15 Celebrities Who Completely Reinvented Themselves

Some celebrities become so closely associated with a particular image that it’s hard to imagine them doing anything else. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, they change direction completely. Actors become musicians, pop stars turn into serious performers, and people who once built their careers around one type of entertainment find success in something nobody expected. Not every reinvention works, but the ones that do can completely change how audiences see someone. These celebrities took some pretty big risks with their careers, appearances, or public personas, and managed to make people look at them in a whole new way.

Robert Downey Jr.

After years of personal struggles and career setbacks, Downey rebuilt his Hollywood career with Iron Man (2008), eventually becoming one of the biggest stars in the world.

Miley Cyrus

After becoming famous as Disney’s Hannah Montana, Cyrus completely changed her image, embracing a more provocative pop sound and a very different public persona.

Lady Gaga

Known for outrageous outfits and theatrical performances early in her career, Gaga showed a different side through jazz collaborations with Tony Bennett and her leading role in A Star Is Born (2018).

Matthew McConaughey

After years of starring in romantic comedies, McConaughey deliberately stepped away from those roles and returned with acclaimed performances in Dallas Buyers Club (2013) and True Detective (2014).

Snoop Dogg

The rapper who built his reputation with gangsta rap eventually became a mainstream entertainment personality, appearing in cooking shows, commercials, sports broadcasts, and family friendly projects.

Drew Barrymore

After becoming a child star, Barrymore overcame a difficult adolescence and rebuilt her career as a successful actress, producer, talk show host, and entrepreneur.

Justin Timberlake

Timberlake moved beyond his boy band image with Justified (2002), establishing himself as a successful solo artist before building a parallel acting career.

Jamie Foxx

Initially known for sketch comedy on In Living Color, Foxx reinvented himself as a dramatic actor and musician, eventually winning an Academy Award for Ray (2004).

Gwen Stefani

After finding fame as the lead singer of No Doubt, Stefani launched a successful solo pop career with a completely different sound and visual identity.

Jared Leto

While already known as an actor, Leto built an entirely separate identity as the frontman of Thirty Seconds to Mars, proving he could command attention in music as well as film.

Rihanna

Rihanna started as a pop singer before building Fenty Beauty into a major cosmetics business, becoming one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the beauty industry.

Dwayne Johnson

After becoming a wrestling superstar known as The Rock, Johnson successfully transitioned into Hollywood, eventually becoming one of the industry’s highest paid actors.

Megan Fox

Following her breakout role in Transformers (2007), Fox stepped away from major Hollywood productions for a period before returning with projects that embraced her more unconventional public image.

Kesha

After beginning her career with party anthems and a deliberately messy pop persona, Kesha shifted toward more personal songwriting and a different musical identity with Rainbow (2017).

Keanu Reeves

After years as a Hollywood action star, Reeves experienced another career resurgence with John Wick (2014), while his low key personality and charitable reputation also transformed his public image.