5 actors who rejuvenated (or aged) thanks to computer graphics

It is misleading to think that computer graphics techniques (popularly known as CG, although this acronym in Brazil most closely resembles Honda's motorcycle lineup) are used in the film industry only to create special effects, generate futuristic scenes or bring bizarre creatures to life. that came out of some crazy screenwriter's imagination. They also serve to change the appearance of us, poor human beings - a kind of Photoshop, only for video pieces.

One of the most common uses of computer graphics in feature films is to age or rejuvenate actors. After all, time goes by fast - and sometimes it takes 10 years in the real world to produce a movie sequence that is only 2 years after the original movie. Unless directors find a replacement for the original actor / actress, the way is to use a few computer tricks to "do magic" and go back in time - or speed it up. Check out 10 cases of this type!

1) Jeff Bridges - “Tron: The Legacy”

In 1982, Jeff Bridges made one of the most famous films of his career: "Tron - An Electronic Odyssey, " playing both programmer Kevin Flynn and his software CLU (Codified Likeness Utility), which looked exactly like its creator. Jeff was only 33 at the time.

When director Joseph Kosinski decided to work on a sequel to the sci-fi classic “Tron: The Legacy”, released in 2010 - the actor was already 61 years old and needed to look younger to play CLU again, which Because it is software, it does not age. The result was amazing.

2) Robert Downey Jr. - “Captain America: Civil War”

One of the most beloved characters in the Marvel universe, Iron Man (whose true identity is billionaire Tony Stark) definitely needs to be played by Robert Downey Jr. This rule was not broken in "Captain America: Civil War", released in April 2006. 2016

It turns out that in one scene Tony Stark has a flashback and recalls his youth - and instead of simply finding a younger actor for such a moment, director Anthony Rosso decided to use CG to give Robert a teenage look. So, was it realistic?

3) Johnny Depp - “Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge”

Okay, it's kind of hard to talk about this case without mentioning a few spoilers - so if you haven't watched the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise's fifth title yet, proceed at your own risk. Launched in 2017, the work is antagonized by the macabre Salazar, a spirit who commands a ship of the undead that had previously been trapped in the Devil's Triangle. Your objective? Murder Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp.

It turns out that in the middle of the film, we find that all this hatred of Salazar is motivated by a trap set up by Jack years ago when he was not even a captain, which caused the villain to die - along with all his crew. - in this cursed place. For flashback, it took a lot of computer graphics to make Depp, already in his 54 years in the movie's debut, look like a young pirate.

4) Anthony Hopkins - “Westworld”

In the acclaimed HBO series, Anthony Hopkins, at the age of 78, played the role of Dr. Robert Ford, who created Westworld Park, which allows him to enjoy himself in a kind of fictional world inhabited by robots that are there to serve you.

However, in certain scenes, a flashback shows a much younger Ford discussing the creation of the park with his partner Arnold. To rejuvenate Anthony, the effects specialists used real-life photos and videos of the actor when he was younger to create a 3D model that was compelling enough. It worked!

5) Brad Pitt - “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Even if you've never watched it, you probably know the premise of this drama released in 2008: It tells the story of Benjamin Button, who for some bizarre reason is born old and rejuvenating over time. It was obvious that Brad Pitt, chosen to play the character, would need a lot of technology help to embody Benjamin at every stage of his life.

To live the character at certain ages, all Brad needed was a lot of makeup. On the other hand, when it came to interpreting him as an elderly man and a child, Paramount Studio was forced to take care of visual effects. For a feature film released in 2008, we can say that the result was somewhat satisfactory.

Do you remember any other movies that used computer graphics to rejuvenate or age an actor? Tell us in the comments!