Lily James, Sebastian Stan and More Stars Who Look Identical to the Real People They Played

Lily James and Sebastian Stan broke the internet with their epic makeovers as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. See more stars who transformed into real-life people for roles.

By Alyssa Morin May 08, 2021 9:22 PMTags
Watch: Anthony Mackie & Sebastian Stan Tease "Falcon and the Winter Soldier"

Seeing double!

It's not every day a celebrity transforms into a fellow star, public figure or infamous person. But when it does happen, it's pure magic.

Case in point? Lily James and Sebastian Stan dropped jaws and left everyone in awe with their transformations for their new roles, in which they are playing one of Hollywood's sexiest couples: Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.

On Friday, May 7, Hulu sent pop culture fans into a frenzy after releasing the first official images of its upcoming miniseries, Pam & Tommy. Plus, the two leads shared behind-the-scenes portraits of themselves to show off their epic makeovers.

"Love Bites," Sebastian captioned his Instagram, with Lily writing, "It's great to be blonde. With low expectations it's very easy to surprise people."

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier actor posted another image of himself in character and added a quote from the Mötley Crüe rocker: "We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing."

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Check Out the Most Surprising Celeb Transformations of the Week

Of course, the English actress and Sebastian aren't the only stars to emulate some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Taron Egerton recently portrayed music legend, Elton John, while Kerry Washington previously played public figure and lawyer Anita Hill.

Scroll through our gallery below to see which celebrities have aced playing real-life people.

Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball

The Oscar-winning actress plays the late I Love Lucy star in Aaron Sorkin's film Being the Ricardos.

Lily James as Pamela Anderson

The English actress transformed into one of Hollywood's most celebrated sex symbols, Pamela Anderson, for the upcoming Hulu miniseries, Pam & Tommy.

Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee

The actor dropped jaws after showing off his epic makeover as the Mötley Crüe rock star, Tommy Lee. Sebastian will play the musician for the new Hulu miniseries, Pam & Tommy.

Christian Serratos as Selena Quintanilla

The actress portrayed the late Tejano star and Mexican American legend, Selena Quintanilla, for the Netflix show, Selena: The Series.

Andra Day as Billie Holiday

Andra Day earned her first Golden Globe win for her role as the iconic singer in the biopic, The United States Vs. Billie Holiday.

Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly

The Oscar winner and chameleon extraordinaire had fans doing a double-take when the trailer for Bombshell first premiered. In it, Charlize stars alongside Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie as the Fox News employees who helped take Roger Ailes' career down after he was accused of sexual misconduct. 

Taron Egerton as Elton John

In Rocketman, the British actor played one of the most iconic musicians in the history of rock 'n' roll.

Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers

The actor played the late Fred Rogers in the 2019 movie You Are My Friend.

Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin

The singer and actress will take on the role of playing the Queen of Soul in an upcoming biopic about her life. It's set to release in August 2021.

Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg

After Natalie Portman dropped out, Felicity stepped in to play the late Supreme Court Justice in On the Basis of Sex, a biopic directed by Mimi Leder.

Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding

The actress produced and starred in I, Tonya, based on the disgraced figure skater's life.

Anthony Mackie as Martin Luther King Jr.

The actor played the civil rights leader opposite Bryan Cranston as President Lyndon B. Johnson in HBO's All the Way.

Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford

The Oscar winner stepped into the shoes of the late movie legend in Feud, Ryan Murphy's FX series about the making of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis

The Dead Man Walking star played the acting legend in Feud.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison

The Oscar-nominated actor portrayed the famed inventor of the light bulb in Current War.

Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams

The British actor starred as the late country singer in the 2015 film, I Saw the Light.

Johnny Flynn as David Bowie

The Lovesick star played the late rock legend in the 2020 biopic, Stardust

Parker Sawyers as Barack Obama

Parker Sawyers played the former president in Southside With You, a romantic dramedy loosely based on Barack's first date with Michelle Obama back in 1989.

Tika Sumpter as Michelle Obama

Tika Sumpter starred as the former First Lady in Southside With You.

Odette Annable as Trudy Cooper

"She was a groundbreaking woman, so ahead of her time. It's such an honor to play her," Odette previously told E! News of her Astronaut Wives Club character, who was an extremely skilled pilot in her own right.

Kerry Washington as Anita Hill

The Scandal star took on the role of the aide who accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual assault in 1991 in HBO's biopic Confirmation.

Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc

The Oscar nominee starred in The Founder, a biopic about the founder of the McDonald's empire.

Selma Blair as Kris Jenner

The Kardashians are headed to TV in a very different after being portrayed in Ryan Murphy's American Crime Story: The People V O.J. Simpson. Selma Blair played Kris Jenner, who was married to Simpson's attorney Robert Kardashian.

David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian

The Friends actor portrayed the late Kardashian patriarch in FX's American Crime Story.

Jack O'Connell as Alexander McQueen

The Unbroken star was set to take on the role of the late designer in a film about his life. However, in 2020, it was announced he is being replaced.

John Travolta as Robert Shapiro

Travolta starred as O.J. Simpson's lawyer in FX's American Crime Story.

Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe

The Oscar winner played the transgender pioneer in The Danish Girl.

Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs

The Irish hunk stepped into the Apple co-founder's shoes in Danny Boyles' biopic.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing

In The Imitation Game, the Sherlock star took on the role of the English mathematician who helped crack the German Enigma code during World War II.

David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr.

The British actor portrayed the iconic civil rights activist in the film Selma, which chronicled his crusade for equal voting rights.

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