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Erin McCann - Lists at Ranker

Entertainment

As much as audiences enjoy watching comedies in order to laugh, stupid comedies with heartwarming moments can be even more enjoyable. Laughing is great, but laughing while actually feeling something deeper can be even better. There are many <a href="/list/dark-moments-in-lighthearted-movies/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">lighthearted movies with dark moments</a>, but some movies take feelings a step further to tug at viewers&#39; heartstrings. While this can involve <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/horrific-moments-in-mindless-comedies/orrin-grey" target="_blank">tragedy</a>, it&#39;s often just a touching moment between two characters or a reveal that causes audiences to feel a deeper connection, thus turning a silly comedy into something bigger.

Touching moments in comedies don&#39;t even have to play a major role in the film&#39;s plot. While they may happen at any point in a movie&#39;s runtime, heartwarming scenes often propel the characters forward, whether they&#39;re making new discoveries that force them to take action or realizing new information about others that deepens their relationships. Touching moments sometimes appear at the end of a film, sending audiences out of the theater with a smile on their faces. Comedies hold special places in many hearts, regardless of how silly they may be. These particular films, however, added something heartwarming to all the silliness and created some legitimately touching moments.

Legitimately Touching Moments In Otherwise Silly Comedies

Film

Erin McCann

Lists of fun facts, fascinating trivia, and wild, charming, and even heartbreaking stories about some of the most famous people you feel like you already know.

The Life of an Actor

Jennifer Connelly

Anyone indulging in viewing their childhood cult favorites like Labyrinth and The Rocketeer may wonder what happened to Jennifer Connelly.&nbsp;Fans will be happy to discover she&#39;s still a working actress, just appearing in much less lighthearted films and television.&nbsp;Connelly now is an Oscar-winning actress who appears in both big-budget movies and independent features with the same amount of professionalism. She could even be considered among the most reputable <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/actresses-horror-movies/michelle-nati" target="_blank">horror movie actresses</a>. Connelly&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/jennifer-connelly-loves-and-hookups/celebrityhookups" target="_blank">husband, Paul Bettany</a>, and their children now take up much of her time -&nbsp;something she&#39;s genuinely happy about.&nbsp;

Connelly&#39;s movie career began in the 1980s and, although she took some memorable roles, her career didn&#39;t take a serious turn until 2000&#39;s Requiem for a Dream. Her gritty portrayal of substance dependence inspired her to take more complex roles and expand her range. After starting a family, Connelly decided to slow down and accept work she truly felt passion for, leading her to spend as long as a year not working, so it&#39;s no wonder she&#39;s been a bit out of the spotlight in recent years.&nbsp;

Whatever Happened To Jennifer Connelly?

General

What Happened To Jennifer Connelly?

COVID-19 fever is still sweeping the nation. Wash your hands. As much as possible, stay home. Don't worry about your roots.

Wear a Mask

Mask Up

Celebrities displaying their elite lifestyles and attitudes is nothing new. How celebrities choose to react to a pandemic, however, is another matter entirely.

As the world struggled&nbsp;with a global pandemic and economic disaster, the reactions of those who&nbsp;lost loved ones or their income were often very different from those who had access to the best health care and the ability to isolate themselves&nbsp;in comfort. Never has this disparity been more visible than&nbsp;through social media posts. Although many created messages of hope, passed along health tips, and donated money to support efforts, not all celebrities&#39; efforts were&nbsp;welcomed.

Because social media gives users the chance to respond immediately to the things their favorite stars post, people were&nbsp;quick to call out celebrities for acting in heartless and tone-deaf manners. In many cases, this negative feedback&nbsp;led stars to issue public apologies or remove the offending posts.

Clearly, pandemics are&nbsp;a scary time for everyone, regardless of how many people know them. Many people stepped up to become <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/sars-cov-2-everyday-heroes/mrennie" target="_blank">everyday heroes</a> who help others. For celebrities with wide-reaching voices and scores of dedicated followers, however, remaining in touch and not appearing elitist is crucial. Unfortunately, the things said and done by some of these celebrities haven&#39;t really helped anyone.

The Worst Things Celebrities Have Said Or Done In Response To The Pandemic Of 2020

Person

The Worst Things Celebrities Have Said Or Done In Response To The Pandemic 

Realistic isolation movies can be pretty unnerving. Thanks to the camera and some claustrophobic direction, the audience experiences isolation along with the protagonist. Viewers are stuck in the canyon with Aron Ralston in 127 Hours and trapped in space with Dr. Ryan Stone in Gravity, making their ordeals seem personal.

People can certainly isolate themselves from society by being reclusive or emotionally distant, but isolation can also be experienced in space, the wilderness, at sea, or in a confined space. However, though psychologists generally consider loneliness a detrimental state of being, movies can demonstrate that isolation isn&#39;t always a bad experience.

