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Step into the shoes of some of cinema's greatest actors as they bring real-life figures to the big screen with unforgettable performances. From historical icons to cultural legends, these portrayals captivated audiences and earned Oscar glory. Dive into the stories behind these compelling characters and the actors who transformed into them with heart and dedication.
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00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo. Today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 Oscar-winning
00:09portrayals of real-life people. For this list, we'll be looking at performances
00:27based on actual individuals that resulted in Oscar gold. So what's your favorite portrayal
00:33of a real-life person? Let us know in the comments below. All right, let's get into it.
00:38Number 20. Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking. The Theory of Everything. Stephen Hawking rose to
00:44mainstream prominence well after he developed motor neuron disease, but this biopic focuses
00:49on the early years. It begins during his student days at Cambridge, chronicling the struggles and
00:54triumphs that followed. The role required Eddie Redmayne to gradually undergo a radical physical
00:59transformation. The actor spent six months preparing for the part, and his research shines through
01:05whenever he's on screen.
01:06Wouldn't that be nice, Professor?
01:10For one simple, elegant equation to explain everything.
01:19Even as Hawking loses his ability to speak and much of his muscle control,
01:24Redmayne brings out his personality through the subtlest body language.
01:28Making each mannerism count, Redmayne reminds us how witty and charming Hawking could be.
01:33What about you? What's you?
01:36Oh, cosmologist. I'm a cosmologist.
01:38What's that?
01:40It's a kind of religion for intelligent atheists.
01:43Although Hawking was primarily celebrated for his mind, it's the heart Redmayne brings to
01:48this performance that won him the Oscar.
01:50We are all different. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do
01:57and succeed at. While there is life, there is hope.
02:04Number 19. Sean Penn as Harvey Milk. Milk.
02:08In a powerful performance that netted him his second best actor Oscar,
02:12Penn portrayed one of the most important figures in LGBTQ plus history.
02:16Harvey, society can't exist without the family.
02:20We're not against that.
02:21You're not? What, can two men reproduce?
02:23No, but God knows we keep trying.
02:27Harvey Milk was California's first openly gay individual to be elected to office.
02:32Penn overflows with hopeful determination as Milk,
02:35commanding rallies with natural charisma.
02:38I want to recruit you for the fight to preserve your democracy.
02:43Brothers and sisters, you must come out. Come out.
02:48As upbeat as Milk comes off around friends and supporters,
02:51he can equally hold his own in the political arena.
02:54Behind closed doors, however, Milk is burdened by his two greatest fears,
02:58that he won't live to see his 50th birthday,
03:01and that he'll die without accomplishing anything.
03:0440 years old, and I haven't done a thing I'm proud of.
03:11Keep eating all that cake, you're gonna be fat-ass by the time you're 50.
03:17I'll never make it to 50.
03:19While his life ended in tragedy, Milk's impact cannot be denied,
03:23and Penn's performance captures the full scope of his immeasurable legacy.
03:28Number 18.
03:29Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich
03:31Erin Brockovich
03:32By the early 2000s, Julia Roberts was overdue for an Oscar.
03:37It was her iconic portrayal of this legal clerk-turned-consumer-advocate
03:41that finally gained Roberts' entry into the Best Actress Club.
03:44Hi.
03:45Hi.
03:45Donna Jensen?
03:46Yes?
03:47I'm Erin Brockovich with Masri and Vitito.
03:50Oh!
03:52You're a lawyer?
03:53Hell no.
03:54I hate lawyers. I just work for them.
03:56While Brockovich states up front that she's not a lawyer,
03:59she does emerge as an unlikely crusader for justice in a heated legal battle.
04:03Since the demur, we have more than 400 plaintiffs in.
04:06Let's be honest, we all know there are more out there.
04:09They may not be the most sophisticated people,
04:11but they do know how to divide,
04:12and $20 million isn't shit when you split it between them.
04:16Erin.
04:16The film does take some liberties,
04:18but Roberts gets Brockovich down to a T.
04:20She doesn't care what other people think.
