Celebs Who Look Totally Different With Glasses

Celebs with glasses aren't exactly common sights on the red carpet. Still, you know some stars must wear lenses. After all, glasses help people see more clearly. And apparently, they also play a psychological role. After undergoing laser vision correction, lifelong glasses-wearer Meiyee Apple told Pacific Standard, "I felt I was losing part of my identity since I identified myself as a cool glasses person." 

Glasses can physically and psychologically alter the way the wearer perceives the world, as well as how others perceive the wearer. "When I see people that wear glasses all the time and then they don't, I think something is missing," Apple continued. "I feel people think that about me." Interestingly, Apple's decision to undergo LASIK surgery actually hindered her work as an actor. "The large hip frames allowed me to either stand out or give myself a specific 'look,'" she revealed. "So I had an eye doctor turn a pair to clear plastic so I can wear them to auditions."

Although there are some famous celebs, such as Diane Keaton, who are never without their eyewear, there are others who only sport glasses occasionally. And, when they do, we can't help but pay more than the usual attention. Which celebs look like completely different people when wearing glasses? See for yourself.

Jennifer Lopez's style is unparalleled. She's one to take risks and try new styles — and that includes eyewear. When Elle asked how many pairs of sunglasses she personally owns, Lopez confessed, "It might be as bad as shoes. It might be. There's a lot of sunglasses. It's like one accessory that you can buy over and over and over. There's just so many different moods and styles you have, I don't know I have so many." We wonder if Lopez has ever tried to snag a pair of the most expensive sunglasses in the world.

Despite being a mega fan of sunglasses, you don't usually see Lopez wearing glasses as part of an ensemble. Usually. In late 2015, the star, who introduced a line of his and hers sunglasses with company Quay and beau Alex Rodriguez, attended the New York City premiere of Rock the Kasbah and surprised everyone by wearing thick, black cat-eye frames. Lopez paired her vintage-looking glasses with a crop top, skinny black pants, black heels, and, according to Us Weekly, a Max Mara houndstooth coat. She looked completely different than how we usually see the star, but, of course, she rocked the style.

You don't need us to explain how stylish Robert Downey Jr. is. Whether he's dressed down in a simple sweater or dressed up in a three-piece suit, the man can basically pull off any look with ease. And that includes colored sunglasses.

As Men's Health highlighted, Downey has been wearing hued lenses "for decades." We've become so accustomed to the A-list actor's purple, blue, and even red shades, that we don't bat an eye when we see him sporting a rainbow of sunglasses. However, on the rare occasion when Downey dons clear glasses — you know, when you can actually see his eyes — we have to take a moment to collect ourselves. The star looks a hell of a lot different when he wears simple black frames and clear lenses as opposed to colored sunglasses — and especially different to how he looks when he's wearing no glasses at all. 

Audiences were introduced to Nyambi Nyambi when he premiered as Samuel on Mike & Molly. "What interested me in Mike & Molly was the hilarious script and the idea of playing a West African character that was the smartest guy in the room ... and I was broke," Nyambi told the African American Literature Book Club (AALBC). 

Nyambi and his character actually had a lot of things in common. "We both have a dry sense of humor and an appreciation for classic literature. Samuel is Senegalese and my family is Nigerian," he explained. "I hope to one day speak five languages like Samuel." 

Despite having much in common with his character, viewers didn't get to see Nyambi's unique sense of style portrayed through Samuel. The actor revealed exclusively to the AALBC that his favorite fashion designer is John Varvatos. And, although the actor didn't wear glasses on Mike & Molly, he occasionally sports eyewear in real life, like when he attended ABC and Marvel's event honoring Stan Lee in October 2019.

Although you won't see Stephanie Beatriz wearing eyeglasses on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, she very much relies on them in everyday life. The actress revealed in an article for Latina, "...I'm really, really nearsighted. Like, I'm legally blind." She continued, writing, "Contacts really bother my eyes, so I can't wear them very often or for long periods of time."

Despite this, she still felt uncomfortable wearing her eyewear to big events like the 2014 Golden Globes. "Mostly I didn't wear them because I had stuck in my head that a) glasses are not appropriate for dressy events and b) what if one of my idols like Meryl Streep saw me in my glasses, looking inappropriate?? I. Would. Die," she confessed. But then she noticed Meryl Streep wearing her glasses, and Beatriz got up the nerve to wear hers with pride. BuzzFeed went on to dub Beatriz's glasses as one of the best eyeglasses at the awards ceremony. And the actress learned an important lesson: "Being yourself (glasses or no) is always in style."