Isolation is often depicted&nbsp;in action/adventure, science fiction, and horror films. A character facing a tough or scary situation on their own can create a more suspenseful experience for the audience, since the close interaction can lead viewers to identify with the character and feel what they&#39;re feeling. Movies in which a character <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/survival-drama-movies/ranker-film" target="_blank">fights for survival</a> raise the stakes, as they show the protagonist battling for their life all by themselves. Luckily, the films that&nbsp;take a realistic approach in examining how isolation affects people also show how the characters successfully cope with their situation, whether via&nbsp;laughter, working toward a goal, or adopting a makeshift companion.&nbsp;

Pretty Accurate Movies About Being In Isolation

The Peanut Butter Solution

According to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RpXPoYpV4c" target="_blank">YouTube comments</a>, many movie fans who grew up in the 1980s believe The Peanut Butter Solution was not a feature film but just a strange dream they experienced. Turns out, it was a real movie, filmed in Canada with a soundtrack featuring Celine Dion. If you&#39;re one of the many who&#39;ve never heard of it, The Peanut Butter Solution came out in 1985, within about a year of other dark &#39;80s kid movies like Labyrinth, The Neverending Story, and <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/why-return-to-oz-disney-movie-disturbed-kids/jacob-shelton?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Return to Oz</a>. Unlike these beloved cult classics, most people either don&#39;t remember The Peanut Butter Solution, are in denial it ever existed, or think of viewing it as a scarring experience.

Those who do remember The Peanut Butter Solution recall it mostly due to its extremely bizarre story. Events seem random and almost like a dream, or in this case, a nightmare. Although it&#39;s a kids&#39; movie, it contains dark elements&nbsp;including kidnapping, forced labor, and gross substances consisting of dead flies and rotten eggs. It&#39;s even got a few ghosts thrown in for good measure. Created as part of a feel-good children&#39;s film series called Tales for All, the movie often feels so out there, viewers may wonder how it even made it to the screen. The Peanut Butter Solution may not be one of the most beloved kids&#39; movies of the 1980s, but it definitely stands out from the rest.

'The Peanut Butter Solution' Is An '80s Kids' Movie That Gets Weirder And Darker Every Minute

'The Peanut Butter Solution' Gets Weirder And Darker By The Minute

Most people know what happened to the dog at the end of Old Yeller, but what happened to the most beloved animal actors once the cameras stopped rolling? Characters in animal movies have special ways of touching audiences&#39; hearts, sometimes more powerfully than human characters. Due to their unique body of work, film and television creatures like Mister Ed, Air Bud, and Lassie remain beloved years after their first appearance. Unfortunately, while animal characters have the ability to live forever on film, animal actors are mortal.&nbsp;

Whether they became sick, lost their will to live, or passed in the line of duty, some animal actors experienced tragedy at the end of their lives. Luckily, what they gave the world through their movie and television performances won&#39;t soon be forgotten.

The Saddest Fates Of Our Favorite Movie And TV Animals

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Years after kicking vampires&#39; butts on television, many fans may wonder what happened to Sarah Michelle Gellar.&nbsp;While she may not be as prominent on television and movies as she was in the late 1990s, Gellar has taken on projects outside of entertainment and created an entirely different successful career. <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/sarah-michelle-gellar-loves-and-hookups/celebrityhookups" target="_blank">Gellar&#39;s romantic life</a> once made headlines, especially after dating and then marrying Freddie Prinze Jr. The couple has&nbsp;two children, and they consider them&nbsp;the most important thing&nbsp;in their lives, even more so than acting.

Born in 1977, Gellar got her start in television commercials before landing a breakthrough role on All My Children. Her film career took off roughly around the same time she was cast as Buffy Summers and starred in horror hits like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream 2. As Buffy on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gellar earned an entire legion of fans, as well as respect from critics for bringing to life a character capable of dealing with teenage emotion at the same time she&#39;s destroying vampires. The role was a forerunner for female superheroes, and years after going off the air, Buffy remains a beloved character. Where is Sarah Michelle Gellar now and what has she been up to? She&#39;s still kicking butt, just not that of evil monsters.

What Has Sarah Michelle Gellar Been Up To Since 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'?

What Really Happened To Sarah Michelle Gellar?

Places/Travel

Many people may go to Disneyland or a national park for a vacation, but only the most adventurous will take a chance going to one of the world&#39;s most dangerous places to visit. While plenty of areas in the world are notoriously dangerous due to crime and war, other locations are known for their natural dangers, including volcanoes, deserts, and jungles filled with toxic insects. Visiting these places may not top most people&#39;s bucket lists, and for good reason, because some of these &quot;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-is-extreme-spelunking-and-deep-cave-exploration/cynthia-griffith" target="_blank">extreme</a> tourism&quot; vacation spots have claimed many lives. Some are so hazardous, countries have banned people from entering them.

