Bombshells playing ugly roles

[PrettySquareGal]

I can't keep track of all the reasons I love Bette Davis, but I think what makes me respect her acting most is that she played, very convincingly, many unattractive and downright hideous characters (but was still beautiful in her own way). Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and Mr. Skeffington are two examples.

Last night I watched "Monster" with Charlize Theron, a role which won her an Oscar. If you haven't seen it, the normally gorgeous gal beautifully portrays the hideous serial killer Aileen Wuornos. It was so shocking to see how much she artfully transformed herself. Of course make-up was an aid, but that kind of acting is truly an art form.

I wish there were more actresses like that. Can you think of any others?

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Cameron Diaz looked absolutely dowdy in "Being John Malkovich", and Tracy Ullman was always pretty good at that sort of role too.
I think the silent film actresses and actors like Lon Chaney were the best at it because they had to be. Lon Chaney was amazing.

 

[Starius]

Nicole Kidman in The Hours comes to mind:

Of course, Ugly Betty is popular on TV these days:

And the Lovely Michelle Pfeiffer in the upcoming Stardust spends at least some of the time as a ugly witch:

These are just a few recent ones that come to mind.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I can't keep track of all the reasons I love Bette Davis, but I think what makes me respect her acting most is that she played, very convincingly, many unattractive and downright hideous characters (but was still beautiful in her own way). Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and Mr. Skeffington are two examples.

Last night I watched "Monster" with Charlize Theron, a role which won her an Oscar. If you haven't seen it, the normally gorgeous gal beautifully portrays the hideous serial killer Aileen Wuornos. It was so shocking to see how much she artfully transformed herself. Of course make-up was an aid, but that kind of acting is truly an art form.

I wish there were more actresses like that. Can you think of any others?

Righto!! "Monster" was incredibly disturbing! Not only because it was based on a true story, but also because of the believeability of Charlize Theron. She was as perfect as it gets in that role. Haunted me for days afterwards.

-dixon cannon

 

[PrettySquareGal]

Righto!! "Monster" was incredibly disturbing! Not only because it was based on a true story, but also because of the believeability of Charlize Theron. She was as perfect as it gets in that role. Haunted me for days afterwards.

-dixon cannon

I agree! I actually went to YouTube and watched a couple of videos of the real Aileen and was again shocked, not at just how scary she was, but at how eerily Charlize got all of her mannerisms down. (I guess I'm wondering if she was possessed or something. No, seriously. I'm scared. lol But it's not funny.)

 

[Hondo]

Monster

I know what you mean, I can not sit through and watch that movie, it is so despicable, terrible, with that ugly insane woman. Charlize Theron did an outstanding job, but face it she had all that makeup to transform her into that Monster. It just scares the living crap out of me, that there are people like that STILL out there, a living nightmare, waiting to happen.

 

[Rosie]

Christina Ricci was pretty good and a bit dowdy in Monster also.

 

[Paisley]

Audrey Hepburn was miscast in Funny Face.

Goldie Hawn played an overweight wretch in Death Becomes Her.

The most startling example is Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

 

[dhermann1]

Diana Dors did something late in her career, it might have been "The Amazing Mr Blunden", but I'm not sure. Anyway, she's an old hag and at the final credits they show her name under her image, and she winks at the camera.

 

[patrick1987]

Bombshells playing ugly roles Do you mean the roles are ugly, as in the character is ugly inside? I hope so. I am uncomfortable with women being called ugly. Except for Monster which I haven't seen, and she's not a woman she's a monster.

 

[Starius]

Bombshells playing ugly roles Do you mean the roles are ugly, as in the character is ugly inside? I hope so. I am uncomfortable with women being called ugly. Except for Monster which I haven't seen, and she's not a woman she's a monster.

Thats a good question, I may have totally misconstrued the entire thread.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

It is as the title stated, ugly "roles" which means the character is ugly inside which often is reflected in the person's mannerisms, facial expressions, etc. which can then be understood as ugly without.

I am not referring to bombshells playing nice but plain or homely people.

 

[patrick1987]

Ok, good. Otherwise, large nose, braces, no makeup, glasses, and wrinkles might be construed as ugly when in fact I know many beautiful women with some of these features.
Susan Hayward was good in an ugly role in I Want to Live!

 

[Starius]

Bah, please excuse my first post on account of me being an idiot then!

My foot spends more time in my mouth than it does my shoes.

 

[patrick1987]

lol lol lol Good thing I'd finished my coffee or boy what a mess there'd be! I was thinking of really ugly characters, moreso than just femme fatales who can be evil but are so deliciously attractive. Repellent roles. The library has both Monster and the documentary about the killer, have to check them out.