There’s no doubt that many actresses look a little bit different when they’re playing a character than when they’re just out living their lives. They may have a character that requires a totally different hair colour (who can forget Emilia Clarke’s trademark platinum blonde wig on Game of Thrones, a total departure from her short brunette locks). Plus, they have to look fantastic on screen — which means they’re generally dressed in flattering, tailored outfits without a hair out of place, and with perfect make-up applied. Even if they’re the type of wear gym clothing and no make-up in real life, on screen, they look glamorous.

Of course, that’s not the case on all television shows — the ladies of Orange is the New Black have a bit of a different situation. While most actresses are in hair and make-up every morning they shoot to ensure they look super chic, the inmates at Litchfield aren’t supposed to be super glam — so they have looks that work with what they would supposedly have access to in jail. They all wear the same shapeless prison uniforms, their hair is fairly natural, and there’s little to no make-up, other than a few exceptions (Alex’s eyeliner, Red’s lipstick, and Maritza’s concoctions, for example). Plus, some of the actresses play forget drug addicts who have destroyed their teeth thanks to their habit, which also contributes to their less than glam appearance.
However, when the ladies of OITNB step on the red carpet, it’s a whole different story — and there are many cast members who are so transformed we can barely recognize them! Here are 15 fugly Orange Is The New Black characters who are super hot IRL.

15. Francesca Curran (who knew Helen was such a major babe?)

This one is without doubt one of the most insane transformations. On the show, Curran plays a member of a white supremacist group who wears no make-up, has a bit of a masculine vibe with her shaved head and baggy clothing, and whose only accessory is her star facial tattoos. In real life, though, Curran is a total babe — she loves make-up, style, and long locks. We have a feeling that when she shows up for press conferences or red carpet events to promote the show, most people probably don’t even recognize her. We haven’t seen much about Helen’s backstory on the show, but it wouldn’t surprise us to see Curran all dolled up and have it revealed that she used to be a model.

14. Kelly Karbacz (Sankey’s boyfriend would have never cheated if he knew how well she cleaned up)

Sankey, played by Kelly Karbacz, is fairly blah on the show. Her hair is limp and greasy, she wears no make-up, and she’s a little bit aggressive in her demeanour. However, in real life, Karbacz is kind of a blonde bombshell. In the picture below with her hair styled, her make-up carefully applied, and a little black dress at her disposal, she looks totally glam — and the total opposite of Sankey. It just goes to show what a huge impact hair, make-up and wardrobe can have on a character. Seeing what she looks like in real life, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Karbacz taking on roles as the love interest or high-powered CEO in other projects — she definitely channels a gorgeous girl boss vibe.

13. Emma Myles (when you fix up her teeth and add a bit of make-up, Leanne turns into a total bombshell)

Emma Myles is naturally quite beautiful, but unfortunately her character Leanne is in Litchfield for a variety of drug offenses — and her appearance has been changed by the make-up department to reflect her addiction. However, in real life, Myles looks totally different — she’s rocking pearly whites rather than damaged, drug-stained teeth, and has a killer smile. She’s also totally gorgeous and manages to capture a vintage vixen vibe in the red carpet picture on the left. In her flashbacks on the show, we saw a younger Leanne whose appearance wasn’t so affected by her drug use, but she was either in casual clothing or in Amish attire — never full glam.

12. Julie Lake (it turns out Angie is a legit old Hollywood babe)

Julie Lake likely sits beside her on-set partner-in-crime Emma Myles every day they film, getting her teeth all ruined for her character. Like Myles, Lake plays a character with a drug addiction, and her appearance reflects that. However, in real life, Lake is a total knock-out. She’s pictured here rocking the red carpet at the SAG Awards, and is channeling a major old Hollywood vibe with her vampy dark lip, diamonds, and retro waves. Seriously, though — who knew this is how Angie could clean up? These stars must get huge reactions from their fans when they encounter their favourite character in real life looking way more gorgeous than on the show!

11. Laura Gomez (we kind of guessed Blanca would be gorgeous if she tweezed and brushed her hair, but not this gorgeous!)

Fans saw a different side of Blanca this past season, when she got a make-over from Maritza and Flaca, but it’s still not even close to how Gomez looks in real life. Blanca is known throughout the show for her wild, unkempt hair and crazy unibrow, and her flashback scenes show her looking pretty no-nonsense as well. However, in real life, Gomez is totally gorgeous — a tall drink of water with perfect brows and gorgeous, glossy, tamed curls. After spending so long on set with her crazy locks and unibrow, we imagine Gomez must love getting a little glam for red carpet events.

10. Uzo Aduba (Suzanne/ “Crazy Eyes” looks crazy gorgeous in real life)

It makes sense that Uzo Aduba’s character wouldn’t exactly be super glam on the show — she’s supposed to have some serious mental issues, and she’s just not the type of inmate to care about creating make-up out of spices (looking at you, Maritza). However, in real life, Uzo Aduba is an entirely different story — she has the same trademark gap between her teeth, which we love, but she also looks way more put together, from her perfectly styled locks to that gorgeous red lip. Plus, there’s no doubt that her facial features are stunning when she isn’t making a ton of weird faces, trying to convey Suzanne’s inner turmoil.