Found in Russia, Africa, South America, and all around the world, dangerous locations are often as beautiful as they are deadly.&nbsp;Everyone knows places like the top of Mount Everest and the middle of Australia&#39;s Outback can be perilous, but plenty of other dangerous locations are not as obvious. Although tour companies often take advantage of a location&#39;s reputation to attract tourists, it&#39;s probably better for people to stay away. When considering an active volcano or freezing mountaintop as a vacation spot, sometimes it&#39;s better to choose Disneyland.&nbsp;

The Most Dangerous Locations That People Have Actually Tried To Visit

Lists of the unsavory news stories that shook the very foundations of our delicate sensibilities.

Ooh! Scandal!

For as long as there have been celebrities, people have engaged in gossip about them. For celebrities in Hollywood, this means that putting themselves on display in movies and on television can lead fans to develop an interest in what their private lives are like off screen. Tabloids and shows like Access Hollywood and TMZ&nbsp;have turned celebrity news into a profitable industry. But long before television and the internet, celebrities got caught up&nbsp;in scandal. Whether they became involved in crimes, dared to love someone other than their spouse, or exposed another star&#39;s deepest secrets, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/scandals-in-history/devon-ashby" target="_blank">celebrities and scandals</a> have often gone hand in hand throughout history.

Scandals have occurred in every decade, and while some are still talked about in the present, even those that are long forgotten made huge impacts when&nbsp;they took place. While life in the 1900s was very different from that in the 2000s, humanity&#39;s ability to go against the values set by society hasn&#39;t changed. Having an affair in 1910 could be just as damaging as it could be in 2020, and for those who lived their lives in the spotlight, the scrutiny could be even worse. When looking at some of the biggest celebrity scandals since the turn of the century, it&#39;s clear people haven&#39;t learned anything from the mistakes of others.&nbsp;

The Most Famous Celebrity Scandals And Gossip From Every Decade Since The Turn Of The 20th Century

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Jennifer Love Hewitt seemed to be nearly everywhere in the late 1990s after I Know What You Did Last Summer. A&nbsp;child star and beloved character on Party of Five, she was already on track for a big career before her breakout.&nbsp;Ever since her late-&#39;90s rise to fame as the &quot;sexy girl next door&quot; type, Hewitt has been constantly&nbsp;working on something -&nbsp;whether a television show, a book, or her family. Though&nbsp;she may have flown under the radar in recent years, Hewitt continues to put herself out there.

Born in 1979, Hewitt became a child&nbsp;star in Texas before moving to California to break into the movie industry. Though most people know her from&nbsp;TV and movies, Hewitt also wrote a book, created a comic series, and recorded several albums. After starting on TV, she successfully transitioned to movies&nbsp;before returning to the small screen. Hewitt also married and had two children, which led her to take several years off to raise her family. Her recent return to television was welcomed by many; even after more than 30 years in the industry, Hewitt still has a healthy base of fans behind her.

What Really Happened To Jennifer Love Hewitt?

Actor

What Really Happened To Jennifer Love Hewitt? 

"Clothes make a man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." - Mark Twain

Past Fashion

Fads

Ever since the time of the cavemen, men have cycled through trends of growing facial hair and shaving it all off. Edgy facial hair often emerged to counter mainstream trends, resulting in some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/strange-facial-hair-history/machk" target="_blank">strangest facial hair</a> ever seen. Whether men grew goatees, sported mustaches, or went clean-shaven, facial hair trends changed every decade of the 20th century. Some of these styles reemerged on men&#39;s faces years later, either through reinvention, embracing nostalgia, or expressing oneself through irony.

If one looks at edgy facial hair by decade, it becomes clear that men&#39;s facial hair is an important part of their identity. While the length and styles of facial hair during previous centuries largely depended upon the need for warmth and to keep dirt and the sun away from one&#39;s mouth, beards and mustaches later evolved to demonstrate one&#39;s class and level of manliness. Throughout the 20th century, styling facial hair also became a method for men to assert their individuality and show their distaste for the mainstream styles that&nbsp;followed changes in society&#39;s beliefs. While facial hair styles went back and forth between having hair on one&#39;s face or not, edgy styles emerged to make things more interesting, both for men&#39;s faces and for history.

What ‘Edgy’ Facial Hair Looked Like In Every Decade Of The 20th Century

Ranking the very best songs, bands, and musicians of the greatest decade for hit jams.

Music for Your '90s Playlists

90s Music

It&#39;s a special kind of song that can get fans and athletes on their feet while making them question who let the dogs out or demanding that everybody dance now. Jock jams songs are among this rare breed, and even after many have been playing at sports arenas and wedding receptions for more than 20 years, they still manage to get people energized and moving. While many of the tunes are now limited in where they can be played without being a joke, they&#39;ve become classics - not necessarily because they&#39;re &quot;good,&quot; but due to the specific feeling they create.

Although sports arena&nbsp;music directors started the trend of playing energetic music to excite athletes and fans, Jock Jams helped fix many of these kinds of songs in listeners&#39; minds. And decades later, many fans are more than willing to pump up the jam.

