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Ryan Gosling in ‘All Good Things’ (2010)
The character
Emotionally unstable rich kid and possible murderer, on the run from the cops following his wife’s disappearance.The look
Hard to describe, but late middle-aged bourgeois transsexual game-show host just about covers it.Hot or not
Pretty seriously not. Ryan may be the heartthrob of the internet, but a combination of ageing make-up and massive tinted specs render him about as sexy as a gorilla in a tutu.
Michael J Fox in ‘Back to the Future Part II’ (1989)
The character
Marlene McFly, the daughter of Fox's own character, Marty, from the first movie, and a typical, glued-to-her-spacephone twenty-first-century teenager.The look
Blonde, peppy, clad in a sort of terylene bag ensemble, which will doubtless come screaming into fashion when we catch up with the movie’s actual timeline in 2015.Hot or not
Well, “hot” would definitely be pushing it, and Marlene's first hair-tossing appearance is kind of unnerving. But Fox’s youthful features are a blessing, so not as horrific as it might have been.
Terry Jones in ‘The Life of Brian’ (1979)
The character
Mandy Cohen, the black-clad Bethlehem battleaxe who turns out not to be the mother of the Messiah, but merely mum to a very naughty boy.The look
Swaddled in sackcloth and shrieking like a harpy, Mandy is the living epitome of that shrill, sexually repressive nightmare matriarch who seemed particularly popular in the 1970s.Hot or not
Not. Very, very, very, very, very not.
Dustin Hoffman in ‘Tootsie’ (1982)
The character
Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey, aka Dorothy Michaels, the hottest newcomer on the soap-opera scene. Because it’s really so much easier for middle-aged women to get roles.The look
Pure Deirdre Barlow from Coronation Street chic, long before it was cool: big specs, worrying bouffant, fairly subtle Laura Ashley-ish floral print.Hot or not
It’s a fine, Oscar-nominated performance, but our Dusty never really manages to look like anything other than a short Jewish actor in a dress. Still, if that’s your thing, sure, hot as hell.
Divine in ‘Hairspray’ (1988)
The character
Edna Turnblad, Baltimore housewife and mom to Ricki Lake‘s dance-crazy teenager.The look
Slattern 1960s housefrau, all hair curlers and a dress like a tent.Hot or not
Not. Dowdy Edna is a comedown from John Waters muse Divine's usual bad-bitch pin-up look.
Alec Guinness in ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ (1949)
The character
Proud aristocratic suffragette Lady Agatha D’Ascoyne, cruelly murdered by an arrow in a hot-air balloon while leafleting in Berkeley Square.The look
Agatha is a statuesque matriarch with her bustles firmly buttressed.Hot or not
The great Sir Alec Guinness was many things, but ‘hot’ was never one of them. Sticking him in a dress didn’t help.
Chiwetel Ejiofor in ‘Kinky Boots’ (2005)
The character
Fairy godmother drag queen strutting to the rescue of a failing shoe factory.The look
Diva to the max, scarlet sequins and thigh-high boots.Hot or not
Hot. You’ve got to admit, 12 Years a Slave star Chiwetel doesn't half scrub up in a frock.
The ladies of ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ (1994)
The character
Three lip-synching queens crossing the desert to put on a show, played by Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce.The look
Too bling for the Aussie outback. Outrageous glitter frocks, vertigo-inducing stilettos and more bra padding than a high-school prom.Hot or not
Scorchio!
Jack Lemmon in ‘Some Like it Hot’ (1959)
The character
Double-bass player Jerry is on the run from the mob, cunningly disguised in drag while on the road with an all-girl band.The look
Olympic swimming champion got dressed in the dark.Hot or not
Hot enough for a certain bashful billionaire to take a shine to him/her.
Johnny Depp in ‘Before Night Falls’ (2000)
The character
Jailhouse drag queen, and a total hero(ine). Johnny struts out of prison with a contraband book firmly inserted… well, you know where.The look
Barbie doll meets drunken sailor, tattoos and all.Hot or not
Kind of, yeah. And a darn sight less creepy than Alice in Wonderland.
The ten most eye-catching stars in drag
When actors swap trousers and shirts for blouses and skirts
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