Take a seat, stop eating that burger, and listen. There are ugly people in Hollywood.
Not only are they successful, but they are famous, loved, and above all, talented. Even though they don’t fit the stereotypical “beautiful people” standard for the big screen, they do fit the talented and qualified in their field standard for success.
So strap in, get ready to have your beliefs shattered, and enjoy the ugly.
20 Ugly Actors that are successful
Mike Myers
As seen in: Wayne’s World, So I Married an Axe Murderer, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, Mystery, Alaska
Willem Dafoe
As seen in: Spider-man, Platoon, The English Patient, American Psycho, Speed 2: Cruise Control, The Boondock Saints, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, The Aviator
Christopher Walken
As seen in: Wedding Crashers, Catch Me If You Can, Pulp Fiction, Joe Dirt, Domino, The Stepford Wives, Man on Fire, Click, Man of the Year, Balls of Fire, Envy, Hairspray
Vincent Schiavelli
As seen in: Ghost, Batman Returns, Tomorrow Never Dies, Death to Smoochy
Steve Buscemi
As seen in: Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, Billy Madison, The Big Lebowski, Big Daddy, Con Air, Armageddon, Big Fish, The Island, The Sopranos
John C. Reilly
As seen in: Magnolia, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Boogie Nights, The Thin Red Line, The Perfect Storm, Gangs of New York, Chicago, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Helena Bonham Carter
As seen in: Fight Club, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Planet of the Apes, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Pruitt Taylor Vince
As seen in: Natural Born Killers, S1m0ne, Identity, Monster, Constantine, Deadwood
Robert Davi
As seen in: Die Hard, The Goonies, License to Kill, Showgirls
Joe Pesci
As seen in: Half Nelson, Lethal Weapon 2, Goodfellas, Home Alone, My Cousin Vinny, With Honors, Casino, 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag, The Good Shepherd
Sandra Bernhard
As seen in: Roseanne, Law & Order: SVU, The L Word
Clint Howard
As seen in: Tango & Cash, Apollo 13, Ed TV, My Dog Skip, Little Nicky, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Cinderella Man, How to Eat Fried Worms, Halloween
Dan Hedaya
As seen in: “Yes, Dear”, Swimfan, Mulholland Dr., Shaft, Clueless, Cheers, The First Wives Club, The Addams Family, Joe Versus the Volcano, Slow Burn, A Night at the Roxbury
Tim Curry
As seen in: Clue, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunt for Red October, It, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Congo, A Christmas Carol, Charlie’s Angels, Scary Movie 2
Ron Perlman
As seen in: Hellboy, The Last Winter, Star Trek: Nemesis, Enemy t the Gates, Blade II, Crime and Punishment, Star Trek: Nemesis
Danny Trejo
As seen in: Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Halloween, Grindhouse, Delta Farce, The Devil’s Rejects, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Reindeer Games, Inferno, The Replacement Killers, Con Air
Linda Hunt
As seen in: Kindergarten Cop, The Practice, Carnivale, Yours, Mine and Ours, Stranger than Fiction, The Incredibles (voice of Edna)
David Thewlis
As seen in: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Basic Instinct 2, Dragonheart, Seven Years in Tibet, The Big Lebowski, The Omen, The New World, Kingdom of Heaven, Timeline, The Island of Dr. Moreau
Joan Cusack
As seen in: Sixteen Candles, Toys, Grosse Pointe Blank, Runaway Bride, In & Out, High Fidelity, The School of Rock, Raising Helen
Pete Postlethwaite
As seen in: Alien 3, The Usual Suspects, Hamlet, Romeo + Juliet, Dragonheart, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Amistad, Æon Flux, The Constant Gardener, The Omen
Whew, that was a lot of ugly. But who cares? They are more famous and far richer than you or I. Not to mention they are talented, and we love to watch them because they “fit” their roles.
Some beauty
It doesn’t matter if you’re not cookie-cutter perfect for your goals. What matters is getting there by being unique and great at what you do.
So stop worrying if you’re not smart enough, not fast enough, not goodly at writing enough, or not beautiful enough. You’re unique and talented in your own respect, and that’s what will allow you to achieve your dreams.
-Ravi Vora
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Great topic! In a world where there are too many cookie cutter “beautiful people” in show business, it’s cool to stop and think of the talented people who don’t conform to the entertainment industry’s perfect ideal.