The Rise And Fall Of 'Jock Jams,' The Arena-Themed CD Collection That Ruled The Mid-'90s

The Rise And Fall Of The Mid-90s ‘Jock Jams’ CD Collections

Japanese History

Of all the unique and interesting trends associated with Japan, kawaii culture may be one of the most unassuming, quirky, and, of course, adorable. Roughly translated to &quot;cute&quot; in English, kawaii now includes a wide variety of mascots, fashion styles, and plush toys, but the trend had less than adorable origins. Kawaii, as people know it today, grew out of&nbsp;Japanese student protestors&nbsp;in the 1960s who&nbsp;were tired of tradition and wanted to reclaim their individuality. They did so by adopting childlike adorability in their fashion, speech, and even&nbsp;handwriting. Sanrio noticed the purchasing power of these young consumers and began producing all the cute items anyone could ever want, including their most popular item, Hello Kitty.&nbsp;

Hello Kitty&#39;s history does not include Japan alone. After artist Yuko Shimizu created&nbsp;Kitty White&nbsp;for Sanrio in 1974, the character went on to become one of the most popular commodities in the world -&nbsp;not bad for a schoolgirl without a mouth. Due to Hello Kitty&#39;s success, other companies jumped on the kawaii bandwagon, and the trend took off. Modern visitors to Japan will now see cute cartoons everywhere, including on street signs, as mascots for companies, and even decorating the sides of commercial aircraft.

Years after its defeat in World War II, the country saw fully embracing kawaii as a way to set itself apart&nbsp;and&nbsp;appear&nbsp;nonthreatening. Now with theme parks, her own stores, and a&nbsp;UNICEF ambassadorship, Hello Kitty remains one of the most popular faces of cute. How she got there, however, is a long and troubled story.

Hello Kitty Isn't Just A Cute Character For Kids, She Actually Comes From A Post-War Punk Movement

Hello Kitty's Origin Comes From Kawaii Culture, A Post-War Punk Movement 

Myths & Legends

According to legends, the extended family of the Loch Ness monster lives all over the world and includes a dinosaur-like creature in Russia&#39;s Lake Brosno, affectionately known as Brosny, Brosnya, or the Brosno Dragon. As one of Russia&#39;s most <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/russia-ghost-stories-urban-legends/jacobybancroft" target="_blank">famous urban legends</a>, Brosny is also one of the most fearsome Russian cryptids. With its long tail, fish-like head, and giant mouth, the creature swallows men, boats, and islands whole according to stories. Although legends about Brosny date back to the 13th century, modern people still claim to see the creature leisurely swimming through the lake on occasion.

The icy Lake Brosno in Russia&#39;s Tver region may be an unlikely home for a dragon, but stories about its terrifying abilities and hunger claim otherwise. Like the cadborosaurus, a sea serpent sometimes spotted off North America&#39;s northern Pacific coast, the Brosno Dragon is elusive and has defied photographers for years. While some people believe witnesses of the beast have mistaken&nbsp;other creatures like boars or giant fish for the lake monster, scientists have a variety of other logical explanations. Did Brosny really stop the Tatar-Mongol army from capturing Novgorod or devour a German plane during WWII? According to legends, it did and may still be around to terrify Lake Brosno visitors, boaters, and fishermen.

What Is The Brosno Dragon And Has It Really Been Lurking In A Russian Lake Since The 13th Century?

Has The Brosno Dragon Really Been Lurking In A Russian Lake Since The 13th Century?

Old Stuff

During the low-fat fad of the 1990s,&nbsp;Procter &amp; Gamble believed it had attained the&nbsp;holy grail of low-fat&nbsp;yet flavorful&nbsp;snacks. P&amp;G&#39;s fat substitute olestra was rebranded &quot;Olean&quot; and licensed to food manufacturers to use in chips and cookies. Unfortunately, for many consumers, olestra&#39;s side effects included nausea, flatulence, diarrhea, and what will forever go down in history as &quot;anal leakage.&quot; Some people reportedly experienced such terrible side effects from eating olestra-laced products like Frito-Lay&#39;s WOW!&nbsp;chips&nbsp;and fat-free Pringles&nbsp;that the FDA required any food company using Olean to post warning labels about potential gastrointestinal issues on the packaging.

After several varieties of WOW! Olean chips debuted in 1996, olestra went from a miracle food to the butt of jokes in less than a year. &quot;Anal leakage&quot; became a &#39;90s catchphrase, finding its way into comedy routines for years. Between the warning labels and consumers sharing horrifying experiences, sales of olestra products soon plummeted. The FDA eventually lifted the label requirement, and still allows food manufacturers to use Olean in their food items. The fat substitute has since been reformulated by P&amp;G and may not cause the same gastrointestinal difficulties as before. Still, the original failure of olestra,&nbsp;and the fat-free trend generally, became one of the more embarrassing legacies of the &#39;90s.

In The '90s, Fat-Free Chips Were Hailed As A Miracle - Until The Stomach Aches Started

In The '90s, Fat-Free Chips Went From From Miracle To Misery

Lists about the auteur and animator and his many dark, gothic, fantastically eccentric black-and-white striped works.

