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Behind the mask: The grueling makeup transformations of Hollywood stars

Find out which actors had to go through extreme makeup transformations for their iconic roles

By Amal Fatmi |
Behind the mask: The grueling makeup transformations of Hollywood stars
Behind the mask: The grueling makeup transformations of Hollywood stars

Behind every successful onscreen transformation is an actor who spends hours in the makeup chair getting prosthetics and paint applied.

Here are some notable examples of actors who underwent dramatic changes through intense movie makeup:

Jim Carey as The Grinch

Jim Carey had to sit for 8.5 hours every single day to transform into The Grinch.

The makeup and suit application process were so grueling that a movie producer brought in a CIA operative who specialised in helping people endure torture to assist Jim in coping with the discomfort.

Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in 'X-Men: First Class'

To play Mystique, Jennifer went through an hours-long makeup process that was physically exhausting for her.

The body paint caused skin irritations to the extent that a doctor had to be called to set.

Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in 'Stranger Things 4'

Jamie spent nearly an average of seven hours a day in make-up to become the terrifying Vecna.

In an interview with RadioTimes.com, make-up designer Barrie Gower shared details about the lengthy process of getting the actor into character.

“It was a marathon every day, but he was incredible,” he said.

Arnold Schwarzenegger as 'Mr. Freeze in Batman and Robin'

Transforming into Mr. Freeze took six hours, and involved inserting an LED light in Arnold’s mouth for certain close-up shots.

This, however, turned dangerous.

"When you put it in Arnold's mouth, Arnold's saliva would creep into the seams of this thing and attack the batteries. The batteries would immediately start disintegrating and start putting out battery acid into Arnold's mouth," Makeup artist Jeff Dawn told The Hollywood Reporter.

Zoe Saldana as Gamora in 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

Zoe’s transformation into Gamora took five hours every day.

“This one [time] I got picked up at three in the morning — and my dog wasn’t even happy about that. I had to sit for five hours for five months. It was crazy, but it paid off. The movie is fantastic," she told US Weekly.