14 Actors Who Played Real Historical Figures Flawlessly

Some actors are known for their vibrant personalities. It's not their performances so much as themselves that earns acclaim. This results in a series of movies where they more or less play the idea of themselves. Other actors, however, go beyond the surface to inhabit historical figures with uncanny accuracy.

Be it methods or singular inspiration, thespians can find the role of a lifetime when playing a historical figure. Some of them, like Val Kilmer in "The Doors," dig so deep into their character that they almost lose themselves in the process. As such, let's explore 14 actors who played real historical figures flawlessly. Their performances are so lifelike and true to form they almost transcend the art of acting.

A vibrant, passionate film, 2002's "Frida" also had the right casting in Salma Hayek. Not only does she look quite similar to famous 20th-century artist Frida Kahlo, but she plays the icon to perfection. Hayek earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her effortless inhabiting of the role.

Whereas other biopic films explore the full length of famous figures' lives, 2011's "My Week with Marilyn" explores a single week of shooting the movie "The Princess and the Showgirl" starring Marilyn Monroe. Michelle Williams looks like Monroe but really nails her particular vocal inflection. For her performance, Williams earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

2011's "The Iron Lady" is one of those films you wish was better considering the fantastic performance of its main character. Meryl Streep, already a legend in her own right, artfully inhabits the life and times of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Frankly, her performance is so good it's almost uncanny. Though the film received mixed reviews, it won Streep a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. It also, rightfully, won an Academy Award for Best Makeup (Streep looks exactly like Thatcher).

The 1997 biopic "Selena" introduced the world to legendary Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla and her tragic early death. It also brought then-unknown singer and actor Jennifer Lopez worldwide acclaim. Lopez's stellar performance received a nomination for Golden Globe Best Actress and established her as the highest-paid Latina actress of the 1990s.

An unconventional biopic, 2007's "I'm Not There" explores the life and music of Bob Dylan through wildly different characters, motivations, and timeframes. Furthermore, a depiction of Bob Dylan only happens briefly, but it's portrayed by Cate Blanchett with perfection. She looks like him, sings like him, and emits an aura of mysterious gravitas that befits the folk-rock legend. For her brief but airtight depiction, Blanchett won a Golden Globe for Best Actress and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Even glimpsing one scene from 2006's "The Queen" illustrates how perfectly fitting Helen Mirren was for the role of Queen Elizabeth II. While Mirren underwent vocal coaching to nail that royal accent, she naturally shared physical features with the Queen. So much so, that cast and crew members fixed their posture every time Mirren entered the room. She swept the Award show season, winning Best Actress at the Academy Awards, BAFTAs, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and more.

Oliver Stone's 1991 biopic of The Doors and its enigmatic lead singer Jim Morrison was controversial, divisive, and displeased the real-life band members. No one could deny, however, that Val Kilmer inhabited the role of Morrison with eerie accuracy. To prepare, Kilmer reportedly lost weight and spent the better part of six months rehearsing The Doors' songs until the original band could not tell their voices apart.

An epic film on a historical scale, Richard Attenborough's Gandhi swept the Awards season in 1983. It won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. The latter was thanks to Ben Kingsley's stunning portrayal of Indian lawyer and activist Mahatma Gandhi.

Though actor Jessie Eisenberg isn't known for his wide range, controversial tech entrepreneur and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg fit perfectly in his wheelhouse for 2010's "The Social Network". Shot in precise David Fincher style, the film received eight Academy Award nominations. Ultimately, it won three, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing.

Though it's considerably older than the other films on this list, 1956's "Lust for Life" features a stellar performance by Kirk Douglas as famed and troubled painter Vincent Van Gogh. For his work, Douglas won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama.

Some actors perform so well that they transcend the conventions of their job. Take, for example, Denzel Washington as civil rights leader and firebrand Malcolm X. He inhabits the role so completely that you forget that he's an actor. While he failed to pick up an Academy Award, it remains one of the most incredible historical performances in film history.

With a reputation for zany, almost surreal comedic stylings, Jim Carrey was the perfect person to play unconventional comedian and real-life figure Andy Kaufman. While the film commercially underperformed and received mixed reviews, even the most exacting critic couldn't deny how well Carrey inhabited Kaufman's different personas and temperaments.

Bombshell Charlize Theron is practically unrecognizable as Aileen Wuornos, a real-life serial killer. For her critically acclaimed role in 2003's biopic "Monster", Theron put on 30 pounds, shaved her eyebrows, and wore prosthetic teeth. This won her an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Arguably one of the best performances of a real-life figure in history goes to Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln." Already a celebrated method actor, Day-Lewis fully inhabits President Abraham Lincoln. He radiates Lincoln's calm confidence and even looks like him too. For his high-watermark performance, Day-Lewis won an Academy Award for Best Actor, his third in this category.