04:22She speaks her mind, dresses as she pleases,
04:25and goes after what she wants.
04:27Okay, look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here.
04:30That's all you got, lady.
04:31Two wrong feet and f***ing ugly shoes.
04:34At the same time, Brockovich constantly thinks about others,
04:37be it her children or strangers who've been wronged by a careless corporation.
04:41Roberts dominates the screen,
04:43much like Brockovich owns every room she enters.
04:47Number 17.
04:48Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodruff.
04:50Dallas Buyers Club.
04:51The McConaughey sauce was in full swing in 2013,
04:56peaking with his Oscar-winning turn as Ron Woodruff.
04:58It can sometimes feel like McConaughey is playing a parody of himself in other movies,
05:03but he completely disappears into this role.
05:06Let me give you all those newsflash.
05:07There ain't nothing out there can kill f***ing Ron Woodruff in 30 days.
05:12McConaughey portrays the lion-hearted Woodruff
05:14as a man too stubborn to die without a fight.
05:17Ron not only defies the odds his doctors give him after his AIDS diagnosis,
05:21but also breaks all the rules to distribute drugs to HIV patients.
05:25Welcome to the Dallas Buyers Club.
05:28McConaughey brings an almost Robin Hood-esque quality to the role.
05:31Although Woodruff possesses an unbreakable spirit,
05:34it becomes clear that his days are numbered.
05:36How can I get some of this?
05:37None of those drugs have been approved by the FDA.
05:40Screw the FDA.
05:41Hey, I'm gonna be DOA.
05:44I gotta soothe the hospital to get my medicine?
05:48McConaughey lost 47 pounds for the role.
05:50And as jarring as his physical transformation is,
05:53his magnetism stands out above all else.
05:56Number 16.
05:57Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn, Coal Miner's Daughter
06:00This is one biopic where the real-life figure had a fair deal of input.
06:05Country singer Loretta Lynn selected Sissy Spacek to play her,
06:09although she didn't know the actress's work.
06:11Lynn made the decision judging from Spacek's photo,
06:14and fortunately, her instincts paid off.
06:16Just as Lynn is initially insecure about performing in the movie,
06:20Spacek had reservations about accepting the role.
06:22Dude, sometimes I think you got a washer missing in your brain.
06:25I can't play that thing.
06:27Most people can't without they learning how far it's going.
06:29After Lynn jumped the gun and announced that Spacek had signed on, though,
06:33everything came together.
06:35Vocal dubbing was discussed,
06:37but Spacek worked closely with Lynn to nail her singing voice,
06:40accent, and guitar playing.
06:51It amounted to an uncanny portrayal of a woman
06:54who rose up from a difficult background
06:56to become the queen of country music.
07:03Kidman couldn't be more unrecognizable as English writer Virginia Woolf.
07:07Audiences tend to dwell on the prosthetic nose she wore for the role.
07:12Anyone who's seen The Hours, though,
07:14knows why Kidman won Best Actress.
07:16Even if you take the makeup out of the equation,
07:18Kidman's performance is transformative in more ways than one.
07:21And who will die?
07:25Tell me.
07:29The poet will die.
07:32The visionary.
07:33She truly becomes Virginia Woolf,
07:36capturing the famed author's passion as well as her severe depression.
07:40Struggling with mental illness,
07:42Woolf feels as if she's drowning even as she continues to breathe air.
07:45Your illness, not you.
07:47It is my voice.
07:48It's not your voice.
07:49It is mine and mine alone.
07:50It's the voice that you hear.
07:52It is not!
07:52It is mine!
07:54I'm dying in this town!
07:57Although Kidman unearthed the fear and sadness Woolf endured,
08:00she also brings out her brilliance.
08:03Woolf's work has spoken to generations,
08:05and we'll be talking about Kidman's performances for years to come as well.
08:09Number 14.
08:10Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi.
08:13Ed Wood.
08:14Talk about irony.
08:15Ed Wood was once labeled the worst director of all time,
08:19but he inspired one of Tim Burton's finest achievements,
08:22resulting in a best-supporting actor victory for Martin Landau.
