10 Actors Who Look Exactly Like The Characters They Played

When hiring for a film that features either real life figures or easily recognizable characters, casting directors are really just looking for good actors whose likeness can pass in the role.

Hell, sometimes they’ll even compromise on the good actor part. Under normal circumstances, that is. Because every once in a while, the stars will align and there will just happen to be a really strong actor who could pass for the character in question’s twin.

Those are very special days, my friends. When you’ve got the physical resemblance and a great performance to go along with it, you’re almost guaranteed that your film will not suck. Here are some actors that made us do a double take when we saw them starring in some very recognizable roles.

10. Robert Downey Jr – Charlie Chaplin

One of the best kept secrets of Hollywood’s silent era of cinema is the fact that Charlie Chaplin was actually kind of a hottie. There’s a reason why he was pretty much always bedding and marrying young, attractive starlets (sometimes over 18, sometimes not, but hey, it was the 20s). Anyway, it makes perfect sense that they would cast Robert Downey Jr in his biopic. After all, RDJ has charisma, a keen sense of physical comedy and, as it turns out, more than a passing resemblance to the Tramp himself. You need only see him in costume and makeup, perfectly imitating Chaplin’s signature walk, before you need to blink a few times and double-check Netflix to make sure you didn’t accidentally put on one of Charlie’s silent films instead.

9. James Dean – James Franco

Long ago, back before James Franco was known for being a professional Renaissance man, someone at a casting office noticed that the talented young actor bore a striking resemblance to the late James Dean. He was then fittingly cast as the legendary actor in a made-for-TV biopic, a performance which earned him a Golden Globe and made audiences everywhere really sit up and take notice. Both actors are handsome, of course, but the similarities go far beyond that. Franco, with his enigmatic nature and enthralling screen presence, seemed to channel the same energy that made Dean a pop culture icon.

(Excerpt) Read More at: WhatCulture.com