’80s pop icon looks completely unrecognizable in rare sighting amid exciting new role

Boy George is one of the most recognizable stars of the ’80s thanks to his bold makeup looks, signature hats and showstopping talent as the lead singer of the band Culture Club.

Yet fans could hardly believe their eyes when they saw him exiting the stage door at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York City after his stellar performance as Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical. 

Cosmetic king

George donned a black sweater and matching sweatpants for the rare sighting along with red sneakers and a black beanie. He looked comfortable in the post-show fit, and was nigh unrecognizable aside from his vibrant stage makeup, which harkened back to his Culture Club days with a bright blush and bold eyeliner. 

“The makeup thing for me started because I’ve got a very plain face – nice eyes, but a plain face – and once I started playing around with makeup I realized I could look like a totally different person. Suddenly I was very pretty, and the boys bought me drinks,” he told Stuff of his signature look. 

He added that the first time he wore makeup was incredibly liberating. “I remember going to a club with black lipstick and a little coal around my eyes – a place called Madam Louise’s [in London], which was a sort of after-hour speakeasy that was frequented by the Sex Pistols and Siouxsie and the Banshees and all those people,” the “Karma Chameleon” singer shared. 

Despite looking completely different without his vibrant outfits and signature hat, George admitted that he would never get plastic surgery as it would interfere with his journey of self-love.

“It’s taken me years to get to a place where I can look in the mirror as George O’Dowd and say, ‘You’re quite a handsome man.’ But I’m not making judgements about what other people want to do,” he told the outlet. 

Broadway triumph

© Bruce Glikas/WireImage

George starred as Harold Zidler in 2024 for a limited run, yet returned to the role in 2025.

No stranger to Broadway, he made his debut in 2003 and earned a Tony nomination for Best Original Score for Taboo, which he co-wrote and produced. 

Speaking to MSNBC about rejoining the cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, the 63-year-old explained how he seamlessly embodied the role. 

“I really enjoyed it and learnt a lot about myself in terms of letting go of,” he said. “I’m somebody who comes into something like this with a long history…will I distract, will I be able to blend in? My brother came to see me last year and he said his biggest fear was that I would stick out like a sore thumb – he goes, ‘Good news! You didn’t.'”

He added: “So you’re there to serve the bigger picture and you want to obviously bring a bit of who you are because we do a couple of my songs in the show…it’s a lot of fun.”

“It’s not a natural thing for me to act but I’m starting to really enjoy it,” George concluded. 

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