For those who are fascinated with all things Hollywood or simply everything and anything that has to do with celebrities, one of the best places to visit is a wax museum. Perhaps the most well-known franchise of wax museums is Madame Tussauds, which was established in London by Marie Tussaud. Today, there are ten branches of the famed wax museum.
For a celebrity, having a wax figure of oneself, especially one that’s to be displayed in a Madame Tussauds museum, is certainly a claim to fame. It’s an indication of how popular the celebrity is. Much like having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the celebrity has the honor of being considered famous enough to have a wax likeness of himself or herself.
Wax figures are meant to be an exact replica of the celebrity but of course, that’s near impossible. In fact, some wax figures don’t resemble the celebrities at all. But there are some, such as the ones listed below, that are pretty darn close!
15 Amy Winehouse
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Many would agree that wax figures are probably more greatly appreciated when the person has passed away simply because he or she is immortalized and remembered forever with the figure. One such case is the wax figure of Amy Winehouse. The British singer and songwriter had such great potential and was well on her way to becoming a force to be reckoned with in the music scene, if the four Grammys she won in one night in 2008 was any indication. It’s unfortunate that her life was cut short when she bought the farm in 2011 due to alcohol poisoning.
14 Daniel Craig
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In a long line of actors who can credit taking on the role of James Bond to their rise to fame, it’s but natural for many of them to be worthy of a wax figure. Daniel Craig, who is the latest actor to play agent 007, is no exception to be deserving of his own wax figure. The English actor started out in Hollywood with small roles in films like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Road To Perdition (2002). There were many vehement protests when Craig was chosen as the next James Bond being Pierce Brosnan’s successor. But critics have since been proven wrong, as Craig apparently makes a fine Bond.
13 Lady Gaga
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If there’s one thing successful celebrities can do to stay relevant, it’s to constantly evolve. Lady Gaga, for instance, has certainly come a long way from her early days as a singer and celebrity who loved shocking people with her outrageous fashion sense whenever she made her public appearances. And even though she has since become more serious as a singer and has even branched out into acting on TV, she’ll always be known for her outlandish style, as seen in several of the wax figures that depict her in her crazy costumes.
12 Helen Mirren
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She’s one of the most well-respected actresses not just in her native England, but in Hollywood as well. Helen Mirren was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her Services to the Performing Arts. The title is well-deserved, as proven by her string of critically-acclaimed roles, particularly the film which won her an Academy Award entitled The Queen. She’s one of the few performers who have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, having won not just an Oscar but an Emmy and a Tony as well.
11 Alicia Keys
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She’s as beautiful as she is talented and boy, is she talented. Alicia Keys has one of the most amazing singing voices the music industry has had the fortune of hearing, as proven by her numerous Grammy Awards and highly successful albums. She is classically trained, taking piano lessons and writing songs by the time she was 14. It was the piano ballad Fallin’ that catapulted Keys to success and this beautiful song was followed by other hits such as A Woman’s Worth, If I Ain’t Got You, and Empire State of Mind.
10 Robert Pattinson
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He caught the world’s attention when he appeared as Cedric Diggory in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire though his character sadly had to be killed off. But it was Robert Pattinson’s role as Edward Cullen in the wildly popular Twilight film franchise that truly elevated him to A-list star status. His presence in all films, not to mention his low-profile (but much-speculated on) relationship with his co-star Kristen Stewart, has earned Pattinson at least one wax figure as a big celebrity.
9 Taylor Swift
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2015 was an amazing year for Taylor Swift, having released a hugely successful album and done a world tour for said album, playing to hundreds of thousands of spectators. At the tender age of 26, she’s one of the best-selling artists of all time, as she has sold more than 40 albums and 130 million downloads. What makes her songs such hits is the fact that she writes them herself, usually drawing from her personal experiences and putting them on paper.
8 Nicole Kidman
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She may be close to 50 years old, but Nicole Kidman doesn’t look a day over 40. She’s still as beautiful as ever with her creamy, poreless alabaster skin, strawberry-blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. She may have gotten her start in Hollywood as the wife of Tom Cruise, but Kidman has since made a name for herself by her own merits. She displayed her singing prowess in the original movie musical Moulin Rouge and she won for herself an Academy Award for the film The Hours.
7 Fergie
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As the only female member of the pop group Black-Eyed Peas, it’s no real surprise that Fergie (born Stacy Ann Ferguson) stood out as a rose among the thorns. With her midriff-baring outfits, men and women alike found her oh-so-sexy. It was but natural that the American singer decided to branch out and carve a niche for herself as a solo artist and she has had many a hit songs on her own solo albums. These days, Fergie is also a wife to hunky actor Josh Duhamel and mother to their son Axl Jack.
6 Jackie Chan
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The younger generation may think Jackie Chan rose to fame pretty late in life, but little do they know, it was only in Hollywood where he achieved fame in the 1980s. Before that, he was already a highly successful actor, martial artist, and stuntman in his native Hong Kong, where today, he’s treated as royalty by his countrymen. He not only has his own wax figures in many wax museums, but he also has his own star in Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars and also on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
5 Johnny Depp
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Johnny Depp is one actor who has constantly reinvented himself with much success. He started out in Hollywood as a teen idol and heartthrob in the 1980s TV series 21 Jump Street. He has long since established himself as a serious actor in quirky roles in films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and of course, the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, where he played pirate Captain Jack Sparrow.
4 Angelina Jolie
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Because she’s one of the biggest movie stars in the world, it’s no surprise that there are many wax figures of Angelina Jolie in the most popular wax museums. Wanting to step out of the shadow of her father Jon Voight, Jolie decided to drop her father’s last name when she decided to become an actress. She has an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards under her belt and if that isn’t amazing enough, she is also a humanitarian, receiving awards for the various causes she so passionately fights for.
3 Leonardo DiCaprio
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He’s fast becoming one of the most under-appreciated actors in Hollywood, not monetarily of course, but in terms of recognition for his work. Leonardo DiCaprio has had a myriad of roles that have garnered him critical acclaim, which shows that he has come a long way as a teen heartthrob in films like Romeo and Juliet and Titanic. He is now one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood, but with the number of nominations he has received for his roles, it’s quite the shock that he has not won a single Oscar yet.
2 Ed Sheeran
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English singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran has managed to capture many hearts with his soulful singing voice and amazing songs. His flaming red hair has certainly given him that distinctive look that has greatly aided in his success. Among his hit songs are Photograph, A-Team, and Thinking Out Loud. Almost all of his shows have been sold out, an indication that more great things are in store for Sheeran.
1 Anderson Cooper
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He’s the very definition of someone who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but was determined to achieve success by his own merits without riding on the coattails of his prestigious family. Because his last name is Cooper, many may not be aware of the fact that Anderson Cooper is a Vanderbilt, a member of one of America’s wealthiest families. On his own, he has established a niche as one of CNN’s top news anchors, hosting the news show Anderson Cooper 360.
Sources: gawker.com, chicagotribune.com, buzzfeed.com, time.com