08:26While you might have heard of Bela Lugosi,
08:28you definitely know his most famous character, Count Dracula.
08:32Unfortunately, this iconic role caused Lugosi to be typecast,
08:35and a history of drug addiction didn't help his career either.
08:39While it's debatable if Lugosi swore as much as this film suggests,
08:43Landau absolutely nails Lugosi's distinctive accent and mannerisms.
08:47You seem a little agitated.
08:48You want to go outside and get some air?
08:50Bullshit!
08:50I'm ready now!
08:51Roll the camera!
08:52Landau described Lugosi as theatrical,
08:55but he strived not to chew the scenery.
08:58Landau brings pathos and humor to the role,
09:01capturing the tragic downfall
09:02and the underappreciated talents of this wholly unique individual.
09:06Perhaps we could get together again sometime, Mr. Lugosi.
09:10Certainly.
09:11But now, the children of the night are calling me.
09:17Number 13.
09:19Forrest Whitaker as Idi Amin,
09:21The Last King of Scotland
09:22Forrest Whitaker is terrifying as the Butcher of Uganda,
09:26and his performance is only made more horrifying
09:29knowing that Idi Amin really was a ruthless despot.
09:32Although the film mixes fact with fiction,
09:34Whitaker's portrayal of Amin is every bit as domineering as the real deal.
09:38As chilling as Whitaker is,
09:40he can come off as surprisingly vulnerable
09:42and even cheerful at times.
09:44In some scenes,
09:45he shifts between extremes,
09:47adding to the unpredictability and intimidation.
09:50You should have told me not to throw the Asians out in the first place.
09:54I digged,
09:55but you did not persuade me, Nicholas.
09:57You did not persuade me.
09:59Whitaker's portrayal is worthy of comparison to a Shakespearean villain.
10:03Amin's actions are tough to watch,
10:05but his monologues hit the audience just as hard.
10:08Together,
10:09we will make this country better.
10:15And stronger.
10:21While some argued he was truly a supporting player,
10:24the gravitas of Whitaker's performance
10:26secured his place and victory in the Best Actor category.
10:30Number 12.
10:31Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn,
10:33The Aviator.
10:35Golly!
10:37In many respects,
10:39Cate Blanchett is the Katharine Hepburn of her generation,
10:41so casting her as the four-time Oscar winner was an obvious choice,
10:45leading to a Best Supporting Actress victory.
10:48Before Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were Hollywood's premier power couple,
10:52she was romantically tied to the enigmatic Howard Hughes.
10:55While Hughes was a larger-than-life force,
10:58nobody lit up a room or the silver screen like Hepburn.
11:01Likewise, Blanchett arguably upstages co-star Leonardo DiCaprio,
11:05which is no easy feat.
11:07So when do you care about the scandal rags, huh?
11:10Every time there's a picture of you with another woman,
11:12it's like a slap in the face.
11:13Don't you understand that?
11:14Oh, that's overstating it just a bit, don't you think?
11:17Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, Linda Darnell,
11:19Joan Fontaine, and now Bette Davis, for God's sake!
11:22Hepburn was known for playing classy, humorous, strong-willed characters,
11:26not unlike herself.
11:28Blanchett encompasses all of these qualities,
11:31holding her own against Hughes.
11:33Blanchett really pulls off the mid-Atlantic accent, too,
11:35and never sounds like she's just doing an impression.
11:39You're not extending enough on your follow-through.
11:42Follow-through is everything in golf, just like life.
11:45Ha ha! Don't you mind?
11:47Number 11. F. Murray Abraham as Antonio Salieri, Amadeus.
11:51In the 1984 Best Actor lineup,
11:54Abraham was nominated against Tom Holtz,
11:56who portrayed the titular composer.
11:58Although the film is called Amadeus,
12:01Salieri drives the plot forward,
12:03hence why Abraham won the Oscar.
12:05In a way, Abraham almost plays two characters here.
12:08During his younger years,
12:09we see Salieri as a gifted composer
12:11who nonetheless can't help but envy Mozart's musical genius.
