Actors

When an artist develops a career that spans decades, our image of them evolves. As a result, it can be easy to forget what they looked like when they first started with their craft. When we do look back, though, we might be very surprised to look at these stars then and now. Actors, singers, entertainment icons of all types become easily recognizable to us. But usually in their most recent iteration. Take a step back through history now and recall what some of our favorite stars looked like then and now. James Earl Jones is an actor with a remarkable voice, then and now Celebrated actor, iconic voice and all, James Earl Jones / imgur / biography.com Almost everyone has heard James Earl Jones. In fact, some might know his voice before they recognize his face because of his performance as Darth Vader in Star Wars. But he has had plenty of on-screen performances, including The Hunt for Red October and many TV shows. RELATED: These Celebrities In Their 90s And Beyond Prove Age Is Just A Number Born in 1931, James Earl Jones built a career across seven decades. His years of acting made him recognized as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors and overall "one of the greatest actors in American history." Tom Hanks was always an American treasure One of America's most beloved actors, Tom Hanks, then and now / @tomhanks on Instagram / Art Streiber/Variety Lately, we've seen Tom Hanks don the famous red sweater of Mr. Rogers, eternal icon of friendship and happiness. Even then, though Hanks got completely immersed on that role for the movie, we can still recognize him from other famous roles. But Hanks, like other stars, looks very different between now and then, when he was younger. On Instagram, Hanks graced followers with an old photo of himself from many years ago. Instead of his shorter hair that stays close to the head, Hanks then had a very full head of fluffy locks. It's quite a shock to see! Still, though, something in the face remains eternal. They did well casting him as Mr. Rogers. As an actor, we recognized Jack Nicholson then, but now he's different since The Shining Famous from The Shining, Jack Nicholson built a diverse resume / MISTER CHANGE on YouTube / Sofy.tv Actors have to really get into character for some very diverse roles. Jack Nicholson's appearance in The Shining saw him shift from a curt husband and father to an absolutely murderous madman plagued by a nightmarish case of cabin fever. Even back then, Nicholson had an intense look to him that translated well to when he played Jack Torrance. In all his years of acting, though, he's embraced some very diverse roles, some also intense, others comedic, and others still sad. After fifty years of acting, his usual appearance more matches a sort of average of all his different roles. You would need to hear his voice to recognize this actor between then and now Michael Caine left an impression in every role he took / AP Photo / Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock Shall I tell you about Michael Caine, Master Wayne? In his sixty-plus years of acting, he's appeared in over 130 films. Quickly, his cockney accent became a defining feature of the celebrated actor. That ended up being a blessing, because looking at this actor then and now is stunning. Certainly, there is something consistent in the face area, particularly the mouth and nose. But perhaps it's easy to get so used to the Michael Caine we know and love today, so it's hard to picture him with such great hair. Could young Jackie Chan have known he'd one day be such a star? Between then and now, Jackie Chan became a renowned martial artist and beloved actor / MISTER CHANGE on YouTube / biography.com Most of the time, we have no idea what the future will hold for us. But we can actively work to guide that future to be consistent with our desires. Jackie Chan did that early on. His parents nicknamed him Pao-pao, Chinese for "Cannonball." The reason? Their future superstar constantly rocketed around even at a young age. Now, at age 65, Jackie Chan is one of the most recognized individuals in the world. We may not immediately recognize the young man on the left as a universally-acclaimed actor, stuntman, director, and singer, but he would get there eventually. Read onto the NEXT page for more photos celebrated male actors... Though technically retired, we still hear about Robert Redford Robert Redford years ago and today / BradleyjEan901's soup / Shutterstock Then, as an actor, and now retired from the spotlight, Robert Redford looked very different. Today he focuses mostly on Sundance, though wants everyone to know he's not totally left the entertainment world. To him, such declarations sound too final. But before this life of carefully-calculated retirement, Redford built a respectable career on the big screen and on stage. Years ago, his gaze could be quite smoldering. Between then and now, Billy Dee Williams became a famous actor and artist Billy Dee Williams then and now / @therealbillydee on Instagram / Instagram Born William December Williams, Billy Dee developed a versatile arsenal of talent. Not only has he acted in front of a camera, but he lends his vocal talents behind-the-scenes. Many know him best as Lando Calrissian from Star Wars. In fact, we can trace his involvement with Star Wars back for some time. That part of his career stands out as one of the longest intervals an actor has portrayed the same character in American film history. Denzel Washington is most remembered as a stern, serious, tough action hero Denzel Washington isn't always having to out-maneuver action villains / Fordham University / Schneider-Press/John Farr/SIPA/Shutterstock A lot of movies in American cinematic history make their heroes into people we feel like we know. Bruce Willis' John McClane plays on household televisions just in time for Christmas. Tom Cruise pulls off outrageous stunts to complete an otherwise incompletable objective. And Denzel Washington conquers hordes of enemies with style and ease. After all this hard work on screen, it's nice to see he isn't always prepared for intense action. Instead, seeing this famous actor then and now, we're reminded that he too is human and went through all the formative years just as we did. Give this man an award, or at least another nomination Warren Beatty made a successful career and made history / biography.com / Shutterstock Warren Beatty boasts a career that has a little bit of everything. Not only is his acting career a highly celebrated one, but he also delved into movie writing and filmmaking. All this hard work has earned him fourteen Academy Award nominations. Looking at this actor then and now, we see a man who has worked hard and achieved a lot since early on. Indeed, he is the only one to have been nominated for acting, writing, producing, and directing in one film, a feat he accomplished twice. Who you gonna call? Bill Murray! Then, he was a young man fresh out of college, and now he's an actor who defined a lot of favorite movies for us / The Leaf Desk / Paul Buck/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Some of our old favorite movies repeatedly have some of our favorite actors. In that respect, it can feel a bit like Groundhog Day. Funnily enough, Bill Murray knows a thing or two about that. He typically plays comical roles, or ones that let his voice take on a very dry tone; he becomes the straight man against other people's antics. Fortunately, we'll get to see him again in the upcoming Ghostbusters movie. This next iteration in the beloved franchise takes a different approach compared to the 2016 version. This one leans fully into the power of nostalgia and is getting most of the old cast back. Revisit an old favorite while waiting for the new one with the video below.