In an era of Botox, fillersand the perpetual threat of ‘iPhone face’ – when actors look so modern it’s clear they’ve lived in a world where smartphones exist – the period drama in the 21st century appears increasingly hard to get right.

But some celebrities, it seems, were made to be cast in TV dramas or films from a bygone era, with a look belonging to a ‘world of candlelight, waistcoats, sweeping skirts and slow-burning glances across a ballroom’.

Enter the phenomenon of ‘period drama face’, otherwise known as ‘reverse iPhone face’ – embodied by beloved stars including Cate Blanchett, Keira Knightley and Olivia Colman.

According to Amber Rawlings, writing for Hunger Magazineit is: ‘Essentially, the hot new lingo used to describe anyone who looks like they’re straight out of an old painting at the National Portrait Gallery.

to و a و of – تفاصيل مهمة

‘Other people with reverse iPhone faces might be Bella Ramsey or Holliday Grainger… The kinds of people that could walk down a Victorian high street and not have anyone bat an eyelid.’

Those with a ‘period drama face’ will have ‘classic’ and ‘natural’ features, almost making them seem like they don’t belong in the 21st century, with soft contours, ’rounded’ eyes and natural lips without filler.

By contrast, those deemed to have an ‘iPhone face’ – Dakota Johnson in Persuasion, Florence Pugh in Little Women and Nicole Kidman in The Northman – have smooth foreheads and perfectly white teeth, somewhat anachronistic to their period drama settings.

Gemma Logan, beauty expert at the Foxy Hen, said: ‘Period drama face is a playful way to describe a look that feels instantly suited to stories set in earlier centuries. It is the opposite of the modern phone-ready face that feels rooted in the here and now.’

in و and و the – تفاصيل مهمة

Arts and branding expert Chad Teixiera added: ‘Where “iPhone face” reflects beauty norms shaped by front-facing cameras, filters, injectables, and hypersymmetry popularised by digital culture, the period-drama face embodies timelessness with features that feel rooted in history rather than shaped by contemporary aesthetics.

‘It’s less about being plain or understated, and about having a face that doesn’t betray the 21st century the moment it appears on screen.’

face و and و by – تفاصيل مهمة

The concept of a period drama face was first used in reaction to Stranger Things’ stars Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyerwith one person previously writing: ‘They look like they exclusively get their news from an unwashed child yelling “extra extra” on a corner of the street.’

This week, the discourse resumed as people shared photos of actor Ralph Ineson in The Witch (2015) and Game Of Thrones, with one person writing: ‘His is one of the most severe cases of period drama face I’ve ever seen.’

However, the idea is not a new one – with a classic example being Susannah Harker as Jane Bingley in 1995’s Pride and Prejudice.

‘Susannah Harker looked exactly like a Grecian statue, which is where the inspiration for Regency style came from in the first place. She was perfect for Jane and a perfect example of the ideal beauty of Regency England,’ one person wrote on Reddit.

the و of و one – تفاصيل مهمة

Soon, people were quick to share other examples, such as Saoirse Ronan, 31, in Little Women and Elle Fanning, 27, in The Great.

Although she has now embraced roles set in a modern setting, such as Netflix’s The Woman In Cabin 10, one person cited 2005’s Pride And Prejudice: ‘Honestly Keira Knightley. She is at her best when in 1800s-early 1900s movies.’

Another said: ‘Morfydd Clark has severe period drama face, the Victorians would’ve drowned themselves in arsenic for a face like hers.’

Welsh actress Clark, 36, has become known for her period drama roles, starring as Galadriel in the Amazon Prime series The Lord Of The Rings: Rings Of Power (2022 to present) and Ophelia in Hamlet (2025).

Others said War And Peace star Paul Dano was ‘born to play a Victorian’, while another added: ‘I would like to mention my ultimate Edwardian girl Helena Bonham Carter,’ alongside pictures of the beloved actress in Howard’s End and A Room With A View.

in و the و to – تفاصيل مهمة

Gemma Logan, who works at Foxy Hen, said the key characteristics of a period drama face are a mixture of ‘natural charm and classic structure’, while ‘symmetry helps but is not the full story’.

