CelebritiesSEP 26, 2022

Do You Recognize Every Person In These Famous Mugshots?

If you have never heard the term before, a mug shot is a portrait photo of a person from the shoulders up. Usually, it includes both a front and profile view. Mug shots are taken after a person is arrested and are included in the police case files. In some cases, when officers are still in pursuit of the criminal, they might find it appropriate to use previously existing police mug shots to warn the public or ask for their assistance.

If you were wondering, no, coffee mugs have nothing to do with the term. In fact, “mug” is an English slang word for face, and this is where this type of photo got its name from. It is believed that the first country to start using mugshots in law enforcement was Belgium, as far back as the early 1840s. Later, in 1888, French police officer Alphonse Bertillon standardized the light and angle, and this is what police officers around the world use till today. Sometimes, though not necessarily, people in mugshots also hold a plate with essential identification information.

Since the development of the internet, a lot of mugshots can be found online. Among mug shots of infamous criminals, serial killers, and drug lords, you can also come across some celebrity mugshots. These, however, should not be confused with headshots. While the general form is the same for both types of photos, they have completely different functions. Headshots serve to promote the person, and actors often use them to apply for a role. And though sometimes celebrities do get in trouble with the law, at other times they may also take funny mugshots or even crazy mugshots just for fun.

For this article, we collected some mugshots of famous people that have been around for a long time or were taken on an occasion that would go on to become very important in history. How many of them do you recognize?

#41 Michelle Branch

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