Hollywood’s craziest onscreen transformations of 2025: From Jacob Elordi's Frankenstein makeover to Sydney Sweeney’s Christy weight gain

If there was one thing Hollywood proved in 2025, it’s that physical transformation still has the power to stop audiences in their tracks. This year, actors didn’t simply change hairstyles or accents, they surrendered themselves entirely to their roles, often enduring hours of makeup, dramatic weight shifts and painstaking prosthetic work to bring unforgettable characters to life.

From gothic monsters to real-life fighters and dystopian survivors, here’s a look at the most striking onscreen transformations of the year in the order that left viewers progressively more stunned.



The tale of Frankenstein has been revisited countless times, yet Jacob Elordi manages to make The Creature feel strikingly fresh in Guillermo del Toro’s reimagining. Beneath layers of prosthetics and heavy makeup, Elordi brings an unexpected softness to a character largely feared and rejected by those around him. It is Mia Goth’s Lady Elizabeth Harlander who recognises the innocence and childlike wonder beneath his scarred exterior, a connection that ultimately leads to tragedy.



Reflecting on the demanding process, Elordi described spending nearly ten hours at a time surrendering himself to the transformation, explaining that stepping into someone so far removed from his own identity felt surprisingly freeing and creatively liberating.



Sydney Sweeney underwent a dramatic physical change to portray former professional boxer Christy Martin in the biographical sports drama Christy. The role required her to gain more than 30 pounds, marking one of the most intense transformations of her career to date.



Sweeney fully committed to the challenge, embracing a rigorous training schedule that left little room for rest. Over the course of several months, she combined heavy weight training with hours of kickboxing each day, reshaping her physique to convincingly embody the strength and resilience of the legendary fighter.



Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia wastes no time unsettling its audience, posing a central question almost immediately: is Emma Stone’s Michelle Fuller human, or something else entirely? Within the opening moments, her character is forcibly shaved by her captors, Teddy and Don, stripping away any sense of normality. Stone further heightened the role’s intensity by covering her body in histamine cream, amplifying the film’s eerie, discomforting tone.



Stone later revealed she agreed to shave her head only on one condition, that Lanthimos do the same. While she admitted the experience was thrilling, she jokingly noted that her dramatic haircut felt far more impactful, given the length of her hair compared to the director’s.



In 28 Years Later, Ralph Fiennes appears almost unrecognisable, frequently caked in blood and grime as the world around him descends into chaos. Despite the film’s brutality, Fiennes’ performance stood out for its quiet humanity, grounding the horror in something deeply personal. To prepare for the role of Dr Ian Kelson, Fiennes intentionally worked to build a stronger, more agile physique. The aim was to reflect a man capable not only of surviving among the infected, but of physically enduring the harsh demands of this broken world.





Nicholas Hoult’s take on Lex Luthor in Superman proved that going bald doesn’t dull a character’s appeal. Sporting a clean-shaven head, Hoult delivered a sleek and commanding villain, drawing comparisons to his earlier role as Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road.



The stark look sharpened Luthor’s menace, reinforcing his calculating nature while reminding audiences just how convincingly Hoult can transform himself for a role.



Amy Madigan’s performance in the mystery horror Weapons was unsettling from the moment Aunt Gladys appeared onscreen. With her garish red wig and exaggerated makeup, the character initially feels theatrical, even grotesque. As the story unfolds, however, it becomes clear that this appearance is a deliberate disguise, concealing her true form through witchcraft.



Madigan described the role as creatively liberating, noting that it allowed her to step away from traditional expectations of how women should look or behave on screen. The freedom to fully inhabit Gladys’ physicality became one of the most rewarding aspects of the performance.

From hours spent in the makeup chair to months of physical training, these performances prove that transformation remains one of cinema’s most powerful tools. In 2025, actors didn’t just look different, they reshaped the way their characters were seen. When commitment meets craft, the result is nothing short of unforgettable.