<p>Every generation of actors faces a moment that changes everything, a role that challenges expectations, reinvents their image, and cements their place in cinematic history. For Zac Efron, that moment arrived with <em>The Iron Claw</em>, where his portrayal of wrestler Kevin Von Erich stunned audiences with emotional intensity and physical commitment. But Efron isn’t alone. From breakout reinventions to daring career pivots, many stars have found themselves reborn through a single transformative performance.</p>



<h2>Zac Efron – The Iron Claw (2023)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="680" height="435" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251103_SPEN_76399_BB1mvxf7_3e66da6d.webp&amp;width=680&amp;height=435" alt="" class="wp-image-76402" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px"></figure><figcaption>IMDb</figcaption></figure>



<p>Zac Efron has his breakthrough with his role as Troy Bolton in the “High School Musical” series, before transitioning to more mature projects in comedies such as “17 Again,” “Bad Neighbors” or “The Greatest Showman,” which were well received.</p>



<p>However, some of his most recent films weren’t as successful, and he got typecast in typical “bro comedies” such as “Dirty Grandpa,” “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” and more. But in 2023, Efron finally had a triumphal return to drama with “The Iron Claw,” for which he received critical acclaim.</p>



<h2>Robert Pattinson – Good Time (2017)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="680" height="435" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251103_SPEN_76399_BB1mvuMU_ad9d3442.webp&amp;width=680&amp;height=435" alt="" class="wp-image-76403" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px"></figure><figcaption>IMDb</figcaption></figure>



<p>British actor Robert Pattinson became the late 2000s heartthrob thanks to his role as Edward Cullen in the “Twilight” saga, which also earned him worldwide fame. However, the role didn’t exactly come with critical acclaim or industry recognition.</p>



<p>Thankfully, Pattinson followed his instincts and went on to act in several indie films with some of the greatest directors, slowly earning a reputation as an interesting performer. But it was his performance in the crime thriller “Good Time,” directed by the Safdie Brothers, who shed his former image for once and for all, and led him to other roles such as “Tenet” and “The Batman.” On friday, November 7th, the expected movie <em>Die My Love</em>, where he co-starrs along Jennifer Lawrence, will be released.</p>



<h2>Greta Lee – Past Lives (2023)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="680" height="435" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251103_SPEN_76399_BB1mvLfn_c8effaa5.webp&amp;width=680&amp;height=435" alt="" class="wp-image-76404" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px"></figure><figcaption>IMDb</figcaption></figure>



<p>After building a career in Hollywood with supporting roles in TV shows such as “Russian Doll,” “The Good Fight,” “Chance” or “The Morning Show,” Greta Lee’s career took a wild turn thanks to her leading role in Celine Song’s drama “Past Lives.”</p>



<p>It was Lee’s first leading role in a film, and also her first time speaking Korean on camera. If there was any doubt that Lee was a talented performer, her nuanced, emotional portrayal of Nora proved that she deserves bigger things.</p>



<h2>Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa (2006)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="680" height="435" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251103_SPEN_76399_AA1yKNdX_f5654384.webp&amp;width=680&amp;height=435" alt="" class="wp-image-76407" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px"></figure><figcaption>IMDb</figcaption></figure>



<p>Just as his iconic character, Sylvester Stallone had a spectacular comeback in 2006, when he once again reprised his role as the underdog boxer in “Rocky Balboa,” the sixth installment of the franchise and one of the most beloved entries of the series.</p>



<p>Actually, the script, which Stallone wrote, was inspired by his own struggles with success in the early 2000s, as he had a three year hiatus after some failed projects. “Rocky Balboa” also served as his first directorial effort, making an even more incredible comeback.</p>



<h2>Marlon Brando – The Godfather (1972)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="680" height="435" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251103_SPEN_76399_AA1zHnRA_7f0e28ba.webp&amp;width=680&amp;height=435" alt="" class="wp-image-76408" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px"></figure><figcaption>IMDb</figcaption></figure>



<p>Marlon Brando ascended to mega stardom with iconic performances in classics such as “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “On the Waterfront,” solidifying his status as one of the greatest actors of Hollywood’s golden age.</p>



<p>However, the trajectory of his career took a sharp downturn in the early 1960s, marked by a series of flops and a growing reputation for being challenging to collaborate with. Thanks to Francis Ford Coppola’s decision to cast him in “The Godfather,” followed by memorable roles in “Last Tango in Paris” and “Apocalypse Now,” he was able to revitalize his career.</p>



<h2>John Travolta – Pulp Fiction (1994)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="655" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251103_SPEN_76399_BB1mvuMI-1024x655_59871a19.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=655" alt="" class="wp-image-76409" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>IMDb</figcaption></figure>



<p>After being one of the most bankable and acclaimed actors of the 1970s thanks to his roles in movies such as “Grease,” and “Saturday Night Fever,” the latter for which he received his first Oscar nomination, Travolta’s career suffered a decline in the next decade.</p>



<p>“Two of a Kind,” “Perfect” and “Staying Alive” were commercial and critical failures. However, he had a comeback when he was casted against type as Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” (1994). The role that not only helped him earn his second Oscar nomination, but also revived his career.</p>



<h2>Reese Witherspoon – Wild (2014)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="655" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251103_SPEN_76399_BB1mvEzf-1024x655_f6cfeb73.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=655" alt="" class="wp-image-76410" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>IMDb</figcaption></figure>



<p>Witherspoon was a rom-com queen in the early 2000s thanks to movies such as “Legally Blonde” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” before transitioning to more dramatic roles such as June in “Walk The Line” (for which she won an Academy Award).</p>



