CIA operative Valerie Plame was (in my opinion) more attractive than Naomi Watts who played her in the movie Fair Game.
Marilyn Monroe, 1962 photo by Bert Stern Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe, 2008 photo by Bert Stern YECHH
I thought the actress who portrayed the young version of Olivia Newton-John, in Hopelessly Devoted to You was at least as cute, if not cuter. Morgan Griffin - Wikipedia
People who were actually more attractive than the actors who portrayed them I've always felt that Scott Fischer (R.I.P) was actually more attractive than Jake Gyllenhaal [who starred as Fischer in "Everest" (2015)].... no offence Jake.
I'd say Brian Wilson was a more handsome guy than either Paul Dano or John Cusack at the respective ages they portrayed him in Love and Mercy. (For that matter, whatever else you can say about Eugene Landy, the real guy was better looking than Paul Giamatti).
The actor who played Nico in that recent movie, Nico 1988, was extremely unattractive relative to the real latter day Nico.
It's not the worst, but the actor in "Stoned" was too good looking in a traditionally masculine way to play Brian Jones. The androgyny of certain rock stars is one of the hardest things to capture i think.
Neither looked anything like Brian but that was a great movie. Paul Dano takes on some interesting roles and is fascinating to watch on screen. Is he related to Royal Dano?
I thought it was more important to get the emotional honesty of Brian's situation rather than having someone who might be a physical double. As someone else pointed out Eugene Landy was a lot better looking than Paul Giamatti as well, who... while a truly great actor... is basically a schlub.
Anybody who ever played Elvis. It's just a given that they are less attractive. Exception made for Elvis 75-77 i guess....