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/12 "2017-03-26T20:00:28Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > OTOH, Actual Carrie Fisher in The Force Awakens had ventured deeper in the Uncanny Valley for me than digital Carrie Fisher in Rouge One. I didn’t see _Rogue One_, but agree on Fisher. Just couldn’t see any traces of her younger self in her later years. Maybe just a bit in _Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back_. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/13 "2017-03-26T20:12:05Z")
Marlon Brando. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/14 "2017-03-26T20:13:51Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Marlon Brando. If you think Brando became unrecognizable before, you should see him now. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/15 "2017-03-26T20:17:22Z")
> [@astro](#): > > He’s not really unrecognizable but Vincent D’Onofrio sure did change his look. > [Vincent D'Onofrio - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_D%27Onofrio) > > Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk He’s made an appearance in the new Fox series “Shots Fired”. I honestly didn’t recognize him with that extra hundred pounds hes sporting. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/16 "2017-03-26T22:22:56Z")
[Teri Garr](http://www.snakkle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Teri-Garr-SPLIT.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/17 "2017-03-26T22:35:44Z")
[Grace Slick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Slick#/media/File:GraceSlick2008.jpg), though not an actor. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/18 "2017-03-26T22:40:58Z")
Matthew Lewis: [http://www.newnownext.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Matthew-Lewis-said-he-wore-fat-suit-fake-teeth-plastic.jpg?width=300&height=300](http://www.newnownext.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Matthew-Lewis-said-he-wore-fat-suit-fake-teeth-plastic.jpg?width=300&height=300) [![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/14/19/3029695700000578-3399843-image-a-14_1452800736935.jpg) ](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/14/19/3029695700000578-3399843-image-a-14_1452800736935.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/19 "2017-03-26T22:42:03Z")
My wife and I started watching Very British Problems on Netflix. Two or three times they talked to a guy in a bar who looked and talked like the stereotype boozehound salesman getting wasted after losing his job. About the third time they showed him talking they finally put his name on the screen. It was Rich Hall.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081/20 "2017-03-26T23:20:25Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Rourke is pretty much the poster boy for this category. His overt plastic surgery mid-career didn’t help. Likewise, his foray into professional boxing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-become-unrecognizable-when-old/783081.md?page=2)