12:15Salieri knows that Mozart is the more innovative composer,
12:19intensifying his jealousy.
12:26Is it not good?
12:34It is miraculous.
12:35This story is told from the perspective of an elderly Salieri,
12:38and while the film occasionally delves into pure fantasy,
12:42it nicely fits the narrator's state of mind.
12:44How could I tell him what music meant to me?
12:49Whether you see Salieri as a winking devil
12:52or somebody who's simply gone mad,
12:54Abraham's performance strikes all the right keys.
12:57Number 10.
12:58Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf, La Vie en Rose.
13:01For many Westerners,
13:03this biopic introduced them to French actress Marion Cotillard.
13:07It also may have served as their gateway
13:08into the music of Edith Piaf.
13:20Although her singing was dubbed,
13:23Cotillard's performance demonstrates
13:24how lip-syncing can be an art in and of itself.
13:27Cotillard took the time to study Piaf's singing techniques
13:30and body language,
13:31particularly the tongue movements.
13:33The results are so uncanny,
13:36it's hard to believe Cotillard doesn't provide her own singing here,
13:38which is a testament to her acting chops.
13:41Even if you were to watch her performance on mute,
13:44you could still get chills from the sheer emotion
13:46Cotillard puts into every expression.
14:04Cotillard's performance blends romance with tragedy,
14:07beauty with grit,
14:08and high notes with low notes.
14:10You weren't so much.
14:12You were exactly what I expected.
14:14It was incredible.
14:16It's me.
14:17It's my life.
14:19It's me.
14:19Number 9.
14:20Susan Sarandon as Sister Helen Prejean.
14:22Dead Man Walking.
14:24The death penalty continues to generate debate,
14:27and few films have tackled it with more emotional weight
14:30than Dead Man Walking.
14:31At the story's heart is Susan Sarandon's
14:34mesmerizing performance as Sister Helen Prejean,
14:36who also wrote the non-fiction source material.
14:39Prejean firmly believes that every life has value,
14:43even despicable death row inmates like Matthew Poncelet,
14:46a composite character.
14:48This puts Prejean in the difficult position of counseling Poncelet,
14:51while also empathizing with the victim's families.
14:54I'm just trying to follow the example of Jesus,
14:57who said that every person is worth more than their worst act.
15:04Likewise, Sarandon is presented with a tricky balancing act.
15:08Although it would have been easy to portray Prejean as a one-sided figure,
15:12Sarandon brings layers to the character that highlight the nuances of her situation.
15:16You might not cry for Poncelet,
15:18but Sarandon's performance will break your heart.
15:21There are spaces of sorrow only God can touch.
15:25You did a terrible thing, man, a terrible thing.
15:28But you have a dignity now.
15:31Nobody could take that from you.
15:34You are a son of God, Matthew Poncelet.
15:37Number 8.
15:38Jeremy Irons as Klaus von Bulow
15:41Reversal of Fortune
15:42Jeremy Irons has a knack for playing devious characters,
15:46but it's debatable if Klaus von Bulow falls into that category.
15:50Although Bulow was found guilty of attempted murder,
15:53he was later acquitted.
15:55Decades later,
15:56Bulow's innocence remains contested,
15:58with no clear answer.
16:00As such,
16:01Irons' performance keeps the audience guessing from start to finish.
16:04What really happened?
16:05Who you are?
16:07Who would you like me to be?
16:08His portrayal of Bulow can come off as quite charming and sophisticated,
16:11while simultaneously being cold and calculating.
16:15He keeps everything on the inside,
16:17making him even harder to get a read on.
16:19Is he an innocent man who seems guilty,
16:21or a guilty man with a convincing legal team?
16:24Thanks to Irons,
16:25we have no idea.
16:27You're a very strange man.
16:30You have no idea.
16:32Oh, so that's where Scar got that line.
16:35You're so weird.
16:36You have no idea.
16:38Oh, my God.
16:39Number 7.
16:40Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote.
16:42Capote.
16:43Truman Capote is one of the hardest figures to portray.
16:46With the wrong actor,
16:47his unusual persona could have come off like something out of an SNL sketch.
