15 Actors Who Are NOTHING Like The Characters They Played

Making a character feel like a real person is a true sign of a talented actor or actress. But sometimes they do their job a little too well, and we're left believing that they are one and the same with the character they portrayed. Sure, some actors may be a lot like the people they've played on screen, but many of them are totally different. Naturally, this comes as a huge shock when you've been associating them with particular character traits for years. Some of the actors on our list are extremely versatile, and played one character so well that we're still surprised to learn it was only acting, even if none of their other characters are the same. And then there's others who are typecast a certain way, which happens to be a huge lie! No matter the circumstances, it's always bizarre to find out that you had them all wrong. Here are 15 actors who are NOTHING like the characters that they once played!

15 Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep is a queen of her craft, and she literally plays every role so well that it's hard to believe that any of them aren't really her. The one character she's played that still gets us every time is Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. This woman is every employee's worst nightmare, and Streep's icy portrayal was so on point that it makes us almost a little wary of the actress-we feel like if we confronted her in person, she'd just coldly pout and turn us down. However, sources confirm that Streep is actually totally different to this brutal Editor-in-chief in real life! For one thing, she's definitely a lot less guarded and a lot more human-this woman has been known to hang out with 50 Cent, make out with Sandra Bullock publicly, and even adjust her undergarments at the Oscars. She's a boss, sure, but not Runway material.

14 Clint Eastwood

Even if you've never actually watched a whole Clint Eastwood movie, you can guess the kinds of characters he plays from the legacy he's left on pop culture. Considering he's often cast in the same kinds of roles, you'd really expect him to be something of a gun-wielding cowboy without a soft bone in his body, right? Wrong-get ready to be blown away, people! There is an unconfirmed rumor that Eastwood is actually allergic to horses, so assuming it's true, there goes the cowboy theory. And assuming it's not true, Eastwood still isn't much of a cowboy in real life because he's totally against guns. He has actually criticized violent movies, and advocated for gun control IRL. That would make him different enough from many of his characters, but there's one more thing; his hobbies actually include writing and recording romantic songs. He has more in common with Ed Sheeran than Dirty Harry.

13 Mike Myers

While it's a pleasant surprise to hear that actors aren't anything like the nasty characters they play, it's harder to hear that they're nothing like their loveable characters! Other than Shrek, we all probably associate Mike Myers with his role as Austin Powers, so we expect him to be hilarious, charming, heroic, and sweet. However, reports indicate that Myers is nothing like the spy he made famous. Stories have circulated the internet claiming that Myers is actually notoriously hard to work with, and has been known to fire people for things as insignificant as making eye contact with him. Other sources claim that he has been late in paying bills and even declined to pay them at all, and has also denied autographs to fans. None of that makes him a super-evil villain, but it definitely doesn't align with what we know of Powers. In fact, he's probably even too cold for Dr. Evil!

12 Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey is often cast as quite eccentric characters, seeing as he has the comedic chops to pull off gags that few other people could. If there's one funny character that we instantly associate with the Canadian-born actor with, it's Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber, in which he starred in the 1990s. Even though Carrey is clearly able to execute silly faces, sounds, and impressions, he really isn't like Christmas in real life. For starters, Christmas is dumb. We're not sure if he was meant to be Dumb or Dumber, but he isn't a smart cookie either way. Carrey, on the other hand, had to have at least some brains about him in order to work his way up from stand-up comedy gigs to earning the millions of dollars that he did for that movie! Without knowing him personally, we can say that Carrey also seems like a sweetheart, whereas Christmas was kind of narcissistic.

11 Robert Pattinson

Obviously, Robert Pattinson is different to the role that launched him to international superstardom because he isn't a vampire. Playing Edward Cullen in the Twilight series made Pattinson a household name, and much to his dismay, it's now hard not to see a vampire when you look at him! Not only is Pattinson not the undead, but he also doesn't share many personality traits with Cullen, who is overbearing, intense, and tortured. Pattinson definitely seems a lot more low-key! Pattinson is so different to his iconic character, that he can't empathize with him at all and actually hates his guts. He hasn't been shy about criticizing the character (or the story), and has openly said things like, "He's the most ridiculous person… the more I read the script, the more I hated this guy… Plus, he's a 108-year-old prude so he's obviously got some issues there." We can just hear all the teenage hearts shattering!

10 Rachel McAdams

Here's an actress whom we're happy to say is nothing like her famous character! Rachel McAdams played Regina George in 2004's Mean Girls, and did such a great job that the character was cemented as one of the greatest female villains ever. In the movie, George is the queen bee who emotionally torments just about every girl in school, including her close friends. She's extremely selfish, manipulative, dishonest, and sadistic in the way she likes to see those around her suffer. Thankfully, McAdams doesn't have much in common with George at all! We're sure if she really were the queen bee of the acting world, we would have heard some horror stories from the set by now. And it seems that George is the way she is because of deep-rooted insecurity-she feels like she has to tear others down to build herself up. But McAdams is a movie star who is anything but insecure!

9 Jack Gleeson

We know that this actor is totally different from the character he made famous, but we're not sure many other people do. Jack Gleeson did such a fantastic job of bringing Joffrey Baratheon to life on Game of Thrones that he literally gets hate from people on the street, who can't believe his character is fictitious. Look, if Gleeson were anything like Baratheon, he would deserve the hate. The King of Westeros did a couple of horrible things before he was poisoned, including inadvertently causing dire wolves to be executed, torturing his fiancé and other women, hating women in general, and just running around being a little jerk. But the good news is Gleeson couldn't have less in common with his vicious character! All his co-stars have confirmed that he's actually beyond sweet, and has expressed concerned over misogyny on the show. He spends his time acting and doing charity work, not hurting harmless creatures.

