Quite often, the actors brought to play people who existed in reality. In this case, the logical thing would be to invite the actor who for typecasting similar to its prototype. But it is not always the case. Sometimes the most important selection criterion is the charisma, the ability to transfer the internal state of the character, his character, the ability to transform, as a portrait likeness goes by the wayside.
These roles are very interesting and give space for creativity - because prototypes are usually people with a difficult destiny and complex character. And the actors say, in such cases it is quite difficult to get used to the role. But when that fails born blockbusters, as we see on the screen is not familiar actor, and a completely different person.
Jim Caviezel - Jesus - "The Passion of the Christ"
Val Kilmer - Jim Morrison - "The Doors"
Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb - Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen - "Sid and Nancy"
Hilary Swank - Brandon Ting - "Boys Do not Cry"
Hilary Swank - Amelia Earhart - "Amelie"
Johnny Depp - Hunter S. Thompson - "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"
Johnny Depp - John Dillinger - "Public Enemies"
Jared Leto - John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman - "Chapter 27"
Beyonce Knowles - Etta James - «Cadillac Records»
Josh Brolin - George W. Bush - «W»
Charlize Theron - Eileen Atkins - "the Beast"
Sean Penn - Milk - "Milk"
Robert De Niro - Jake LaMotta - "Raging Bull"
Jeffrey Wright - Jean-Michel Basquiat - "Basquiat"
Leonardo DiCaprio - Jim Carroll - "The Basketball Diaries"
Leonardo DiCaprio - Arthur Rimbaud - "Total Eclipse"
Leonardo DiCaprio - Frank Abagnale - "Catch Me If You Can"
Jim Carrey - Andy Kaufman - "Man on the Moon"
Vincent Cassel - Jacques Mesrine - "Enemy of the State №1»
Morgan Freeman - Nelson Mandela - "Invictus and Mandela"
Elizabeth Taylor - Cleopatra - "Cleopatra"
Russell Crowe - John Nash - "A Beautiful Mind"
Meryl Streep - Julia Child - "Julie and Julia"
Liam Neeson - Oskar Schindler - "Schindler's List"
Angelina Jolie - Christine Collins - "Changeling"
Marion Cotillard - Edith Piaf - "Vie en Rose"
John Lone - Pu - "The Last Emperor"
Salma Hayek - Frida Kahlo - "Frida"
Javier Bardem - Ramon Sampedro - "The Sea Inside"
Nicole Kidman - Virginia Woolf - "The Hours"
Brad Pitt - Jesse James - "The Assassination of Jesse James"
Denzel Washington - Frank Lucas - "American Gangster"
Will Smith - Muhammad Ali - "Ali"
Mark Harmon - Ted Bundy - "Beware the stranger"
Macaulay Culkin - Michael Alig - "Party Monster"
Jamie Foxx - Ray Charles - "Ray"
Julia Roberts - Erin Brockovich - "Erin Brockovich"
Daniel Day Lewis - Gerry Conlon - "In the Name of the Father"
Forest Whitaker - Ugan Idi Amin - "The Last King of Scotland"
Bernard Hill - Edward Smith - "Titanic"
Victor Garber - Thomas Andrews - "Titanic"
Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty - Bonnie and Clyde - "Bonnie and Clyde"
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Truman Capote - "Capote"
Helen Mirren - Elizabeth II - «Queen»
Joaquin Phoenix - Johnny Cash - "Walk the Line"