16:52Thankfully, the part went to Philip Seymour Hoffman,
16:54who erased all traces of himself to become the In Cold Blood author.
17:13Even for a performer of Hoffman's caliber,
17:16Capote provided a challenge.
17:18Hoffman stated in one interview that he wasn't, quote,
17:21good with accents.
17:22He thus spent one to two hours daily working on the voice,
17:25as well as the body language.
17:27Instead of trying to sound exactly like Capote,
17:30Hoffman strived to find a voice that expressed his, quote,
17:32vitality and the nuances.
17:34Hoffman does just that in a performance that speaks volumes about Capote's flaws and his genius.
17:40You paid him to say that.
17:46How did you know?
17:47Just when you think they've gotten as good as they can get.
17:50I thought that was a good line.
17:52Number 6.
17:53Barbara Streisand as Fanny Bryce.
17:55Funny girl.
17:56Some performers were born for certain roles.
18:00Barbara Streisand as Fanny Bryce is one of the best examples.
18:03So much so that it's hard to separate the two.
18:05Don't tell me not to live.
18:07Just sit and putter.
18:09Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter.
18:11Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade.
18:17Of course, Streisand hits every song out of the park, with Don't Rain on My Parade arguably being her career
18:24-defining screen moment.
18:26What doesn't get nearly enough attention, however, is Streisand's dynamic comedic timing and masterful transition from humor to drama.
18:34After all, Fanny Bryce was a funny girl, but her life wasn't all smiles.
18:38What's the difference if I say, I'll go away, when I know I'll come back, on my knees someday.
18:55In a strange twist of fate, Streisand didn't win the Tony when she originated Bryce on Broadway.
19:01Her performance in the film adaptation won over Oscar voters, however.
19:05Streisand tied with Katharine Hepburn, who portrayed another real-life figure, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
19:11What might Solomon have sung, had he seen this?
19:20From the opening scene onward, George C. Scott commands this nearly three-hour epic.
19:36It's eerie how much Scott resembles the real General Patton.
19:39Although, the latter had a much higher-pitched voice.
19:42Scott doesn't attempt to replicate the voice, but he does convey the complex nature of the controversial general.
19:48The actor plays Patton as a tough-as-nails military man who loves his job a little too much.
19:54This makes it all the more surprising when Patton shows a moment of sincerity,
19:57getting emotional by a wounded soldier's bedside.
20:00The next minute, however, he's sending another soldier to the front line for showing weakness.
20:05You're going back to the front, my friend.
20:07You may get shot, you may get killed, but you're going up to the fighting.
20:13Either that or I'm going to stand you up in front of a firing squad.
20:16While moments like this made Patton a divisive figure,
20:19Scott also expresses what made Patton such a compelling leader.
20:23Number 4. Charlize Theron as Eileen Lee Wuornos.
20:27Monster.
20:27Not unlike Nicole Kidman in The Hours one year earlier,
20:31Charlize Theron's physical evolution into Eileen Wuornos seemed to be the main talking point of many reviews.
20:37Theron put on 30 pounds for the role.
20:39And while the makeup is phenomenal,
20:41that's all just a small facet of what makes her performance one of the all-time greats.
20:46People kill each other every day.
20:49And for what?
20:52For politics.
20:54For religion.
20:55And they're heroes!
20:57No!
20:58No, there's a lot of shit I can't do anymore.
21:00But killing's not one of them.
21:02Theron achieves something that few performers can.
21:05Finding the humanity in a serial killer.
21:07This isn't to say that Theron makes Wuornos sympathetic,
21:10as the film never shies away from the unspeakable acts she committed.
21:14Through the loneliness, desperation, and sorrow Theron pours into her performance, however,
21:19we see how a cruel, unforgiving environment could create a monster such as Wuornos.
21:24It is a truly staggering performance.
21:27Everything happens for a reason.
21:30Where there's life, there's hope.
21:38Oh, well.
21:40They gotta tell you something.
21:45Now, Ben, follow me.
21:46Do what I do.
21:47Say what I say.
