15 Characters We Were Actually Supposed to Think Were Ugly

Hollywood has spent years trying to convince audiences that a beautiful woman becomes unattractive the moment she puts on glasses. Add messy hair, baggy clothes, or a pair of braces, and apparently nobody at school will give her a second look. Then comes the makeover, usually involving a dress and someone finally discovering how a hairbrush works. The funny part is how little changes. These characters were played by famous actresses who looked perfectly fine before anyone touched their hair. Some movies even expect us to be shocked when the supposedly plain girl turns out to be gorgeous. Here are 15 characters whose alleged lack of beauty was always a pretty hard sell.

Laney Boggs Was Apparently One Haircut Away From Popularity

In She’s All That, Zack bets he can turn the unpopular Laney into prom queen. Rachael Leigh Cook’s big transformation mostly involves removing her glasses and letting down her hair.

Josie Geller Couldn’t Escape Her Awkward High School Years

Drew Barrymore plays Josie, a former school outcast who returns undercover in Never Been Kissed. Her teenage look includes braces, unfortunate outfits, and a haircut nobody would request twice.

Gracie Hart Was Too Busy Working to Look Pretty

Sandra Bullock’s FBI agent in Miss Congeniality is treated as completely unsuitable for a beauty pageant. Her supposed flaws include messy hair, glasses, and not caring about makeup.

Natalie Was the Sorority’s Supposed Ugly Duckling

Emma Stone’s Natalie belongs to a group of unpopular students in The House Bunny. Glasses and an unflattering wardrobe are apparently enough to make her a makeover candidate.

Janey Briggs Was Basically Wearing a Warning Label

Not Another Teen Movie deliberately mocks the makeover cliché. Chyler Leigh’s Janey is supposed to be the school’s hopeless case because she wears glasses, overalls, and a ponytail.

Betty Suarez Was Hired for Everything Except Her Looks

America Ferrera’s Betty arrives at a fashion magazine with braces, thick glasses, and a wardrobe full of clashing colors. Her coworkers make sure she knows what they think.

Mia Thermopolis Needed a Princess-Worthy Makeover

Mia starts The Princess Diaries with curly hair, thick glasses, and absolutely no interest in looking royal. Apparently, straightening Anne Hathaway’s hair is enough to shock everyone at school.

Toula Portokalos Had to Change Her Entire Look

In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Toula trades her glasses and frumpy clothes for a new hairstyle, contact lenses, and a brighter wardrobe. Nia Vardalos wasn’t exactly unrecognizable afterward.

Needy Lesnicki Was Supposed to Be the Plain Best Friend

Amanda Seyfried plays Jennifer’s quieter, less glamorous friend in Jennifer’s Body. Oversized glasses and conservative clothes supposedly make Needy the unattractive one of the pair.

Andy Sachs Apparently Needed a Fashion Intervention

Anne Hathaway’s Andy arrives at Runway in The Devil Wears Prada wearing unfashionable clothes that horrify her coworkers. A designer wardrobe quickly changes everyone’s attitude.

Hermione Granger Just Needed a Different Hairstyle

Emma Watson’s Hermione spends her early Hogwarts years with bushy hair and little interest in fashion. The Yule Ball treats her elegant dress and styled hair as a major revelation.

Bianca Piper Got Labeled the Unattractive Friend

Mae Whitman’s Bianca discovers she’s considered the DUFF, or Designated Ugly Fat Friend, in her social circle. The film’s whole premise depends on treating her as less desirable than her friends.

Kate Spencer Was Supposed to Be Invisible

In John Tucker Must Die, Brittany Snow’s Kate is the overlooked girl recruited to get revenge on the school’s biggest heartbreaker. A few styling changes help her attract his attention.

Jo Stockton Was Somehow Wrong for a Fashion Magazine

Audrey Hepburn plays a bookstore employee in Funny Face who initially has little interest in modeling. Glasses and plain clothes are supposed to hide her potential.

Sam Montgomery Was the Girl Nobody Noticed

Hilary Duff’s Sam works at her stepmother’s diner and gets treated like an outsider at school in A Cinderella Story. Her Cinderella makeover is mostly a dress.