<p>However, after her win, she had a career downturn with only one box-office hit (“Water For Elephants”). It was the biopic “Wild,” which finally saw her earning critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination, as well as commercial success.</p>



<h2>Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man (2008)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="655" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251103_SPEN_76399_BB1mvC5c-1024x655_59f16d6a.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=655" alt="" class="wp-image-76411" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>IMDb</figcaption></figure>



<p>Robert Downey Jr. finally won his first Oscar in 2024 thanks to his supporting role in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” However, the actor’s career (and the past decade of film) wouldn’t have been what it is today without his role as Tony Stark in 2008’s “Iron Man.”</p>



<p>After the actor’s problems with addiction and his subsequent recovery, he slowly came back to film thanks to Mel Gibson’s help (paying his insurance bond for “The Singing Detective”), he got other roles in well-received movies like “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” and “Zodiac.” However, “Iron Man” also gave him worldwide stardom, his first box office hit and changed his image for good.</p>



<h2>Brendan Fraser – The Whale (2022)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="655" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251103_SPEN_76399_AA1vy7Vv-1024x655_192efb0a.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=655" alt="" class="wp-image-76433" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>IMDb</figcaption></figure>



<p>Thanks to his roles in box-office hits such as “The Mummy” series and “George of the Jungle,” as well as other dramatic turns in films such as “God and Monsters” or “Crash.” However, his career had a fall down during the 2000s, as he faced some health problems, as well as the aftermath of an assault against him in the Golden Globes 2003.</p>



<p>After leaving Hollywood and focusing in TV roles for a while, Fraser had his triumphal return thanks to Darren Aronosfky’s “The Whale,” for which he won the Oscar as Best Actor in 2023. He then appeared in Martin Scorsese’s “Killer of The Flower Moon.”</p>



<h2>Kate Winslet – Ammonite (2020)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="655" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251103_SPEN_76399_BB1mvC3V-1024x655_56191613.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=655" alt="" class="wp-image-76436" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>IMDb</figcaption></figure>



<p>Winslet has always been a brilliant actress, gaining worldwide recognition thanks to her roles in films such as “Sense and Sensibility,” “Titanic,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Revolutionary Road” and “The Reader.” For the latter, she won the Oscar for Best Actress.</p>



<p>However, between 2012 and 2019, her career suffered a downturn, with some of her worst reviews of her career. It was in 2020, thanks to this romantic drama Ammonite, in which she stars alongside Soaoirse Ronan, that she had a resurgence</p>

Zac Efron in The Iron Claw and 9 More Iconic Roles That Redefined Careers

Zac Efron in The Iron Claw and 9 More Iconic Roles That Redefined Careers - Spoiler US

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<p>The actor has been giving interviews detailing the challenging, day-by-day effort that went into embodying the screen legend. The results have been widely praised, with critics and fans alike stunned by the actor’s uncanny resemblance to Brando, particularly during his “<strong>Godfather</strong>” era.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251016_SPEN_75175_Billy-Zane-2-1024x576_5272fe84.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=576" alt="" class="wp-image-75178" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>Billy Zane as Marlon Brando in Waltzing with Brando (2024)</figcaption></figure>



<h2>More Than Makeup: The Daily Grind</h2>



<p>Zane’s total immersion into the role required not just acting prowess, but a grueling commitment to the makeup chair. The transformation, which included prosthetics, required up to <strong>three-and-a-half hours of application daily</strong>. The makeup team meticulously applied a prosthetic nose, covered his tear ducts, and used specialized “jowl plumbers” to achieve the signature thickness and gravity of the Brando brow and jawline. This physical metamorphosis was essential for the film, which features recreations of some of Brando’s most legendary moments, including scenes from The Godfather and Last Tango in Paris.</p>



<h2>Brando’s Mindset was the Key</h2>



<p>Despite the painstaking external transformation, Zane repeatedly emphasized that the key to his performance was adopting Brando’s legendary, unbothered attitude. Zane said he had to “dispatch with” the daunting responsibility of playing Brando by approaching the character as Brando would have approached a role. By focusing on Brando as a deeply conflicted, yet brilliant man who was trying to reclaim his own legacy, Zane successfully balanced the star’s eccentricities with a touching vulnerability.</p>



<h2>Tahiti</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/spen/full/SPEN_20251016_SPEN_75175_Billy-Zane-1-1024x576_3fdbb815.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=576" alt="" class="wp-image-75177" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption>Billy Zane and writer/director Bill Fishman attend Billy Zane And Filmmakers Celebrate Opening Night Of “Waltzing with Brando” at Culver Theater on September 19, 2025 in Culver City, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for “Waltzing With Brando”)</figcaption></figure>



<p>The collaboration between Billy Zane and writer/director Bill Fishman on <em>Waltzing with Brando</em> was truly a matter of kismet, or shared fate, centered on this little-known period of Brando’s life. The section of Marlon Brando’s life that most captivated them was the actor’s environmental passion and his unique time spent in <strong>Tahiti</strong> on his private atoll, Tetiaroa.</p>

Billy Zane Unveils the Secrets Behind His Transformation to Play Marlon Brando

Billy Zane Unveils the Secrets Behind His Transformation to Play Marlon Brando - Spoiler US

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Zac Efron in The Iron Claw and 9 More Iconic Roles That Redefined Careers

Billy Zane Unveils the Secrets Behind His Transformation to Play Marlon Brando

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