Claire Danes as Temple Grandin.
There’s a difference between “overweight” and “ugly.”
Yeah, but if an actor who is typically thin and fit gains a lot of weight, it can make them look unattractive. Not necessarily, but possibly.
Johnny Depp in half his movies.
Not sure how attractive these two are normally considered, but Gary Oldman in *Hannibal *is gruesome looking, and Edward Norton as the leprous king in *Kingdom of Heaven *is mostly masked, but there is a brief glimpse of his disfigured face.
This discussion reminded me of another example: Gwyneth Paltrow in Shallow Hal.
Steve Martin in Roxane . . . don’t know if that counts; he’s handsome but not primarily known for his beauty, and all he did was put on a fake nose; but the story is about his body dysmorphia.
Lea Thompson in frowzy old-age makeup as Marty McFly’s mom in Back to the Future. Can’t find a picture online.
William Shatner, likewise, in the original Star Trek episode “The Deadly Years”: http://uncletaz.com/tazimgz/startrekimg/Kirk_prematurely_aged,_The_Deadly_Years.jpg
And Dustin Hoffman, as the very old Jack Crabb in Little Big Man: http://static.thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/files/2010/01/littlebigman.jpg
Just watched Hilary Swank in Conviction and props to Juliette Lewis, broken teeth and all.
I always thought Lon Chaney was pretty handsome (not pretty…he’s a bit too craggy for that) without all his slap on.
Also, seconding Cameron Diaz in Being John Malkovitch.
I don’t remember her being in that movie. What was her role?
No love.disgust for R De Niro in “Raging Bull”? He looked downright sad at the end, what with the weight and the cauliflowering and so forth.
Hold on here folks… is the OP talking about actual physical transformations, or just makeup transformations? Those are two very different things. I thought the OP was asking about actual physical transformations, since his answer of Charlize Theron. However, I have no idea what Jared Leto did in Chapter 27.
Eric Stoltz, for example, was all make-up. I thought he did a great job in that movie, but the make-up department did better.
Charlize Theron - the actual weight gain and loss was all her. That’s impressive.
Roberd De Niro - Raging Bull. He went through a 50 lb weight swing in that movie.
In Full Metal Jacket, Vincent D’onofrio had to gain and lose 40 lbs or so to play Private Pyle.
Tom Hanks losing 40 lbs or so in Castaway
I don’t know if Renée Zellweger counts for Bridgett Jones Diary. I heard she put on weight for the role, but I don’t know if that’s true.
These types of transformations are in my mind what should count.
Oh, and let’s not forget Quentin Tarantino, who is the ugliest man ever committed to film on purpose.
Kristen Bell in You Again. Although personally, I found the thick glasses, acne, and $8 haircut to make her even hotter, but I’m attracted to nerds.
He ate nothing but McDonalds Fish Sandwiches and drank nothing but melted ice cream in order to gain weight for the film. He also got gout in the process.
John Hurt in The Elephant Man
Unless we’re ruling out makeup
“Bridget Jones’s Diary.” And she has never looked more beautiful in a movie. Look at her at the end when she’s kissing Colin Firth. Wow.
For some reason he reminds me of Hugh Laurie in this picture, if Hugh Laurie put on some weight.
I don’t know what you’re talking about… he ROCKED that haircut and those late '70s/early '80s clothes.
ETA: Oh, and as for the OP, the only one that comes to mind that someone else hasn’t already mentioned is Ryan Reynolds in Just Friends (makeup only, AFAIK).
Yeah, but in her case, she doesn’t have all that far to go.
Amy Sedaris in Strangers with Candy.
Eww. Aren’t there much more fun ways to get fat?