updated: 14/06/2005
One interesting variant of disguising an actress is the mask trick. Done well it can be very effective and captures the essence of the art of illusion and necessary suspension of disbelief that lies at the heart of movie-making.
The mask trick comes in various forms but typically it is truly a trick: the actress may be disguised with prosthetic makeup which is then pulled off like a mask (do not try this at home children!) as in The Associate and the pilot for F/X: The Series; where one character impersonates another, the actress may never be disguised at all but the apparent putting on or removal of a mask hides a cut between the two actresses (the usual Mission Impossible trick) or a discarded mask is found (eg Penelope). In recent movies, eg Charlie’s Angels, the trickery may be assisted by CGI effects.