She said the look relies on soft lines, softer brows, openness in the eyes, naturally flushed skin and a gentle facial balance.

Soft lips help too, as they ‘translate well on screen because they mimic the looks seen in classical paintings and older portraiture’.

They will have hair that takes well to ‘vintage curls, centre partings or loose textured styles that suggest a different era without much effort’.

the و on و in – تفاصيل مهمة

‘Muted rose, gentle taupe and the kind of earthy tones used in period styling tend to sit beautifully on this type of face,’ Gemma explained.

Giving examples, Chad said: ‘Think of actors like Olivia Colman, Cate Blanchett, Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, or Ralph Fiennes, they are all performers whose looks feel at home in Georgian, Victorian, or early-20th-century narratives because their features don’t read as digitally optimised.’

Gemma added: ‘Saoirse Ronan has a softness and emotional depth in her features that works in everything from literary adaptations to classic coming of age stories.

in و Olivia و a – تفاصيل مهمة

‘Keira Knightley has long been associated with the genre because her delicate bone structure and expressive eyes seem perfectly suited to historical storytelling.

It follows the rise of ‘iPhone face’ with the success of Netflix’s House of Guinness, set in 1860s Dublin, and the highly anticipated new Wuthering Heights adaptation, which takes place in 19th-century Yorkshire.

Cinephiles fear that the performers of this age look too social media savvy to convincingly get across emotions felt without the pressures of Twitter, TikTok and the modern comforts of cosmetic surgery and filters.

Examples cited included Louis Partridge, 24-year-old Niamh McCormack and 31-year-old Anthony Boyle.

the و of و and – تفاصيل مهمة

Others feltTimothée Chalamet and Lily Rose-Depp were miscast for the historical film The King, set in the Middle Ages, precisely because both had faces that seemed aware of what an iPhone was.

It’s an accusation that has also plagued the upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation directed by Saltburn’s Emerald Fennell.

Fans of the book have blasted the ‘weird’ and ‘terrible’ casting of Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elord as Heathcliff – and claiming that the director has ‘not read’ the Emily Brontë novel.

Previously, it was also an issue for the BBC One series 10 Pound Poms – starring Michelle Keegan and Faye Marsay.

The show follows a group of fictional Brits who took advantage of the Australian government’s offer to transport them across the world and provide subsidised housing and jobs for them for £10 per person.

In 2023, Critics praised Michelle’s ‘slinky and secretive’ performance as nurse Kate, but viewers admitted they were struggling to immerse themselves in the show thanks to the star’s very modern appearance.

the و and و for – تفاصيل مهمة

One person tweeted at the time: ‘Really enjoyed the first episode of this show but blimey, who knew you could get fake tan and Botox in 1950s Manchester?’

What’s , The Telegraph’s Arts and Entertainment Editor Anita Singh noted that the 38-year-old does not have a ‘period drama face’ in her three-star review of the show.

She wrote: ‘She has the glossy hair and flawless complexion of the Love Island generation, and one of those faces in which only the bottom half moves.’

When Netflix’s Bridgerton landed on the streaming platform in December 2020, the series was viewed by a staggering 82m households in the first month alone.

the و in و and – تفاصيل مهمة

Although the fictional series has been credited with renewing interest in period dramas among younger audiences, there’s no denying that the cast – including Phoebe Dynevor and Rege-Jean Page – very much adhere to modern beauty standards.

Having devoured the first season, one fan tweeted: ‘Bridgerton is ultimately about face fillers.’

What’s , Dakota Johnson, 36 – who played Anne Elliot in the 2020 Netflix Persuasion adaptation – looked noticeably fresh-faced than her predecessor Ann Firbank.

In 1971, then 38-year-old actress was cast in the title role for the ITV adaptation.

the و – و in – تفاصيل مهمة

In 2020, Anya Taylor-Joy, then 27, was cast as the lead in the Emma remake – a role Kate Beckinsale took on 24 years previously.

Although the two actresses were around the same age in both adaptations, Anya’s sculpted brows and radiant skin gave her a noticeably modern look than her fresh-faced predecessor.