The Twisted Mind of Tim Burton

Corpse Bride

Of all Tim Burton&#39;s films, 2005&#39;s Corpse Bride is one of the most Burton-esque. As his fans may know, that means the movie is filled with gothic imagery, odd-looking characters, vibrant colors contrasting with dreariness, and most of all, a whimsical look at dark subjects. Even the basic plot screams Burton: A timid young man accidentally marries a corpse and travels between the worlds of the living and deceased to find himself. Because Corpse Bride was animated using mainly stop-motion technology, Burton was able to play around with the visuals in whatever way he wanted. This allowed his unique imagination to&nbsp;create one of his most underrated movies.

In 1993, Walt Disney (through Touchstone Pictures) produced&nbsp;The Nightmare Before Christmas, based on Burton&#39;s poem of the same name, as well as his character designs. The film became a beloved classic, and its stop-motion animation designs became a standard of pop and goth culture. Although the movie had his name and look, Burton wasn&#39;t the director.

In making Corpse Bride years later, Burton finally had creative control, and his personal stamp is obvious. Even themes he began developing in dark-yet-playful movies like Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice are explored further here, and Burton&#39;s embrace of the weird, eccentric, and odd is on full display. Although Corpse Bride was made for kids and contains plenty of jokes and slapstick humor, it also features some pretty disturbing imagery. From severed heads to deceased dogs, the movie is definitely one of Burton&#39;s most bizarre, yet in many ways, one of his best.

‘Corpse Bride’ Is An Underrated Tim Burton Classic Filled With Creepy Charm And Dark Moments

‘Corpse Bride’ Is An Underrated Tim Burton Classic

In the middle of the ocean, no one can hear you scream. 

Out to Sea

The Sea

On a hot day, many people enjoy cooling off at the nearest body of water, be it a lake, river, or sea. While floating in the water might be relaxing, what lies below and around swimmers might make people consider sticking to dry land. Sea life, dangerous currents, and even chemical weapons could be lurking below water-goers, and dangerous storms could suddenly appear out of nowhere, creating large waves and extremely hazardous conditions.

While there&#39;s always a danger of drowning around any amount of water due to accidents, some bodies of water take danger to another level. Even accomplished swimmers and boaters may struggle in conditions in some areas, and the exceedingly high rates of fatality in these bodies of water prove they are some of the most dangerous. Danger doesn&#39;t always mean aggressive sea life or rip currents, however, and some lakes or seas may simply have an excess of contamination that can make people sick. A few even have bacteria so dangerous it&#39;s been known to claim lives. It&#39;s always important to follow water safety, watch for posted warnings, and listen to the instructions of lifeguards or the Coast Guard, but swimmers, boaters, and beachgoers visiting these spots should take extra care.

The Darkest Secrets Behind Famous Bodies Of Water Around The World

Hygiene

The act of bathing is an important part of Japanese culture, and bath houses date back centuries. Thought to be a purification process as well as a health-promoting way to cleanse the body of dirt and grime, bathing in natural hot springs (onsen)&nbsp;or at public bath houses (sento) was an important ritual in everyday life. Although <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/feudal-japan-myths-debunked/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">myths about feudal Japan</a> may imply that many people in the past, especially common folk, were always dirty, people of all social classes bathed daily.

Sento&nbsp;were local establishments where locals or foreign visitors could bathe in communal tubs or steam rooms. Since having a tub at home was rare, bath houses served a large number of people. Japanese citizens also made use of onsen for a more relaxing bathing experience outdoors. Depending on where they&nbsp;lived, however, they may have needed to travel to visit an onsen, while sento were manmade structures that could be built anywhere, and were thus more accessible for many. Sento provided not only a local bathing facility, but also a gathering spot for locals to meet and bond with other members of their community. In the 1960s, there were more than 2,000 sento around Japan, but as more people built baths in&nbsp;their homes, sento prevalence declined.

There are still public bath houses in Japan today, and while they may provide a more modern experience, the Japanese culture of bathing would not exist without their Edo-era predecessors.

What Were Japanese Bath Houses Really Like?

What Sentos, Japanese Bath Houses, Were Really Like

Actors' firsthand accounts of their work and personal lives as described in press junkets, talk shows, the red carpet, and their own personal media.

In Their Own Words

Actors are used to pretending to be other people; that&#39;s their entire job description. When an actor is playing a real person, however, the transformation process can be a little tricky. Since they&#39;re not creating a character from scratch based on the ideas of writers and directors, there&#39;s a lot riding on their performance if the audience, subject, or subject&#39;s loved ones think it&#39;s wrong. While actors often have the ability to view photographs, read biographies, or ask questions of the subject or those who knew them, it can still be a big responsibility.

