Hangover star Zach Galifianakis debuts surprise makeover for new Apple + series

Zach Galifianakis attends the LA Premiere of Netflix's "Between Two Ferns: The Movie". Photo / Getty Images

We met him as the bearded, funny guy in the 2009 hit movie The Hangover but it seems Zach Galifianakis has a new look.

Appearing in the trailer for Apple TV+’s new biopic The Beanie Bubble, the actor - who plays Ty Warner, the businessman behind the popular toy - appears unrecognisable from his hangover days.

The film follows the businessman as he becomes a household name and pays tribute to “the unsung heroes whose names didn’t appear on the heart-shaped tag”.

The two-minute, 37-second trailer begins with an in character voiceover from Galifianakis, asking, “Do you know what the greatest thing about America is?

“You can make things happen here like nowhere else,” he continues. “You have the power to create your own future.”

Zach Galifianakis and Sarah Snook in The Beanie Bubble (2023). Photo / Apple TV+

And it doesn’t take long before fans get their first glimpse at the star who is completely unrecognisable as he has shaved off all of his facial hair - a far cry from roles he has played in recent years including The Hangover trilogy, Due Date and Between Two Ferns.

The actor appears alongside actress Elizabeth Banks, who plays Robbie, a business partner of Warner who aids in the development of the hugely popular soft toy, Beanie Babies. The film appears to focus on the development of the toy, their quick popularity and ultimately how the fortune they made went to the head of Warner.

Throughout the trailer, an in-character Banks is heard uttering, “Ty would tell you he did it all, which is as crazy as believing stuffed animals are gold,” before words like “betrayal”, “greed” and “power” cover the screen.

The film also features Warner’s wife, Shiela (played by Successions, Sarah Snook) and a clued-up employee, Maya (played by Geraldine Viswanathan).

Chicago Magazine reported the real Warner landed himself in legal trouble in 2014 when he pled guilty to lying to the IRS about stashing millions of dollars in a Swiss bank account.

The Beanie Bubble will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on July 28.