When selecting the cast for a biopic, or biographical movie, the director must walk a fine line between selecting someone for their physical similarity vs. selecting them for having the thespian talent required to play the part. Here's a list of actors who definitely succeeded on the physical similarity side of things. It's not just the actor who does all the work – casting experts and makeup artists also play a huge role in making these famous figures come to life on the big screen. Many consider biopics to be some of the most difficult and rewarding roles in Hollywood. Most historical figures have a wealth of information available about them, and it is the actor's job to understand and embody all of this available information, all while portraying a historical figure that many people may have strong feelings about. Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray Daniel Day‑Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in The Doors Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin Ben Kingsley as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in Gandhi Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler in Downfall Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs In Jobs Denzel Washington as Malcolm X in Malcolm X Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandella in Invictus Andre 3000 as Jimi Hendrix in Jimi: All Is By My Side Jennifer Lopez as Selena Quintanilla in Selena Adrien Brody As Salvador Dali In Midnight In Paris Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb as Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen in Sid and Nancy Hellen Mirren as HM Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock in Hitchcock Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo in Frida Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk Eddie Redmayne And Felicity Jones as Jane And Stephen Hawking in The Theory Of Everything Marion Cotillard As Édith Piaf In La Vie En Rose/la Môme