The gorgeous Felicity Huffman turns 51 today–and she’s never been afraid to commit to difficult roles, even if it means playing down her good looks. Huffman and these other actors and actresses have transformed themselves into plain Janes and ugly ducklings, winning critical acclaim and awards on the way.

Stieg Larsson didn’t live to see his books published, but even if he had, it’s unlikely he could have predicted the worldwide phenomenon they would become. Films based on Larsson’s Millennium series have already been released by producers in his native Sweden, and on December 21 we get to see the first installment of Hollywood’s version. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo—the original Swedish title is the much less marquee-friendly Men Who Hate Women—begins the tale of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the incredible Lisbeth Salander, one of the coolest characters ever created. The cast has a lot of big stars; let’s see if you can guess who’s who.