Billy Zaneshook up his look to play one of the most famous actors in the world.
The Titanic villain underwent a grueling transformation to morph into Marlon Brando for the upcoming biographical drama, Waltzing with Brando, leaving fans doing a double take.
But Zane didn't just transform into Brando for the biopic; he also spent hours in the makeup chair (up to three-and-a-half hours each day) becoming all the characters Brando played throughout his influential career, including the iconic Don Vito Corleone from The Godfather or Paul from Last Tango in Paris.
The 59-year-old star, who also was a producer of the film, opened up to Daily Mail about the role, stating, "Playing him I guess was the initial daunting responsibility, and then I had to dispatch with that right away by simply embracing the fact that this was a loving portrait and a reclaiming of his legacy around his passion."
He explained that he approached the challenge in the same way Brando approached his characters" "to not really give a d**n."
"I found by keeping it loose, it was authentic somehow," he added.
With the film hitting theaters today, Sept. 19, 2025, fans have been left in awe over the incredible transformations, with one taking to Instagram to note, "Incredible the resemblance ???."
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"This transformation is insane. I can't wait for this" someone else added, with other comments, "Amazing work ???" and "Bravo...my respect Billy Zane..????."
His portrayal was so good, in fact, that one fan declared, "At first I thought it was a remake of the Godfather. I almost got a heart attack"
"Looks just like Brando wow" one fan expressed.
Related: Beloved ‘80s Cult Classic Film Dances Its Way to Netflix Next Month
The official film social media account added a side-by-side along with a video from the Today show marveling at the transformation, with the caption, “Wait… that’s not Marlon Brando? Which one is which” We’ll take that as a compliment."
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To bring Brando to life, makeup artist Mike Mekash told the outlet that they had to put a prosthetic nose, along with prosthetics to cover Zane's tear ducts, "down to his chin and back to his ears," using paint to blend everything seamlessly.
They also put "jowl plumbers" to "add more gravity to the side of the face," while thickening his eyebrows to achieve the "Brando brow."
"When Billy first tried on the wig, the resemblance to Marlon Brando was so striking that it felt like seeing Brando himself in front of us—that was an unforgettable moment," wig designer Diana Choi said.
Per the film's synopsis, it follows the movie star as he continues making films in the 1970s while recruiting a Los Angeles architect to build "the world's first ecologically perfect retreat on a small, uninhabited island in Tahiti."
Napolean Dynamite'sJon Heder stars as Bernard Judge.
Brando died in 2004 at the age of 80 from respiratory failure from pulmonary fibrosis and congestive heart failure.
Related: 'Titanic' Alum, 59, Looks Nearly Unrecognizable After Returning Stateside for Special Occasion
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