Many actors are helped in their transformation by adopting costumes and makeup that physically change them to <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/actors-versus-the-people-they-played/matt-manser" target="_blank">resemble the real-life person</a> they&#39;re portraying. Others base their performance on their own interpretation of the person, knowing that attempting to mimic a real person could easily fail, or come across as insincere. Some actors known for their dedication&nbsp;try to live like the person they&#39;re portraying,&nbsp;and use their experience to better connect to the character. Many also find inspiration&nbsp;through their own relationships and experiences. Whether actors succeed in their performances or turn off critics and audiences, portraying a real person can&#39;t be easy. For many actors, however, the process of transforming into a historical figure is a fulfilling, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Actors Who Transformed Into Historical Figures Talk About The Process

Portraying a real person in a movie can create a good amount of pressure for actors, but that pressure is even more intense when the person they&#39;re portraying is literally sitting there on the set watching them. Some actors are cast in biopics about living people because there&#39;s a physical resemblance, especially when <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-pictures-of-actors-and-people-they-played-in-biopics/hoserusc" target="_blank">viewed side by side</a>. Others are cast due to their abilities as an actor, dancer, or singer. But either way, actors playing living or very-recently-living public figures are faced with the added dilemma of choosing between doing a direct impression of that person or doing some interpretation of their essence, and either one of those choices can be extremely difficult if they&#39;re &#39;pretending&#39; to be a living legend.

Plus, if they don&#39;t do a great job, they&#39;ll have to hear about it from the literal person they&#39;re pretending to be. It&#39;s not something that actors playing Batman or <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/harry-potter-characters?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Harry Potter characters</a> will ever have to deal with. Not to mention, they might also have to go through a <a href="https://twitter.com/Stewartandchill/status/1499485657546305546" target="_blank">grueling &quot;Madonna Boot Camp&quot; to land the role</a>.

Actors Who Portrayed Living People Describe How Hard It Was

WWII

Two Women Found Dozens Of WW2-Era Love Letters And Decided To Track Down The Writers

Two Women Found Dozens Of WW2 Love Letters & Tracked Down The Writers

Tony Curtis

In the 1950s, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh were perhaps the most beloved Hollywood couple. Their careers were bolstered during their relationship, and in addition to appearing in movies alongside each other, they appeared together in fan magazines and gossip publications. Like many other Hollywood relationships, however, Leigh and Curtis&#39;s marriage would not last, and the way in which it crumbled is another story of fame, fortune, and insecurity tearing two people apart.

Both Curtis and Leigh&#39;s careers were built on fabricated personas, as Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz and Leigh as Jeanette Helen Morrison. Curtis grew up in poverty in the Bronx before being spotted by a Universal scout while starring in an acting school production. While the studio groomed him to become a leading ladies&#39; man, Leigh was under contract at MGM, also capturing Hollywood&#39;s attention.&nbsp;When the two met in 1950, they felt an immediate attraction.

Leigh&#39;s most notable role as Marion Crane in&nbsp;Psycho&nbsp;and Curtis&#39;s as Joe in Some <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/some-like-it-hot-movie-quotes/movie-and-tv-quotes?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Like it Hot</a> both hit the silver screen prior to their divorce in 1962. By then,&nbsp;however, their relationship had already begun a downward spiral. Daughter <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/childhood-of-jamie-lee-curtis/quinn-armstrong" target="_blank">Jamie Lee Curtis</a>&nbsp;describes herself as a failed &quot;save-the-marriage baby,&quot;&nbsp;and remembers how her parents&#39; animosity&nbsp;affected both her and her sister, Kelly, causing a rift between their&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/jamie-lee-curtis-mom-relationship/jodi-smith" target="_blank">relationship with Leigh</a> and Curtis.&nbsp;While both Leigh and Curtis are most remembered for their separate works, their years spent together in the spotlight made them one of Hollywood&#39;s most notable yet troubled couples.

Inside Janet Leigh And Tony Curtis’s Troubled Relationship

Inside Tony Curtis And Janet Leigh’s Troubled Relationship

A deep look at the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.

Alcohol Through the Ages

1990s

People who grew up in the 1990s may feel some nostalgia when thinking about Surge, Shark Bites, or other <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-greatest-discontinued-1990s-foods-and-beverages/brian-gilmore" target="_blank">discontinued foods from the &#39;90s</a>&nbsp;- and those of a certain age will remember Zima. The clear malt beverage was a huge hit when it debuted in 1993, but it wasn&#39;t long before Zima&nbsp;became&nbsp;a pop-culture punchline. Using an extreme marketing campaign directed toward&nbsp;young American men, the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/coors-brewing-company-beer/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Coors Brewing Company</a> took advantage of the craze for clear products to target consumers who wanted alternatives to beer, wine coolers, and hard liquor. The company believed these people would enjoy the citrusy&nbsp;beverage.

Zima was among the first mainstream &quot;malternatives,&quot; paving the way for other notable bottled drinks, including Smirnoff Ice and Mike&#39;s Hard Lemonade. Coors spent millions on advertising in its attempt to attract young men toward&nbsp;the product. However, not many liked the taste, and many men didn&#39;t consider it manly enough to give their approval. Coors tried to rebrand Zima several times, but American consumers were largely uninterested, and it was discontinued in the US in 2008. Nostalgia kept it in many consumers&#39; minds, however, and re-releases proved people would buy it, even if they joked about drinking it at the same time. So why do people still remember Zima? The drink may not have won over consumers with its taste, but its influence on both alcohol and internet marketing are still seen today.