Paul Giamatti is one of my favorite actors, and although I wouldn’t say he’s ugly he’s certainly not attractive in the Hollywood sense.
If anything, less attractive actors have to work harder and be more talented than those who rate as eye candy. I think that’s why I enjoy them more.
Sandra Bernhard & Joan Kusack are attractive, & willem dafoe and chris Walken are sexy, you really have to define what your sense of beauty is.
Lakshmi
Oct 5th, 2007 at 9:28 am
“Sandra Bernhard & Joan Kusack are attractive, & willem dafoe and chris Walken are sexy, you really have to define what your sense of beauty is.”
Whatever drugs your on, I want some.
Only 4 of them are women and out of those women at least 2 are cute in their normal state (those photos were just hideous). So I guess one is pretty out of luck if one is average looking female interested in acting. Pity.
Got some uglies there for sure but I’m not sure Helena belongs on the list. Not the best photo for sure, but she’s had some good days.
Kaylyred - I love Paul Giamatti and I completely agree. Talent shines through even when unattractive isn’t part of the role. Actors without talent, even if they are attractive, deter me from a movie more than anything (ahem, Paris Hilton).
Lakshmi - I am talking about beauty in the typical Hollywood sense. Sexiness is another thing altogether.
Smarterthanyou - I laughed out loud when I read your comment.
Lynoure - I believe it is much more difficult to be an unattractive female in the movie industry. However, it is still possible and talent will win in the end.
Gina - Helena is not standard “Hollywood pretty”, and that’s why she is on the list.
I have found this post by accident, what a great list :)
I do agree it doesnt really matter I’d say if you are talented… hm cough Danny de Vito :) Or hm Kevin Spacey, now ladies I love him and I think hes a fantastic actor but lets be frank if someone like that approached you in a bar… :)))
Helena Bonham Carter is not ugly. I agree with all the others.
You either have to be beautiful or UNIQUE (not necessarily ugly…just out of the ordinary). You’re screwed if you’re just normal looking.
Brad Bird voiced Edna Mode in The Incredibles—not Linda Hunt
half of those photos are purposefully taken at unflattering angles or photoshopped.
i think the list is cool…infact i guess we are blinded by the hallow of many stars who are not pretty but seem pretty…like victoria beckham, avril lavigne, etc…most of the famous beauties do not fit in the- 5′10″,blond hair, blue eyes, skinny- frame of conventional beauty…donno why the media still clings on it so strongly???give it a thought!!!
Roberta - Too true. Thanks.
judas - Precisely.
Sarah - Good catch. Edna was rumored to have been based off of Linda Hunt.
matt - If “straight on” is an unflattering angle, then I suppose so. None of the photos have been doctored.
Purplerose - Very true, looking at the sexiest women it’s rare to see the stereotypical woman taking #1 in most polls.
By “Straight on” you mean “I chose the worst possible pictures of the people I could find?”
Tim Curry tops my list of sexy people, and David Thewlis and Mike Myers are on there with him. Perhaps I’m just attracted to ugly people.
christopher walken is not ugly. he is 65yr old now and his looks have faded. but back in 1983 in The Dead Zone, he was pretty attractive.
David Thewlis and Helena Bonham Carter are the most un-ugly on this list
probely because i’m a harry potter fan
….but still David Thewlis is good looking anyway
helena carter is not ugly! who took that picture of her anyway? joan cusack also. sexiness is one thing and beauty is another. not everyone on this list is that ugly.
I agree, no good amount of make-up or photoshop could make those people look gorgeous. Although they may not be conventionally beautiful, they believed in themselves enough to go for their dreams and that is something that should be respected. I’m glad they didn’t let something like conventional looks stop them from pursuing their dreams.
Vanessa Paradis deserves a spot on that list though she hasn’t exactly made it in Hollywood.
steve buscemi and david thewils are not really ugly and joan cusack is hot
I am shocked that some EXTREMELY UGLY black actors failed to be mentioned here!! ARE you kidding me? Are we trying to be politically correct? I guess since most blacks arent mainstream super famous actors we dont mention them..but BELIEVE ME that race is no picnic!! UNLESS THEY ARE SOMEHOW WHITE IN THE GENES!!