8 Lena Headey

Speaking of Game of Thrones, Gleeson isn't the only actor on the show who's experienced the curse of being so damn talented. Lena Headey plays Baratheon's mother, Cersei Lannister, who's probably the evilest and most-hated female character on the show. In later seasons, viewers got to see some of her background story, and witness her go through quite a few hardships, but even if there's some sympathy there for her now, many people still hate her. She is a conniving and ruthless lady, to say the least. Unfortunately, the hate for her extends beyond the screen, and Headey has actually felt the wrath of fans who don't want her autograph or don't want to ask her questions when she sits on panels because they think she's like her character. In reality? Headey has a huge heart and is an open-minded free-spirit who definitely wouldn't have you strangled in your sleep.

7 Blake Lively

Blake Lively has recently taken on a few more challenging roles, and her high-profile marriage to Ryan Reynolds means that many people are starting to see her as a true movie star. Despite all that, we can't forget where Lively first stepped onto our radars-the pristine streets of the Upper East Side, where she played Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl. We loved watching all the ridiculous things she got up to (that would never in a million years happen in real life), but as a person, we probably wouldn't want to be friends with a damsel like van der Woodsen. Thankfully, Lively is a much more proactive person than her character, and is a pretty inspiring mother and social activist. She told Allure that she doesn't identify with van der Woodsen at all: "I would not be proud to be the person who… shot someone and slept with someone else's boyfriend."

6 Leighton Meester

It's comforting to know that other members of the Gossip Girl cast aren't entitled brats in real life. Played by Leighton Meester, Blair Waldorf is Serena's BFFE and though she has a few more redeeming qualities, she isn't a nice character. She was a bully at school, terribly jealous, and can't handle anybody else's success. She also loses all power whenever Chuck Bass walks into the room, and although we probably would too (because he's Chuck Bass), we would have loved a character whose life didn't revolve around a man. But in reality, Meester couldn't be further from Waldorf. While the latter was born into privilege, Meester was actually born while her mom was serving time in prison for her involvement in a drug ring. She was nursed in a halfway house for the first few months of her life, and consequently learned many lessons about dealing with hardships and not judging people on their pasts.

5 Tom Felton

Though Tom Felton is a talented actor, he's in one of those situations where it will probably be hard for him to distance himself from playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. He was part of a huge cultural phenomenon, and as a result, the whole world still associates him with the horrible character. Malfoy does do some things to Harry and his friends that make us all hate him, but Felton is nothing like him. While Malfoy is all about status, social hierarchies, and impressing the wrong people, Felton is much more laid-back. One of the clearest signs that Felton is different to his character is his strained relationship with fame. While Malfoy would lap up all the attention (because people were finally focusing on him instead of on Harry!), Felton feels a little uneasy about being so well-known. And at school, he was getting bullied instead of the other way round.

4 Ralph Fiennes

Draco Malfoy wasn't the only Slytherin wizard from the Harry Potter world whom we all despised. He Who Shall Not Be Named, a.k.a. Lord Voldemort, was brilliantly played by Ralph Fiennes. He brought a touch of humanity to the villain, which made him that much scarier, and really made us hate him because we saw him as a real person (or wizard) rather than just a two-dimensional storybook bad guy. The only thing is Fiennes did so well in this series that it's hard to stand back and acknowledge that he's actually not like Voldemort at all. Sources can confirm that he's a lovely guy who's just doing his job, and who is also an ambassador for UNICEF. So in real life, he's actually much more of a hero than a villain. Fiennes has played other baddies before, including Amon Goeth in Schindler's List, and every time, he's chilling enough to make us believe him.

3 Charlize Theron

The role of convicted serial killer Aileen Wuornos was different to what South African-born beauty Charlize Theron usually goes for. Even though it was the only time we've ever seen her looking so lost, desperate, and broken, she gave such a convincing portrayal that we have to remind ourselves that she's not really like that in real life! Theron played Wuornos in 2005's Monster, and to be honest, we are glad that the actress is nothing like the murderess. The film shows Wuornos getting off to a bad start in life, and then only killing to defend herself. Eventually, though, the murders crosses the boundary of what would be considered self-defense, and she transforms into a real monster. Obviously, Theron has never been involved in anything like that, but even her mannerisms resembled Wuonros's so closely that it's strange to think she doesn't actually walk and talk like a killer.

2 Robert De Niro

This probably comes as a huge shock, but Robert De Niro isn't actually a big scary mob boss. He's been involved in so many mob movies over the years that he's become basically synonymous with them, even if he's also played other roles magnificently. You'd be forgiven for thinking that he's an intimidating tough guy in real life, since that's what he's mainly been associated with. But according to his friends, he couldn't be any more different! He is said to be an intense person who's more serious than not, and very dedicated to his work, but it's easy to forget that the legendary actor is also human. In an interview with Vanity Fair, several of those closest to him shed light on what he's really like, since he doesn't like doing interviews himself. Nothing was mentioned about body bags, but De Niro does enjoy swimming, sailing, and relaxing. And he never forgets your birthday!

1 Lisa Kudrow

The most surprising actress who is worlds away from the character she portrayed is Lisa Kudrow, whom we all know best as Phoebe Buffay from Friends. Pheebs brought loads of laughs to the sitcom, and will always be remembered as an oddball with a huge heart who was never afraid to be herself. Kudrow is still an amazing woman, just not in a Buffay-way. We'd all expect Kudrow to say random things and be totally zen when meeting her, but her story is quite different to Buffay's. For one thing, she attended the elite Vassar College rather than scraping her way through the streets of New York. She also had a very supportive family, and actually worked for her dad while she was on her way to becoming an actress. More than anything, Kudrow is clearly someone who chases what she wants rather than spending her time singing in a coffee shop, hoping for a break!