“Typecasting” is an entertainment term that every actor dreads: it means that a performer has become so synonymous with one role or type of role that producers and directors tend not to give them opportunities to play other characters. Think ofTom Hanksas a hero in movies likeForrest GumpandSaving Private Ryan; he’s so good at it that it might be hard for audiences to convincingly buy him as anything else, especially a villain.
Indeed, villain roles bring out entirely different qualities from actors and can be rich and rewarding roles to play and observe. However, navigating from one archetype to the next can be especially difficult if viewers are used to seeing someone as a hero. Still, fans can be surprised when an actor decides to break bad in a movie.These actors are shockingly good at being evil, playing memorable villains that often rank among their best roles against all odds.
10Julia Roberts
Notable Villain Role: ‘Mirror Mirror’ (2012)
Known as “America’s Sweetheart,“Julia Robertsrose to fame in the late ’80s and early ’90s with breakout roles in hugely successful films likeSteel MagnoliasandPretty Woman. Her signature smile and ability to portray heartfelt emotion made herthe highest-grossing rom-com actressand earned her multiple awards. She has beennominated for four Academy Awardsand won for her role inErin Brockovich.
Roberts stepped outside her norm and played the Evil Queen in 2012’s Snow White remake,Mirror Mirror. In the role,Roberts personified vanity. Her self-centered and narcissistic take on the Queen showed that not all villains have cruelty for the sake of brutality in their minds; sometimes, they simply want what they want, and everyone else can cower, submit, or get out of the way. Roberts’glamorous and understated take on evilbrings believability to the character and is a joy to watch.
Mirror Mirror
9Pom Klementieff
Pom Klementieffis perhaps best known for bringingGuardians of the Galaxy’sempathetic and endearing character of Mantis to life. Klementieff has been in the performing arts since the early 2000s and has played a number of intelligent and nuanced roles.
Most of Klementieff’s characters were heroine types until 2023’sMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. A complete countertype to Mantis,the character of Paris is torpid, deliberate, and intense. Klementieff’s ability to give sincere emotive empathy to Mantis and then to completely remove feelings to portray the methodical and psychotic Paris shows her tremendous range as an actor. Hopefully, audiences can look forward to Klementieff playing any role she likes.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
8Cary Elwes
Notable Villain Role: ‘Kiss the Girls’ (1997)
Cary Elwes' illustrious careerin the movie industry spans four decades. He has done everything from TV to feature-length films to live performances and voice-overs. Elwes began his journey in the early 1980s and largely played dashing hero types due to his good looks and natural charm. The actor soon proved that he was keen not only to play the hero but the bad guy, too, and sometimes the really scary and malicious guy as well.
From a demented serial killer inKiss the Girlsto fairy tale villains inElla Enchanted, Elwes displayed his talent for going to the dark side and playing characters that are the very definition of evil. He is great in the roles because his unassuming countenance and generally pleasing disposition throw suspects and would-be victims off. Elwes plays the underhanded,devil-in-disguise characters very well, a career path that no one would have predicted from a classic leading man.
Kiss the Girls
7Sarah Michelle Gellar
Notable Villain Role: ‘Cruel Intentions’ (1999)
Sarah Michelle Gellarwill forever live in the hearts of fans thanks to her role as Buffy Summers in the hit TV seriesBuffy the Vampire Slayer. The ultimate hero, the inspiring and relentless Buffy defended not only her small town of Sunnydale from evil but saved the entire planet from the forces of hell several times.
Those who knew her as Buffy or for her roles in a few popular horror movies of the ’90s were pleasantly surprised when Gellar played the seductive, bitter, manipulative, and devious Kathryn Merteuil inCruel Intentions. Gellar was phenomenal as the duplicitous Kathryn, whopresented as unassuming while keeping her true destructive motives hidden. Geller proved that she could not only play a virtuous femme fatale but a vicious one, too, cementing her place as one of the undisputed icons of the late ’90s.
Cruel Intentions
6Leonardo DiCaprio
Notable Villain Role: ‘Django Unchained’ (2022)
Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie, holding a hammer and smoking a cigarette, in “Django Unchained.”
A rare case when a child actor achieves great success as an adult in Hollywood,Leonardo DiCapriobegan his career at 17 in the 1991 creature featureCritters 3. He received his first Academy Award nomination only three years later for his portrayal of Arnold inWhat’s Eating Gilbert Grape. He has beennominated for eight Oscarsso far and won in 2016 for the role of Hugh Glass inThe Revenant.
