Unrecognizable Billie Eilish transforms into iconic Sylvia Plath character as she continues filming The Bell Jar

Billie Eilish was completely unrecognizable as she continued filming the movie adaptation of Sylvia Plath's novel The Bell Jar in Toronto on Tuesday. 

Eilish will be making her big screen acting debut playing Esther Greenwood, a 19-year-old college student who falls into depression after taking a magazine internship in New York City in 1953. 

On Tuesday, Eilish, 24, looked straight out of another era as she threw herself into the role for another day of filming. 

Long gone were her signature baggy clothing and in their place was a costume that transformed Eilish into a young college student from the 1950s. 

She wore a blue dress, matching hat, bold red lipstick and curly hairstyle - all of which would have made her unrecognizable even to her most die-hard of fans.  

The star was clearly taking the role very seriously.

Eilish, whose character travels from Boston to the Big Apple, appeared studious and focused as she waited for one of New York City's iconic yellow taxis. 

Known for wearing loose-fitting T-shirts and trousers, it's a look that would have any Eilish fan doing double takes.

She previously revealed why she chooses to wear unconventionally baggy looks for a pop star - a contrast to hyper-feminine peers like Sabrina Carpenter and Tate McRae.

She told Elle that she experiences 'gender euphoria' when she styles herself in her oversized looks, often consisting of men's apparel.

'I had a really, really toxic relationship with my body. I had a lot of eating issues. I remember putting on, like, a big shirt and the relief that I felt,' she explained.

Listing hip-hop stars Missy Elliott and Tyler, The Creator among her style icons, Eilish said that her 'love for hip-hop culture and wanting to be a man' also influenced her present aesthetic.

'This is the misogyny that we all have within us…which is that I didn't want to be seen as feminine, and therefore weak. It's not right. I've found a good way of not feeling like that.'

Meanwhile, Eilish is now taking her talents onto the big screen.  

In Plath's story, Esther's clinical depression leads to a suicide attempt and hospitalization after she lands a glamorous internship in New York City in 1953.

Similarly, Eilish has been open throughout her career about her struggle with depression, anxiety and self-harm.

Esther, who undergoes ECT shock therapy in the narrative, is on a quest to forge an identity in an oppressive patriarchal society.

The book title is a metaphor for the sense of suffocation brought on by the main character's precarious mental state.

The Bell Jar is Polley's fifth directorial feature, following 2022's Women Talking, 2012's Stories We Tell, 2011's Take This Waltz, and 2006's Away from Her.

Carey Mulligan has also joined the cast as Eilish's mother, according to Variety. 

According to Variety, Heated Rivalry sensation Connor Storrie is rumored to also have a role in The Bell Jar.

Plath's book has long been believed to be a semi-autobiographical depiction as the author was offered an internship at Mademoiselle in 1953 before becoming a patient at the upscale McLean Hospital.

She took her own life at age 30.

The posthumous Pulitzer Prize winner published her only book in 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas before her name was eventually attached to it.

While this film marks Eilish's acting debut, she has appeared on the big screen before.

She is the focus of Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D), the James Cameron directed concert film that was released earlier this year. 

Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour is a monumental achievement for Eilish as she co-directed the project with Oscar-winner James Cameron, who is behind epics like the Titanic and Avatar.

The film, released theatrically on May 8, documents the singer's seventh headlining tour of the same name, which famously ran from September 2024 to November 2025.