History Main / BeautyInversion

* Mariah Carey doesn't look too good in her role as the titular character's mother in ''Film/TheButler'', either.

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* In the film ''Film/EpicMovie'', this is played for comedy. Carmen Electra in the film plays a parody of Mystique, and initially looks absolutely gorgeous, especially since it basically shows off her entire naked body, only with certain placed scales to hide her nipples and private areas. Later on, she even gets a sex scene with the main character Peter, where she seductively expands her chest and ass at his request... and then he starts requesting some rather ugly and disgusting features. The absolutely stunning Carmen Electra goes from a stunning near naked woman with a larger rack and ass,to a fat and flabby grandma with a unibrow and crossed eyes. [[FanDisservice Followed by a sloppy make out and hardcore granny sex with Peter...]]

* Some well-applied zombie makeup was enough to make the incredibly handsome Creator/JamieBamber look utterly horrible during a guest stint on ''Series/GhostWhisperer''. There's also his appearance on Series/{{House}}, where he starts out looking like his usual gorgeous self, but his looks worsen as his condition does--yellowing skin, bulging eyes, etc--until finally, the sight of him laying on a bed wearing nothing but boxer shorts is completely undercut by the fact ''his skin is peeling off''. Quite jarring considering that he's usually MrFanservice in whatever he's starring in.

* For her recurring role as Estelle in ''Series/{{Friends}}'' June Gable wore an unflattering wig, too much jewellery and UncannyValleyMakeUp. She also affected a voice to suggest the agent had been a chain-smoker for years.

* Downplayed by Creator/AnaDeArmas for ''Film/KnivesOut''. While no amount of loose-fitting, delightfully tacky sweaters, oversized scarves, unkempt hair, and modest makeup can conceal the fact that de Armas is an absurdly beautiful woman, they ''do'' mean that [[ChasteHeroine Marta]] is a noticeable change from her [[MsFanservice usual]] [[SpicyLatina roles]]. The script outright notes that Marta is pretty, but she's never portrayed as sexy, either.

* While Creator/ReeseWitherspoon in ''Film/WalkTheLine'' is NOT an example, it should be noted that her Oscar win for that movie broke a back to back to back three peat of actresses (Halle Berry for Monster’s Ball, Nicole Kidman for The Hours, and Charlize Theron for Monster) who DID follow this trope to the T and win the Oscar.

* While Reese Witherspoon in ''Film/WalkTheLine'' is NOT an example, it should be noted that her Oscar win for that movie broke a back to back to back three peat of actresses (Halle Berry for Monster’s Ball, Nicole Kidman for The Hours, and Charlize Theron for Monster) who DID follow this trope to the T and win the Oscar.

* While Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line is NOT an example, it should be noted that her Oscar win for that movie broke a back to back to back three peat of actresses (Halle Berry for Monster’s Ball, Nicole Kidman for The Hours, and Charlize Theron for Monster) who DID follow this trope to the T and win the Oscar.

* ''Series/TheStand2020'': Creator/EzraMiller has a certain chiseled, androgynous beauty about them, but they are nearly unrecognizable as the psychotic pyromaniac Trashcan Man.

* In ''{{Fargo}}'' [[Series/FargoSeasonThree Season 3]], Creator/EwanMcGregor [[ActingForTwo plays both]] the successful Emmit Stussy and his down-on-his-luck brother Ray. Emmit Stussy is as sharp and handsome as, well, Ewan [=McGregor=], albeit saddled with an unflattering perm. Ray Stussy, however, is balding, portly, windburned and sickly, all of which were accomplished with two hours of makeup that ensure you can barely even tell that they're played by the same man.

* Any actress who plays the Witch in ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods'' until the end of the first act. The ultimate example may be Creator/BernadettePeters from the original Broadway production.

* As well as the actors who play the title character in ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', most of whom are quite handsome in RealLife.

* ''Series/{{Devs}}: Sonoya Mizuno gets hit with a more mild case as Lily Chen, who is considered desirable but still has her looks noticeably toned down. She wears a very short, boyish haircut and always wears casual, unisex clothing.

Note: This is different from HollywoodHomely, where, an actor or actress will be "plained down" with unflattering clothing or hairstyle, glasses, a better-looking sibling, crippling shyness hiding their looks or so on, but the result is only (maybe) average-looking by non-Hollywood standards. A Hollywood Homely character can quite easily be changed in-story to the actor's normal appearance for a BeautifulAllAlong reveal. This trope, instead, is when the actor uses makeup or prosthetics to change the look of their face to match the expectations and image of the character.

** Creator/CecilyStrong is one of the straight-up hottest cast-members of all time, and has played a number of characters and impressions that play this up. However, one of her most popular characters is Cathy-Anne, a middle-aged drug-addict who lives in Creator/MichaelChe's building.

This trope usually happens in biopics and serious dramas, and covers attractive actors playing below average-looking characters (or real people), and there is a definite effort to not only play down but deliberately counteract the actor's usual good looks. Since most Hollywood actors tend to be very attractive, it's an interesting challenge for them to portray a {{Gonk}}.

* In ''{{Fargo}}'' [[Series/FargoSeasonThree Season 3]], Creator/EwanMcGregor [[ActingForTwo plays both]] the successful Emmit Stussy and his down-on-his-luck brother Ray. Emmit Stussy is as sharp and handsome as, well, Ewan [=McGregor=]. Ray Stussy, however, is balding, portly, windburned and sickly, all of which were accomplished with two hours of makeup that ensure you can barely even tell that they're played by the same man.

* Creator/RosanneBarr isn't a conventional looker, but she ''really'' downgraded her appearance in ''Film/SheDevil''.

* A lesser version in ''[[Film/TheBishopsWife The Preacher's Wife]]'' While Creator/WhitneyHouston is still undeniably gorgeous, her hair/clothing/makeup is far more akin to a middle-class minister's wife rather than a famous actress/singer.

* The normally very beautiful Creator/LenaHeadey sports some very nasty looking facial scars, cracked lips and bad teeth in ''Film/{{Dredd}}'' while playing former prostitute turned drug baron Mama.

* The evil [[TheCheerleader cheerleader]] HBIAC was nothing if not attractive, as was the dancing ho [[Wrestling/LisaMarieVaron Victoria]]. However, Victoria decided the best way to win a Halloween costume contest was to put on a fat suit and become a sumo wrestler. This was PlayedForLaughes, although the baby faces did "[[TheatricsOfPain sell]]" her "higher" weight.

* When Wrestling/MollyHolly underwent a FaceHeelTurn from a sweet CountryMouse to a SourPrudes, she darkened her hair from blonde to brown and cut it short. She also wore more conservative ring attire to make herself look less attractive.