DiCaprio has predominantly played leading roles and relatable, misunderstood characters. However, the despicable Calvin Candie inQuentin Tarantino’s hard-hitting and stylizedDjango Unchainedleft nothing to interpretation. Theentitled, brutal, and unhinged slave owneris a character that everybody can easily hate. DiCaprio brought realism to the persona, making the villain feel authentic and not like an exaggeration. In one famous scene, Calvin explodes in anger and smashes his hand onto a dinner table.DiCaprio accidentally punctured his handon a glass during one of the takes and kept going, adding a visceral layer to the scene.
Django Unchained
5Emma Stone and Emma Thompson
Notable Villain Role: ‘Cruella’ (2021)
A powerhouse of fashionable toxic energy, the 2021 filmCruellastarsEmma StoneandEmma Thompsonin the leading roles. Disney’s live-action adaptation, inspired by the 1961 animated filmOne Hundred and One Dalmatians, offers insight into one of its most distinctive characters, the fiendish Cruella De Vil (Stone). In the film, Stone plays the young and ambitious Estella, who keeps her friends close and her enemies closer when she becomes protégé to the successful and selfish Baroness von Hellman (Thompson).
Both two-time Oscar winners, Stone and Thompson had principally played heroines throughout their careers, so seeing them as devious and deceitful rogues is thrilling. Thompson’s cold, calculated, and classy take on evil is the antithesis of Stone’s hot-tempered, irrational rage. Fleshing out both characters was superbly done, withStone and Thompson offering multiple angles on villainythat make evil look better than ever.
4Michael B. Jordan
Notable Villain Role: ‘Black Panther’ (2018)
Talented and handsome actorMichael B. Jordanis an easy cast for leading man roles, especially heroic ones. He literally played a superhero in 2015’sFantastic Fourandrevitalized theRockyfranchisein theCreedfilms. In 2018, Jordan got the opportunity to play the villainous Erik Killmonger inBlack Panther, and his dynamic performance proved that he can offer more than protagonist roles.
Single-minded and relentless, Killmonger proved he would stop at nothing to sit on the throne and rule Wakanda as king.Jordan’s dedication to the character manifested in a controlled portrayal, exploding when the character needed to and holding back when it served him best. His infusion of sympathy into the antagonist’s plight allowed audiences to understand why Killmonger made the choices he did, raising questions about whether motives and means justify an end.
Black Panther
3David Tennant
Notable Villain Role: ‘Jessica Jones’ (2015)
David Tennantisinstantly recognizable as The Tenth Doctorfrom the beloved British TV seriesDoctor Who. After 50 episodes on the iconic show, Tennant left to pursue other opportunities, and his subsequent film and television roles continued to exemplify his abilities as a performer.
One example that stands out among the rest is the possessive and inhumane Kilgrave in the television showJessica Jones. Kilgrave’s ability to control other people’s minds gives the character almost infinite power, which, coupled with obsessive, perverted tendencies, makes fora chilling and horrific persona. Tennant’s portrayal of the villain was well done,blending egocentrism with megalomaniato round out the malignant and merciless Kilgrave. It was a polar opposite to The Doctor and showed his range as a performer.
Marvel’s Jessica Jones
2Heath Ledger
Notable Villain Role: ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
Heath Ledgermade a name for himself in Hollywood by appearing in such movies asA Knight’s Taleand10Things I Hate About You. His charisma and dedication made him an almost-instant success, mostly playing leading roles as “good guys” with superficial story arches. So, when he was cast as the complex and unhinged villain Joker in 2008’sThe Dark Knight, many were skeptical about his ability to capture the essence of the role.
However, Ledger proved all the cynics wrongand delivered a gritty and riveting performance as the infamous comic book crook. He brought an undercurrent ofbrooding turmoil to the Joker’s deceptively playful exteriorand explored his complex bond with Batman.Ledger developed the Joker’s quirkscarefully, adopting a method approach to the role. The result is a timeless and profoundly influential performance that changed the character’s course and redefined the potential for the superhero genre.
The Dark Knight
1Colin Farrell
Notable Villain Role: ‘The Batman’ (2022)
The use of prosthetics can either inhibit or enhance an actor’s performance. Silicone appendages and adhesives can limit facial movement, making emotive ability more difficult. In rare cases, they can provide a flesh-like smoke screen, allowing an actor to become invisible. With all semblances gone, the performer can disappear and fully integrate into the role. ForColin FarrellinThe Batman,the amazingly photo-realistic special effects makeup gave the famous entertainer a chance to step out of preconceived notions and into a true character performance.
Completely unrecognizable as The Penguin, Farrell changed his Irish tonation to a Brooklyn-type accent and delivered a remarkable performance. Without audiences identifying him,Farrell let his talent speak for itselfand drive the performance. Part hard-hitting mob boss, part flamboyant socialite,Farrell’s take on The Penguin respects the character’s essencewhile still adding a refreshing tone,earning him a spinoff seriesthat is due to air on Max sometime in the near future.