9. Vicky Jeudy (Watson may run around the Litchfield track, but Jeudy will be running around in your heart)

On the show, Vicky Jeudy’s character Watson is a bit of a tomboy. She’s known for her athletic abilities, and doesn’t really put a lot of time or thought into her appearance. However, in real life, Vicky Jeudy channels an entirely different look — and far more glam. I mean, from the glittery, form-fitting gown to the slick-back hairstyle that shows off her gorgeous cheekbones to the natural make-up, Jeudy is a straight up babe who definitely knows how to work the red carpet. Seriously — who knew Watson had it in her? We can’t wait to see what type of look she has in her next big role.

8. Dascha Polanco (Dayanara will be capturing a lot more than a CO’s attention, looking like she does with that fiery red hair)

Dayanara, Dascha Polanco’s character, definitely has a natural beauty that shines on the show — however, she doesn’t do much in terms of her appearance. Her hair is always just hanging limp or pulled up in a ponytail, and she doesn’t put forth much of an effort. In real life, though, Polanco loves to play around with her look, and has been spotted with everything from pastel locks to the fiery red curls in the picture here. If we spent so much of our time in a baggy prison jumpsuit, though, we’d probably want to dress to the nines on our days off too!

7. Madeline Brewer (who knew Tricia was a legit blonde bombshell?)

Madeline Brewer hasn’t been on the show since the first season, but she deserves a spot on this list for the incredible transformation she takes from on set to real life. She played the character of Tricia, who had a very specific look — corn rows, neck tattoo, and no make-up. Tricia was hard and tough and wanted to make sure everyone knew it. In real life, Brewer is a bubbly blonde bombshell who we could easily imagine cast in lighter roles as the love interest. She’s still a relative newbie in the entertainment industry, so we can’t wait to see what types of roles she tackles next.

6. Taryn Manning (Pennsatucky looks a whole lot different all dolled up)

Pennsatucky’s evolution over the series has been pretty incredible, and Taryn Manning has done a fantastic job at giving the character so many dimensions. However, while she’s gone from long locks to a shorter ‘do, her appearance has remained pretty much the same — no make-up, slightly drug-damaged teeth, and just nothing too special. In real life, though, Manning is totally gorgeous — and while she may not get all glammed up like she is in the photo every day, just the fact that she can make such a huge transformation is pretty incredible. Who knew she had it in her?

5. Yael Stone (Lorna looks like an entirely different woman when she switches up her hair and make-up)

Yael Stone’s character Lorna is one of the few inmates who makes an attempt at make-up on a regular basis, and she has a signature look — a slightly retro bob hairstyle, and a bold red lip. Stone’s natural beauty shines through, but there’s no doubt that Lorna’s look is a bit harsh at times. In real life, though, the Australian actress is a total babe. In the picture to the right, she’s still channeling a retro vibe like Lorna does, but in a much more soft, modern way — and she looks totally stunning. Seriously, who knew she had those curves under that baggy prison uniform?

4. Jessica Pimentel (Maria is naturally gorgeous, but she serves a whole new level of fierce on the red carpet)

Jessica Pimentel’s character Maria is definitely the take-charge type on the show, but though she’s naturally gorgeous, she doesn’t really use any of the prison make-up. However, when she steps on the red carpet, she brings it — and we were legitimately not prepared for what she would serve up. From the sleek locks to the va-va-voom dress to the vampy bold lip, Pimentel is an absolute babe in real life. It’s like Maria’s ultra glam twin from Los Angeles showed up to Litchfield to stir up some trouble, and we love it. Seriously — the power of transformation that make-up holds is incredible.

3. Adrienne Moore (Cindy may love buns, but in real life, Moore prefers a sleeker, chicer look)

Adrienne Moore’s character Cindy is more known for her personality than her looks — she rocks no make-up, and often has her hair pulled back in two crazy buns. Plus, that prison uniform really isn’t the most flattering for any of the women, especially ones with curves. However, can we just talk about Moore in real life? She’s totally gorgeous. She’s swapped the buns for a super sleek braid hairstyle, slicked on a hint of lipstick and a bit of eyeliner, and she looks like a totally transformed woman. We love that she’s not afraid to rock bolder prints and colours off set, and she definitely knows how to work a red carpet.

2. Selenis Leyva (Gloria has no time for make-up behind bars, but in real life, Leyva goes super glam)

On the show, Gloria’s appearance is, well, kind of plain. She’s pretty, but she’s basically always rocking the same short hairstyle, same earrings, same make-up free face. She kind of plays the mom on the show, in a sense, so she definitely has a responsible mom vibe. In real life, though? Watch out — she looks ultra glam and super chic in that white dress with her sassy bob and big smile. Who knew Gloria could clean up so well? She’d better not try to rock that white dress while she’s prepping food in the kitchen, though — that’s a recipe for disaster.

1. Emily Althaus (Kukudio looks fine with her au naturel look and messy curls, but totally transforms with a bold lip and a little bit of hair styling)

Emily Althaus has fairly distinctive features that you could tell would look great with a little make-up, and is basically proof of how much make-up and hair can impact your look. When she’s playing the complex character of Kukudio, Althaus wears no make-up and has a messy waves ‘hairstyle’ with tousled bangs. In real life, she’s a whole lot sleeker — and she knows how to rock a bold lip like no one else. Honestly, it took us a while to believe it was even the same person, because she looks so different! She should really get tapped for a lipstick commercial.