For A Brief Moment In The '90s, Zima Was Popular - Until People Tasted It

What Happened To Zima, The '90s Drink That Was Popular Until People Tasted It

1960s

Women&#39;s 1950s fashion included such conservative and traditional staples as full circle skirts, stockings, and gloves. When Twiggy fashion appeared - seemingly out of nowhere in 1966 - the entire industry got tossed on its bouffant-styled head.

As the face and thin frame associated with some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-fashions-from-the-1960s/samantha-dillinger" target="_blank">best fashions from the &#39;60s</a>, Twiggy sported a pixie haircut, applied several pairs of false eyelashes at once, and wore a miniskirt like no one else. Despite the fact she was only 16 when discovered, the fashion world couldn&#39;t get enough of Twiggy. She appeared in magazines all over the world, eventually taking a promotional tour in the US and starting a line of merchandise that plastered her likeness on bags, lunchboxes, and dolls.

Born Lesley Hornby, Twiggy was very different from the models who appeared in magazines at the time. While most models were curvaceous and promoted glamorous clothes for wealthy consumers, Twiggy was from a working-class family, spoke with a rough Cockney accent, and promoted accessible, everyday clothing on her extremely thin frame. She played a big role in London&#39;s ascension to a hub of art and fashion. As young women adopted playful clothing and hairstyles in order to break away from their mothers&#39; traditional looks, Twiggy helped popularize short hemlines, loud prints, and acid colors.

Although her career only lasted four years before she retired to pursue other interests, the Twiggy 1960s revolution changed everything. Long after the model appeared on the cover of Vogue, her&nbsp;slender frame - promoted by the media as the female ideal - is still under fire for being unrealistic. Although the blame for this lies with many, it was a 16-year-old girl who didn&#39;t consider herself beautiful that changed women&#39;s <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-fashion-trends-from-history/lisa-waugh" target="_blank">fashion</a> forever.

Twiggy Ushered In A New Era Of Beauty Standards When She Was Discovered In A Hair Salon In 1966

When Twiggy Was Discovered In The 1960s She Became The New Fashion Icon

Lucille Ball

Fans of Lucy Ricardo may remember her as a zany television housewife fond of creating misunderstandings on I Love Lucy, but&nbsp;what was Lucille Ball really like? While there are many I Love Lucy <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/behind-the-scenes-of-i-love-lucy/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">behind-the-scene stories</a> about Ball being difficult and tough to work with, there are just as many memories about Ball&#39;s kindness towards others and her genuine willingness to do anything to entertain people. For an actress who forged new ground in comedy, ran her <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/lucille-ball-desi-arnaz-production-company/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">own major television studio</a>, and remains beloved years after her passing, Ball clearly touched hearts and made an impact during her career.

After several years of minor roles in Hollywood, Ball shot to fame after creating and starring in I Love Lucy. Her marriage to Desi Arnaz also played a big part in her career, as well as her entire life. After Lucy ended, and she and Arnaz divorced, Ball learned how to do things on her own. She began running Desilu Productions and continued her comedic acting career by creating several other shows for herself, including The Lucy Show, Here&#39;s Lucy, and Life With Lucy. While she learned how to create her own career during a time when women were still expected not to assert themselves in the workplace, Ball&#39;s attitude towards her work stood out as different. So what was Lucille Ball like on a set? Whether she was feared or loved by her co-stars and production crew, Ball was a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn&#39;t afraid to make it known.

What Lucille Ball’s Colleagues Said About Working With Her

What It's Like To Work With Lucille Ball, According To Her Colleagues

To sleep--perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub, For what if someone (or something) terrible is waiting inside your closet, or lying under your bed, or kneeling on your chest?

While You Were Sleeping

Sleep

When we sleep, some of us curl up and some of us sprawl out. These&nbsp;different sleeping positions may not seem like a big deal, but some people believe&nbsp;the way you sleep reveals your character traits and personality.&nbsp;Professor <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3112170.stm">Chris Idzikowski</a>, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service of the&nbsp;Edinburgh Sleep Centre,&nbsp;believes&nbsp;he&nbsp;discovered the&nbsp;personality traits of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-is-the-best-mattress-for-side-sleepers/bradsmith" target="_blank">sleeping positions</a> after analyzing six different sleep positions among 1,000 survey participants.&nbsp;With regards to his research, he stated,&nbsp;&quot;We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious posture says about us.&quot;&nbsp;

Because it&#39;s such an important function, maybe the position you snooze in actually matters. From postures like &quot;The Soldier&quot; to &quot;The Yearner,&quot; what does your sleeping position reveal about you?&nbsp;

What Your Sleeping Positions Say About Who You Really Are

Go Go Power Rangers

Power Rangers

While the Power Rangers, stars of&nbsp;the beloved TV series from the 1990s,&nbsp;may be known as protectors of the Earth, the cast&nbsp;of the American series and its various spin-offs have sadly endured a number of tragedies. In what has&nbsp;come to be known as the Power Rangers death curse, people with ties to the franchise&nbsp;have either passed unnaturally or fallen into serious hard times. If you&#39;re wondering <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/where-are-they-now-power-rangers/shamus-kelley" target="_blank">where your favorite Power Ranger&nbsp;is today,</a>&nbsp;the answer may be more disheartening than you realize. Because of this, some fans insist there was a perhaps something sinister&nbsp;hanging over the show&#39;s production. Whether or not you believe in curses, the number of unfortunate events surrounding the cast and crew is staggering.