21:48This is how we're gonna do it.
21:49Jamie Fox started playing piano at age five.
21:52Ray Charles was only slightly younger when he discovered his calling.
21:56While Fox's piano playing skills are on full display,
21:59this is another case where the majority of the singing was dubbed.
22:03In the same vein as Marion Cotillard, however,
22:05Fox taps into something far more important in his portrayal of Charles.
22:09Soul.
22:10Well, I guess if you say so,
22:13I'll have to pack my things and go.
22:15That's right, get the roadie jacked.
22:17Fox digs deep within himself to find the turmoil Charles experienced,
22:21but also the showmanship that made him one of the most captivating performers to grace the stage.
22:26Fox was so committed that he glued his eyes shut to play the blind musician.
22:30Charles died only four months before the film's release,
22:34and Fox made sure that the high priest of soul got his due in his acceptance speech.
22:55Few living actors are more synonymous with method acting than Daniel Day-Lewis,
22:59and Christy Brown remains one of the most daunting roles the actor ever took on.
23:04I hope deferred, make a heart sick.
23:09He said hope deferred, make a heart sick.
23:14I understood that.
23:20Brown was a famed writer with cerebral palsy who used the toes on his left foot to write and paint.
23:26Day-Lewis uses his right foot in the film, although a mirror trick fixed that.
23:30In addition to spending eight weeks researching at a cerebral palsy clinic,
23:35Day-Lewis was adamant about staying in character,
23:38and remained in a wheelchair even when the cameras were not rolling.
23:42It resulted in two damaged ribs, but it all paid off on Oscar night.
23:47It wouldn't be the last time Day-Lewis embodied another person,
23:50winning his third Academy Award for portraying Abraham Lincoln.
23:53As the preacher said, I could write shorter sermons,
23:58but once I start, I get too lazy to stop.
24:03I mean, playing a real-life person in their dramatic life story
24:06is basically a guarantee to win an Oscar, isn't it?
24:09And can you believe that Daniel Day-Lewis is not number one?
24:12Who could possibly beat him?
24:14Well, let's check out some honorable mentions,
24:16and then we'll see our top Oscar-winning portrayal of a real-life person.
24:21Mahershala Ali as Dr. Dawn Shirley.
24:23Green Book.
24:24However you feel about the Best Picture win,
24:26Ali 100% deserved his second Oscar.
24:29So that little temper tantrum, was it worth it?
24:33Hmm?
24:36You never win with violence, Tony.
24:38You only win when you maintain your dignity.
24:40Dignity always prevails.
24:43Hang S. Noor as Dith Pran, The Killing Fields.
24:46A performance that hit incredibly close to home.
24:49I'm reporter 2, Morgan.
24:51I know he's hot.
24:53I love him like my brother.
24:54Shut up.
24:55And I'd do anything for him.
24:57Anything.
24:57Adrian Brody as Władysław Spielmann, The Pianist.
25:01His turn as the survivor made Brody the youngest Best Actor winner to date.
25:05What from who?
25:11I am.
25:14I am.
25:15I am.
25:16I am.
25:16I am.
25:16I am.
25:17I am.
25:20I am.
25:35I am.
25:48I am.
25:51I am.
25:52I am.
25:59I am.
26:01dare to dream, really do come true.
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26:28Martin Scorsese directed Joe Pesci to an Oscar for his performance as Tommy DeVito, who
26:33was based on real-life mobster Tommy DeSimone.
26:36Scorsese did the same 10 years earlier for Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull.
26:57DeNiro trained with the real Jake LaMotta, who reportedly believed the actor had what
27:02it took to become a pro boxer.
27:04DeNiro went from developing the body of a champion to gaining almost 60 pounds to play
27:09an older Jake.
27:10Just as LaMotta held nothing back in the ring, DeNiro does not sugarcoat the Raging Bull's
27:15home life.
27:16It wasn't until he saw the film that LaMotta realized how poorly he had treated those closest
27:20to him.
27:30DeNiro's portrayal was that much of a gut punch.
27:37Do you agree with our picks?
27:39Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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