10 Extraordinary Women Who Have Been Played by Famous Actresses in Movies and TV Series

Watching movies about the lives of famous women, we often wonder how they looked in reality. Actresses try their best to recreate the characters they play, but usually they are not similar to them. See how the women who made history really looked.

Tania

6:31 PM EDT, April 11, 2022

#1 Natalie Dormer and Anne Boleyn

Natalie Dormer (born 1982) played the character of Anne Boleyn in two seasons of the TV series The Tudors (2007 and 2008).

Anne Boleyn (1501-1536) was queen of England and Ireland, second wife of Henry VIII, and mother of Elizabeth I. She was eventually accused of adultery and treason and beheaded.

#2 Faye Dunaway and Bonnie Parker

Faye Dunaway (born 1941) played Bonnie Parker in the 1967 American drama.

Bonnie Parker (1910-1934) and her partner (Clyde Barrow) were America's most notorious criminals. They committed many crimes and died together in a police ambush.

#3 Nicole Kidman and Virginia Woolf

Nicole Kidman (born 1967) played the British writer in the 2002 film The Hours.

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was a feminist and English writer. She introduced innovative narrative techniques in her works. After suffering another consecutive nervous attack, she committed suicide.

#4 Greta Garbo and Mata Hari

Greta Garbo (1905-1990) played the role of Mata Hari. The film was made in 1931 and became a box office hit. It brought in almost a million dollars in profits.

Mata Hari (1876-1917) was a Dutch dancer. Her real name was Margaretha Geertruida McLeod and during World War I she acted as a double agent (in the service of France and Germany). She was eventually charged with espionage and executed.

#5 Anne Hathaway and Jane Austen

Anne Hathaway (born 1982) played the young Jane Austen in the film Jane in Love (2007).

Jane Austen (1775- 1817) was an English novelist. She described the lives of the upper English classes in the 19th century. She herself never married.

#6 Gina Lollobrigida and Lina Cavalieri

Gina Lollobrigida (born 1927) played Lina Cavalieri in the film La Donna più bella del mondo made in 1955.

Lina Cavalieri (1874-1944) was an Italian singer and silent film actress. She was famous for her beauty. She worked as a nurse during World War II. She died during a bombing raid.

#7 Anna Dymna and Barbara Radziwillowna

Anna Dymna (born 1951) played a Polish queen in a 1982 historical film.

Barbara Radziwillowna (between 1520 and 1523-1551) queen of Poland, Grand Duchess of Lithuania and second wife of Sigismund Augustus. Her marriage caused great dissatisfaction among the Polish court and the nobility. The queen died prematurely of syphilis or cervical cancer.

#8 Lily-Rose Depp and Isadora Duncan

Lily-Rose Depp (born 1999) played Isadora Duncan in the 2016 film Dancer. It was a supporting role, as the picture is about Loie Fuller.

Isadora Duncan (1877 or 1878-1927) is an American artist who is considered a pioneer of modern dance. She abandoned ballet shoes and performed barefoot in a Greek tunic.

#9 Andrea Riseborough and Wallis Simpson

Andrea Riseborough (born 1981) played Wallis Simpson in the film W.E. The Royal Affair. The drama premiered in 2011 and was directed by Madonna.

Wallis Simpson (1896-1986) is an American woman who became famous for being a two-time divorcee and seducing and marrying the Prince of Wales, Edward VIII. The man renounced the throne for her and abdicated in favor of his brother, George VI.

#10 Jenna Coleman and Queen Victoria I

Jenna Coleman (born 1986) played the Queen of England in a television series called Victoria, which has 3 series.

Victoria of Hanover (1819-1901) was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland for 63 years. She measured only 149 cm tall, and her descendants now sit on many European thrones.