Tragedies That Lead Some People To Believe There Is A Power Rangers Curse

Lists about the true stories that inspired books, films, TV, and other stories you think you know. 

What Really Happened

Debunking

Imagine surfacing from an ocean dive only to discover your boat is gone and you&#39;re completely alone. This scary situation actually happened to Tom and Eileen Lonergan&nbsp;on January 25,&nbsp;1998. Tom and Eileen Lonergan were experienced divers on a trip to Australia&#39;s Great Barrier Reef when their dive boat crew left them behind. Two days passed before anyone realized they were missing, and rescue teams searched for the married couple unsuccessfully for days. The two were never seen again, their bodies assumed to be <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/lost-at-sea-movies/ranker-film" target="_blank">lost at sea</a>.&nbsp;

Like other nightmarish experiences, Tom and Eileen Lonergan&#39;s dreadful&nbsp;fate turned into a film, Open Water.&nbsp;The 2003 film was a critical darling and depicted the couple meeting their end being circled by sharks. The <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-movies-based-on-true-stories/ranker-film" target="_blank">true story</a> behind the&nbsp;Open Water movie, however, is much scarier simply because no one knows what really happened to Tom and Eileen Lonergan.

The True Story Behind 'Open Water' Is A Dark Mystery That Goes Way Beyond The Horror Of The Film

The True Story Behind 'Open Water' Is Far More Unnerving Than The Movie

Lists that dissect and analyze (and possibly ruin) some of the movies and TV you watched over and over and over and over when you were a kid.

Revisiting Childhood Favorites

Fun facts and wild true stories from behind the scenes of some of history's most beloved and infamous movies.

Movies in the Making

Matilda (1996)

A movie about a candy factory where anything is possible is definitely crazy, but some of the strange Willy Wonka&nbsp;And The Chocolate Factory behind-the-scenes stories make it even weirder. Although the 1971 movie -&nbsp;adapted from the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-roald-dahl-books/dad-of-the-year" target="_blank">Roald Dahl book</a>, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -&nbsp;was a commercial disappointment when it premiered, later television showings and its release on VHS turned it into a colorful cult classic beloved by children and adults, and fans are <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/grandpa-joe-worst-part-willy-wonka/crystal-brackett" target="_blank">still talking about it today</a>.

Some of the weirdest Willy Wonka stories come from the unique ideas of director Mel Stuart and the&nbsp;quirky creativity of Gene Wilder, who reportedly only took the part after being allowed to perform in the style of&nbsp;a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/buster-keaton-facts/erin-mccann" target="_blank">Buster </a><a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/buster-keaton-facts/erin-mccann" target="_blank">Keaton</a>&nbsp;physical comedy gag.&nbsp;Even the all-singing, all-dancing squad of Oompa Loompas have a few crazy tales.&nbsp;

There are freaky behind-the-scenes stories about The Wizard Of Oz, but these tidbits from&nbsp;Willy Wonka&nbsp;And The Chocolate Factory&nbsp;are both&nbsp;strange and a little sweet. Break out the chocolate because you&#39;re going to want to curl up and watch the movie all over again.

Strange Stories From Behind The Scenes Of Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory

Animals

Maybe My Little Pony and Lisa Frank were onto something all along, because it turns out unicorns were real. They just don&#39;t quite look how you thought. The recent discovery of a prehistoric species of rhinoceros could&#39;ve&nbsp;started unicorn mythology,&nbsp;but human imagination helped turn the creature into a magical horse.

Stories of real unicorns go back to the early ages and they have since become a beloved fantasy creature in many cultures. Seen as cutesy, romantic, and the best friend of little girls everywhere, the unicorns have evolved from a symbol of purity during the Middle Ages to a magical being used to sell products to&nbsp;ethereal people. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/starbucks-secret-menu-items/secret-menu-items" target="_blank">Starbucks secret menu</a> features a pink and purple Unicorn Frappuccino that has the ability to change colors. Unicorns also helped inspire the shimmering rainbow hair coloring <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/celebrity-unicorn-hair/jessica-lawshe" target="_blank">many&nbsp;celebrities wear</a>.

Real-life unicorns actually existed, and here&#39;s a look at how their image went from hairy rhinoceros cousins to a majestic creature galloping amid rainbows.

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