When it comes to female celebrities, we often scrutinize the ways in which they look different, whether because of their hairstyle, their fashion choices, their baby bumps or their lack of makeup. Still, even when the difference is dramatic, the celebrity is usually still recognizable.
When it comes to male celebrities, however, even something as simple as facial hair can transform them into a completely different — and sometimes unrecognizable — person.
Take a look at just how different some celebrities look with and without a beard.
1. Daniel Day-Lewis
Actor Daniel Day-Lewis recently shaved his head for his new film “Phantom Thread in Athens” but, before that, he was rocking a pretty serious beard! He also sported a spot-on Abraham Lincoln beard for the 2012 film “Lincoln.”
2. Joaquin Phoenix
It appears actor Joaquin Phoenix grew his beard for a documentary titled “I’m Still Here,” as he shaved it off soon after. Phoenix also chose to grow out his hair at the same time as his beard, giving him a pretty unruly look.
3. Jason Momoa
Actor Jason Momoa usually has a beard but, at one point, he was sporting a much smoother look. If you go way back to 1999, when he was filming a show called “Baywatch Hawaii,” Momoa was super clean-cut, looking nothing like he does now. More recently, he’s played Aquaman a few times and was Khal Drogo on “Game of Thrones.” In both roles, he had some pretty amazing facial hair.
Watch this video to see more of their transformations:
4. Nick Offerman
When you think of actor Nick Offerman, you likely see his “Parks and Recreation” character building a wooden table while rocking a serious mustache. The show has ended, however, and Offerman no longer sports his Ron Swanson mustache and instead has grown it out to a full beard. He also recently shaved his head, so he pretty much looks nothing like the grumpy (but loveable!) director of the Pawnee, Indiana, Parks and Rec Department.
5. Jim Carrey
Actor Jim Carrey is usually clean-shaven, but has recently grown a massive beard, saying on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, “The beard, yes, everywhere I go people talk about the beard. It’s a bigger star than me at this point. It has its own Twitter.” There’s no word if he plans on shaving anytime soon.
6. Denzel Washington
Actor Denzel Washington has a fixed place in the heart of his many fans, who remember his epic acting in films ranging from “Malcolm X” to “Philadelphia.” While Washington is usually clean-shaven, he does occasionally sport a beard. He wore one for his memorable role as a corrupt cop in “Training Day,” for example, which helped audiences adjust to seeing him as the bad guy.
7. Jon Hamm
Actor Jon Hamm was mostly clean-shaven for the seven seasons he played Don Draper, the creative director of an advertising firm, on “Mad Men.” Aside from a few mornings after a bit too much drinking, Don was always pretty dapper and kept the facial hair away. Since the show ended, Hamm has been seen with a beard on a few occasions, including in the film “Baby Driver.” (And no, we’re not counting that insane beard on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt“).
8. Leonardo DiCaprio
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has always had charm and boyishly good looks, but he has also been known to rock a beard or two. After having one for an entire summer in 2015, he shaved it off right as the weather started to get cooler. The 2015 beard was growing out around the time his film “The Revenant” was released, so there’s a chance it was related to the movie.
9. Matthew McConaughey
Actor Matthew McConaughey has the ability to look amazingly different depending on the role he’s playing, like when he dropped a ton of weight for the film “Dallas Buyers Club.” He can also easily change his appearance by simply sporting a beard, like he did for the film “Free State of Jones.” The difference between bearded and non-bearded McConaughey is pretty remarkable!
10. John Krasinski
Actor John Krasinski may be best known for his role as clean-cut Jim Halpert on “The Office,” but since the show ended, he’s definitely had some different looks, including in the movie “A Quiet Place.” The film, which he directed and starred in, has him sporting a full beard and mustache.
Which of these transformations wowed you the most?