Brad Pitt has pretty much always been a style icon. According to his former classmate Mark Swadley (via People), Pitt was named best-dressed at Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Mo. Before long, more than just his fellow classmates would cast their votes about the star. In 1995, People recognized the actor as the Sexiest Man Alive.

Over the course of his Hollywood career, Pitt has experimented with his personal style — including wearing many pairs of bold eyewear. From his silver frames at the '98 Emmys to his black aviators with burnt orange lenses, the actor is not intimidated by unusual sunglasses. However, he's not one to wear regular eyeglasses very often. This may be because, according to The New York Times (via New York Daily News), he underwent LASIK eye surgery to correct his vision. Whether or not he still needs prescription lenses, Pitt can occasionally be seen wearing eyeglasses in public.

Wait a second. Zendaya — the Zendaya — wears glasses? We know, it's hard to believe. Although she doesn't often wear them publicly, Zendaya sported a pair of reading glasses when announcing the winner for best directing in a limited series at the 2019 Emmy Awards.

The Euphoria actress' decision to wear her spectacles on stage earned her a whole lot of praise from her fans. "Zendaya with glasses is something I didn't know I needed until [now]," one person tweeted after spotting the actress in her eyeglasses. Another wrote, "Zendaya in this dress and the red hair and the glasses is the cause of my death." Pretty much. One fan put it simply: "Zendaya. In. Glasses. That's the tweet." Comedian Jenny Yang even chimed in to gave her opinion about Zendaya's lenses, saying Zendaya with reading glasses is "just unfair." She's not wrong. Zendaya's stunning transformation over the years has been nothing short of jaw-dropping.

Once upon a time, you wouldn't see Demi Lovato without her eyeglasses. As Refinery29 reported in a profile of the star, "Lovato has been performing for us since she was 7 years old, then just an eager girl in glasses on the kids' show Barney & Friends."

Nevertheless, Lovato would still sport glasses every once in a while. Back in March 2016, when attending the Honda Civic Tour Artists Announcement and Honda Civic North America Launch Event at the Garage in New York City, the singer posed for pictures in a military-green jacket, leather pencil skirt, low-cut black crop top, and thick, black frames. 

Ironically, the day before Lovato attended the event wearing her glasses, she tweeted (via Entertainment Tonight) to fans about an injury she incurred as a result of not wearing any vision aides. "So one time I went surfing/paddle boarding without my glasses or contacts and wiped out... Which gave me whiplash," she tweeted alongside an X-ray image. "On the bright side," she continued, "after Thursday, I won't ever have to use contacts or glasses again. (Hopefully)." Entertainment Tonight speculated that she may have decided to pursue laser vision correction.

Matt Bomer in glasses is a sight to behold. Over the years, he's worn a bunch of different styles — from partially clear frames to rectangular black glasses à la Clark Kent to round frames. Bomer's eyewear has always attracted attention. In 2012, GQ asked the actor some questions from fans. Unsurprisingly, one was about his eyewear. "I love Matt's glasses — can you ask where he got them from?" one fan wrote in. Bomer responded, "They are by a company called Initium, and the specific style is called 7th Son."

Although Bomer has since moved away from squared frames, the prescription glasses are still available for purchase from Initium Eyewear. For $309, the company promises customers they can "be as devilishly handsome as Matt Bomer, or pull a Justin Hammer and try to take over the world. The 7th Son will get you more than halfway there."

Later Bomer recommended another pair of glasses to his fans; this time Durand sunglasses from Warby Parker. "I don't leave home without a pair of sun-glasses," he told The New York Post in 2019. "These unisex frames should be flattering on just about anyone."

In 2012, Brooke Shields became a spokesperson and model for Foster Grant eyewear (FGX). "FGX is delighted to announce our working partnership with Brooke Shields," Gina Lazaro, FGX's international chief marketing officer, revealed in a press release at the time. "Brooke's wide-ranging appeal and natural beauty make her a perfect fit for the Foster Grant brand, helping us to expand the brand's history of working with the most well-respected, talented, and brightest Hollywood stars. We could not be more thrilled to add her to the list of exceptional talents whose names have answered the age-old question, 'Who's that behind those Foster Grants?'"