LOL @ these ugly people. good thing they got money
You forgot Danny DeVito. Not only is he ugly but he’s short too. :)
Helena bonham carter is beautiful in a normal sense! She definitely doesn’t belong here… Joan Cusack has a very nice mothering look to her :) I suppose thats not pretty I guess but whatever… Nice list though. It’s true though, you don’t have to be the best looking person in the world to make it big… the key is in the talent. :) Nice uplifting entry. Thanks,
Minal
I think that the majority of the people on this list are misrepresented by their photos, and I feel that most of these actors are shown here in their current elder years. Old is now a different category of beauty, and I never thought old people were ugly… However, out of this list, I can say Helena Bonham Carter really should be removed. If you don’t agree, then you should see her here: http://okipatrick.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/hbc.jpg Helena is beautiful, inside and out. Also, I’ve always had a secret crush on Tim Curry. ;-)
Please remove Joan Cusack and replace the adorable woman with Edward James Olmos. I can’t believe he’s not on your list.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_James_Olmos
Great list for a great topic but you missed Martha Plimpton. I think she, alone, would more than prove your point.
Oh and Christopher Walken may not be so great looking these days but he was gorgeous on Deer Hunter and in his younger days. He could have been a model.
Pruitt Taylor Vince is far from ugly..he is a friend of mine,I’ve worked with him on stage, and he does quite well with the ladies..so you might want to rethink your definition of ugly.
Clint Howard has a famous brother…he is not proof that an ugly person can make it, only proof that nepotism works.
WTF?! Joan Cusack is decent looking. Bernhard is ugly though.
i agree with 2 0r 3 of the choices. they are faces that are just a little difficult to look at. most of the ones showed aren’t ugly in my opinion. look at mick jagger (not on the list i know). not an attractive man in the typical sense but he possesses more than physical attractiveness. what my mother always said “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.
Helena Bonham Carter is absolutely beautiful and should not be on this list. Where’s Sarah Jessica Parker? She’s totally fugly but dresses in ridiculous ‘high fashon’ so nobody notices.
Personally, I think David Thewlis is very attractive. I’m surprised he’s on this list…
Well…it’s true–”Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. Being a REALLY BIG FAN of Christopher Walken, he has referred to himself in his earlier films as being “too pretty”. He was BEAUTIFUL in the movie ROSELAND where he played a ballroom dancing gigolo. He had exquisite long, sandy blond hair, large heterochromia eyes, fabulous smile and very, full kissable lips. Those skin-tight orange(!),bell-bottoms showcased his tall dancer’s physic. Ugly? Far from it. He has the most expressive eyes of any actor I know. And, what a profile! Yes…this is a very biased option!
The choices are generally good, but how about some classic ugly actors like Bogart or Wallace Berry? Nice site!
YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! MIKE MYERS IS GORGEOUS!
ARE YOU KIDDING?! HELENA BONHAM CARTER?! She is beautiful!
Correction: “the Incredibles” director, Brad Bird, was the voice of Edna Mode, not Linda Hunt.
Tim Curry wasn’t ugly either when he was younger. Okay, he kinda looks like a sponge now because he gained so much weight and there’s just way too much skin hanging around his chin and neck. But when he was young - around the Rocky Horror Time - he was actually quite good-looking in my opinion. Not the classical Hollywood beauty, I agree. But that doesn’t make him ugly. There’s much more between beautiful and ugly than those two tiny extremes at either end of the continuum…
Not to mention that I always found him very sexy. But as you already pointed out, that’s a different category anyways. There are people I consider beautiful but not at all attractive/sexy.
I agree 100% with Helena Bonham Carter, she’s a terrific actress, but she’s really ugly, that horrible nose, yellow teeth, OMG she’s ugly
Linda Hunt did not voice the character of Edna “E” Mode in the movie “The Incredible” The voice was that of the director, Brad Byrd. Also missing from her credits- Billy Kwang in “The year of living dangerously” She won an academy award for that role.
i agree with most of these except david thewlis… I find him extremely attractive. and some other some might say “ugly or below average” actors I think are hot are simon pegg, arnold vosloo, tim roth, david tennant, and alan rickman
it’s a rough making it in this business, let alone also being below average in the looks department.
thanks!
a homely actor
Not sure why Mike Myers made this list. He is not what most people would call a “leading man” but he certainly is not ugly either.