Actor or actress you didn't recognize until the end credits.
 

I just watched the film Skelton Key, and when the end credits came on I was shocked to see that Gena Rowlands was one of the main characters in the film...I did not recognize her at all when watching the film...I felt like an idiot as she is one of my favorite actresses. True she gained weight and has aged, and I wasn't expecting to see her in a film like this, but I still should have recognized her.

Has there ever been a time where you didn't recognize an actor or actress ( due to weight gain, aging, makeup etc.) until after the movie was over?

Ted Levine (aka Buffalo Bill) in Heat. When I saw him in the credits, I thought at first he played Waynegrow, but then looked further and saw he was one of Pacino's cops.

I didn't realize that Ed Norton was "King Baldwin" in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven due to that pesky mask.

I think this topic's already been covered a few times before, but I'd like to add Gary Oldman as Mason Verger in <i>Hannibal</i>. Whod've thunk it?

Gary Oldman in almost every film he makes. He is a great actor, but he is always in some costume or disguise. I don't eventhink that I know what he looks like in real life.

Pulp Fiction

Joe Pilato as Dean martin
Steve Buscemi as Buddy Holly

Nearly all animated works unless its just blantantly obvious. I dont read who is doing voices ever as I hate having that picture of them talking into a mic in my head while I'll try to get immersed into the world.

Holy crap. It just hit me that Buffalo Bill = Captain Stottlemeyer. :lol:

My contribution: Jimmy Fallon in Almost Famous.

I didn't know that.

SPIDER and Miranda Richardson. What a performance(s)!

Donnie Whalberg in the Sixth Sense.

Chris Meloni as Freakshow in Harold and Kumar.

hey I didn't know that, yes there is an echo around here.

I always noticed him in many film except for Harry Potter, which I didn't realized it was him.

..and on that note, who woulda thunk Doogie Howser MD actually appeared in that film too? :)

I second Oldman in Hannibal...

They never show his face but Val Kilmer as Elvis in True Romance
Dustin Hoffman as the old Jack Crabb in Little Big Man
All the villians in Dick Tracy, except maybe Pacino, Sorvino (Lips), and Forsythe (Flat-top). I spotted them right away

Tilda Swinton in Broken Flowers. And I saw that movie shortly after seeing The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and also Consatine, and she looked completely different.

Could not for the life of me place Kelsey Grammer's name in X-Men 3. Finally the credits rolled and I was kicking myself.

His voice was dead on...just couldn't remember the name.

Tony Leung in Hero. I've watched Hard Boiled numerous times, but what a difference a mustache makes.

Marilyn Manson in Party Monster

John Ritter in "Slingblade."

That was who I thought of when I first read the title.

Another one for me was Harold Ramis in Groundhog Day. Didn't recognize him with all the weight he put on.

Another vote for Wahlberg in 6th Sense...

Mickey Rourke in Sin City.

Javier Bardem in Collateral (this was after seeing him in Before Night Falls). Total chameleon. Also, if I didn't know he was the star of Mondays in the Sun - I wouldn't have guessed it was him.