Shields added that she was "so honoured to become a part of the Foster Grant family, and to work in this next chapter of the brand's storied history." It may surprise you, but, yes, Shields has worn — and still does wear — glasses. In fact, the model and actress attended the New York premiere of The Good Liar in 2019 wearing a pair of oversized, thin frames. Seems like Brooke Shields' stunning transformation is far from over.

Patricia Arquette wasn't wearing glasses when she arrived at the 2019 Emmys, but she was rocking some seriously fun two-toned frames at the after party. Despite being two very different looks, Arquette's makeup looked great either way. This can be hard to accomplish, though.

"I think one of the biggest mistakes people with glasses make when doing their makeup is to apply their make up as if they are not wearing any," Carol Mackie, senior makeup artist at MAC, told The Sydney Morning Herald, following Arquette's two-toned glasses debut. "It's important to stand back and look at your makeup in the mirror with your glasses on, to see what you need to adjust, as glasses can dramatically reduce the look of make up."

Although Sephora's national artistry lead Alphie Sadsad told the publication that you should usually do your makeup with your glasses off, you can apply blush and lipstick once you've put on your eyewear. And don't forget setting powder. "An obvious mistake that people make is not setting your makeup with a light powder before wearing your glasses," he explained, "meaning that throughout the day your foundation moves from being in contact with the bridge."

Marisa Tomei looks like a completely different person when she's sporting glasses. The glasses, which are similar in size and style to Brooke Shields' oversized eyewear, were an unusual accessory for the actress. Nevertheless, Tomei has always been one to experiment with not only her personal style, but also the style of the characters she portrays in film and television. 

When asked about transforming into Aunt May in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tomei told Vogue, "Well, I've always been very interested in and drawn to either illuminating or playing with this knitting together of both the innocent and the wild, the maternal and the sexual, and not having them be a cultural paradox." She also told the publication, "I tried hard to understand the cultural split: how to be very maternal but also very desirable." When Tomei donned these large glasses to the opening night of Jacqueline Novak: Get on Your Knees, we couldn't help but pick up on a similar Aunt May vibe.

Laverne Cox is practically synonymous with style, and she's not afraid to experiment with different looks — from denim pants to sequined dresses to power suits. "The way I dress is really about the message I want to send out to the world about who I am," she revealed in an interview with Women's Wear Daily. And fashion was always one of Cox's passions. "For my high school graduation, I wore a zebra robe and a pillbox hat," she revealed. "Running around Alabama in a zebra robe and a turban, I got bullied a lot. It was rough. When kids would bully me, I would say, 'One day I will be rich and famous and I'll show you.' And that's what got me through my childhood. It's a crazy thing to think back on now."

Although she's become a bona fide style icon, you won't often see Cox, who is a celeb who embraces her natural beauty, sporting glasses as an accessory. That's not to say she never does, though. When speaking at Cosmopolitan's Fun Fearless Life event in late 2015, the star donned a pair of black cat-eyes frames. And, yes, she absolutely killed the look.

Round glasses are great and all, but they aren't exactly easy to pull off. "Get it wrong, and you will look like you're off to an exclusive cocktail party dressed as Harry Potter in year 3," online eyewear retailer selectspecs.com revealed. The company recommends considering your hair color and skin tone before choosing frames. And, if you decide to go for dark frames, you may also want to consider wearing minimal makeup as to not "detract from your beautiful specs." Those with round faces may have a difficult time pulling off the trend, and, if your wardrobe is more "geek" than "chic," this style may not bode well for you.

Of course, if you're Tom Holland, you don't have to worry about any of these things. While the actor alternates between wearing and not wearing glasses in public, he can definitely pull off the Harry Potter frames without looking like, well, Harry Potter.

If you didn't have picture proof, you probably wouldn't believe that Jason Momoa wears glasses. After all, eyewear wouldn't have worked for playing Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones or Arthur in Aquaman. In fact, Momoa wore colored contacts while filming Aquaman — and it was partially his idea. "I just wanted [Arthur] to have the Van Gogh green-colored eyes, where you can kind of get lost in them," the actor revealed to Comic Book. "You're scared by it, but you're drawn in. We put the contacts in, and I was like, wow. It's kind of scary, but hopefully not too scary." His idea was truly effective, as eye color can totally transform celebrities' looks.

Despite not being able to wear his glasses in a major motion picture, Momoa has worn eyewear to work events. In fact, the actor has experimented with several different kinds of eyewear over the years. As PopSugar highlighted, he's worn everything from trendy round, dark frames with colored lenses to thick, square frames.