10 Actors Who "Stole" Their Performances Off Real People

6. Tilda Swinton - Snowpiercer

Who She Plays: Mason, Snowpiercer's despotic second-in-command Who She Really Plays: Margaret Thatcher (but with a Yorkshire accent) Note of interest for fact fans: Snowpiercer co-writer and director Bong Joon-ho originally wrote the part of Mason as a "peaceful" male, with John C. Reilly in mind for the part. However, as Joon-ho sought to work with Swinton and subsequently brought her in for the part (without changing references to Mason in the script in the masculine form), the character changed. While Swinton has described Mason as "a pretty monstrous construct" and a "smash cut of all the monstrous, maniacal, political clowns", a clear inspiration in appearance and authoritarian tone was Margaret Thatcher: "The first year I was able to vote, Margaret Thatcher came into power...And she definitely went for that look, that condescending "you don't know what you want so I'd better whip you into shape"." The accent, meanwhile, comes from another source, "someone in my early life who had a Yorkshire accent who was an early example of authority", according to the actress.