We’ve all done it, sat there watching a new TV series and there’s one character’s face that looks oh so familiar, but for the life of you, you can’t quite remember where you’ve seen them before.
And that’s often because the actors of said characters have undergone some pretty shocking transformations, meaning they’re almost unrecognisable compared to their previous role.
Take Our Girl star Nico Mirallegro, for instance. He burst onto season four as newcomer Prof and quickly became a fan favourite for being both a sensitive soul and easy on the eye.
But, there was something about him that seemed slightly familiar and fans were shocked to uncover that Nico who plays Prof had actually appeared onscreen as Newt in Hollyoaks way back in 2007.
And he’s not the only one surprising us between series.
Here’s 8 actors that have undergone quite the change from role to role.
Nico Mirallegro – Newt in Hollyoaks and Prof in Our Girl
Cast your minds way back and you’ll remember when Barry Newton aka Newt popped up in Hollyoaks. He was the foster son of Jack and Frankie Osborne and the soap’s first ever emo character.
Back then, Nico was rocking long black locks, thick eyeliner and a lip piercing in front of the cameras, but jump forward to 2020 and he’s almost unrecognisable.
Returning to the screen as army solider Prof, gone was Nico’s emo days as he was back sporting cool specs, army dogtags and looking completely ripped.
Sophie Rundle – Ada Shelby in Peaky Blinders and Vicky Budd in Bodyguard
Sophie Rundle is probably best known for playing sassy Ada Shelby in hit series Peaky Blinders, with her character bringing the show some much-needed glamour thanks to her brunette pin curls and lashings of red lipstick.
But it was that 1920s vibe that threw us off when trying to work out where exactly we’d seen Vicky Budd before in BBC series Bodyguard.
Joe Dempsie – Chris Miles in Skins and Gendry in Game Of Thrones
We first got to love Joe as Chris Miles in Channel 4 teen series Skins. Remember the floppy hair, beanie hats and freakishly bright t-shirts?
He starred in seasons one and two of the show, before making a TV comeback in HBO smash hit Game Of Thrones as Gendry – yup, don’t let the facial hair fool you.
Alfred Enoch – Dean Thomas in Harry Potter and Wes Gibbins in How To Get Away With Murder
Alfred made his film debut as Dean Thomas in Harry Potter back when the franchise dropped its first movie in 2001, but while Dean was a recurring role, he wasn’t one of HP’s huge players.
Following a little break away from the big screen and a cameo in Broadchurch, Alfred then returned as Wes Gibbins in How To Get Away With Murder, where he was rubbing shoulders with Viola Davis. We knew we’d seen that baby face before.
Natalie Dormer – Cressida in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay and Margaery Tyrell in Game Of Thrones
You couldn’t get two more polar opposites than Natalie Dormer’s characters in Hunger Games: Mockingjay and Game Of Thrones.
Cressida is all punk-rock with her fierce warrior look and half-shaven tattooed head, while Margaery oozes royalty with her long braided locks and stunning floor-length dresses – making it that little bit harder to connect the actor bringing them both to life.
Cole Sprouse – Cody Martin in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Jughead Jones in Riverdale
Considering he’s grown up a hell of a lot, it’s not all that surprising that Cole Sprouse looks different from his Suite Life of Zack & Cody days, but it’s a pretty big difference.
He’s older and wiser and rocking a much more brooding look, now with darker hair and a cooler sense of style – proving his Cody days are well and truly behind him.
Jodie Comer – Chloe Gemell in My Mad Fat Diary and Villanelle in Killing Eve
Jodie Comer appeared onscreen as Northern teen Chloe Gemell in My Mad Fat Diary years before transforming into Russian assassin Villanelle in BBC drama Killing Eve.
And while naturally she looks a little older and her look is more refined in Killing Eve, it’s the difference in her accent that proves the biggest headache when trying to marry up the two. But then again, Jodie is the accent queen…
Aidan Gillen – Littlefinger in Game Of Thrones and Aberama Gold in Peaky Blinders
Aidan Gillen has got quite the filmography to his name, but when he popped up in Peaky Blinders as Aberama Gold, it took us a while to pin him down as the same man behind Littlefinger in Game Of Thrones.
Maybe it’s the unkempt grey hair? Or the fedora hat always on Aberama’s head?
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