# Actors who embrace the evil of their character **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660 "2014-01-01T21:00:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![JacksMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@JacksMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacksMom)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/101 "2014-01-05T00:46:35Z")
I was coming in here to nominate Robert Knepper! His villains are the most convincing ever for me. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/102 "2014-01-05T00:57:18Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Rowan Atkinson seemed to relish the various incarnations of Blackadder. Blackadder is many things but he’s not actually evil. Cunning, conniving, weaselly, and even deceitful - but not actually evil. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/103 "2014-01-05T02:50:07Z")
> [@JacksMom](#): > > I was coming in here to nominate Robert Knepper! His villains are the most convincing ever for me. Sorry! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/104 "2014-03-31T20:10:33Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I agree. Like nearly everyone else in _The Unforgiven_, Little Bill was a mixture of good and evil (which was pretty much the point of the movie). His intentions were good, but he tried to carry them out in a brutal fashion. I disagree. He just did whatever he thought was best … for him. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/105 "2014-03-31T21:57:59Z")
Whoever it was who played the scumbag detective in _Natural Born Killer._ Ewww. Same guy who was the sergeant in _Searching for Private Ryan._ I think in reality he is a pretty violent man, in trouble with the law. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/106 "2014-03-31T22:16:03Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Cyril Cusack played the best baddies is films like \*\*Farenheit 451, 1984, \*\*and **The Day of the Jackal** because instead of scenery-chewing maniacal, he was always brought a weary resignation “time to make the donuts” attitude that is more consistent with the actual sons of bitches we meet in life Slight correction: Although Gozzi,the armorer (Cyril Cusack’s character in _ **The Day of The Jackal** _) was perhaps amoral, he certainly wasn’t the villain of the piece. Nor did he radiate much villainy in his role. My choices would be: **Orson Welles** in either _ **The Third Man** _ or _ **Touch of Evil** _. **Robert Ryan** in \*\*\*Crossfire \*\*\*or _ **A Bad Day at Black Rock** _. **Ian Richardson** in **House of Cards** and _ **To Play the King** _, although not so much in _ **The Final Cut** _ as that series had a rather perfunctory tone to it. **Michael Gambon** in 2004’s _ **Layer Cake** _. **Burt Lancaster** in _ **The Sweet Smell of Success** _ \*\*Henry Fonda \*\*in _ **Once Upon a Time in the West** _ ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/107 "2014-03-31T22:30:22Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Whoever it was who played the scumbag detective in _Natural Born Killer._ Ewww. > > Same guy who was the sergeant in _Searching for Private Ryan._ > > I think in reality he is a pretty violent man, in trouble with the law. That would be Tom Sizemore. He’s had some highly publicized issues with drug arrests, though I haven’t seen anything related to violence. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/108 "2014-03-31T23:06:21Z")
Mads Mikkelson (may have misspelled) really commits to playing a villain when he does as in Casino Royale & Hannibal. It’s esp obvious when you see him play a ‘normal’ guy in other roles ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/109 "2014-03-31T23:19:42Z")
Old thread but I’ll jump in. My suggestion would be Jack Carter (Michael Caine) in _Get Carter_. And unusually, he’s the protagonist of the movie - he’s not just a villain the hero is opposing. Carter treats the people around him like shit. He treated his brother like shit. But somebody killed his brother so he wants revenge. It’s not due to a belated feeling of filial affection - he’s mad because he sees his brother being killed as an act against him. So he goes out to kill the people responsible - and several other people along the way - with no regard for the consequences of his actions. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/110 "2014-04-01T00:13:53Z")
Andrew Scott as Jim Moriarty in _Sherlock_. StG ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/111 "2014-04-01T03:36:10Z")
As long as this thread is active again, I should mention one I forgot, a performance that stands as truly holding nothing back in order to present us with a scary, twisted, complete madman: Ben Kingsley as Don Logan in 2000’s _Sexy Beast_. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/112 "2014-04-01T04:02:05Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > My choices would be: > > **Orson Welles** in either _ **The Third Man** _ or _ **Touch of Evil** _. > **Burt Lancaster** in _ **The Sweet Smell of Success** _ > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > As long as this thread is active again, I should mention one I forgot, a performance that stands as truly holding nothing back in order to present us with a scary, twisted, complete madman: Ben Kingsley as Don Logan in 2000’s _Sexy Beast_. I agree with all of these. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/113 "2014-04-01T11:15:58Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > … My choices would be: > > **Orson Welles** in either _ **The Third Man** _ or _ **Touch of Evil** _. And Orson Welles in _ **The Stranger** _ ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/114 "2014-04-01T16:59:24Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I came up with Pacino as Michael Corleone in _The Godfather_ and De Niro as Travis Bickle in _Taxi Driver_. I’ve never seen _Silence of the Lambs_, believe it or not, but gather Anthony Hopkins might be another one. Even more so than Anthony Hopkins - Ted Levine, who played Jame Gumb a/k/a Buffalo Bill, the serial killer. He was far more terrifying in his own way than Hopkins. Lecter was a controlled insanity of sorts. Gumb wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/115 "2014-04-01T17:16:29Z")
Awww, I got here late and most of my picks have already been mentioned. I can add a few comments, though, if that’s okay: **William H. Macy** in Fargo (post 33). This may be the winner, for the reasons stated. **Laurence Olivier** in Marathon Man (post 36). And in Sleuth with Michael Caine. **Robert Mitchum** in Cape Fear (post 42) and Night of the Hunter (post 89). Evil right down to that swagger and snide drawl. **Sam Rockwell** as The Green Mile’s ‘Wild Bill’ Wharton (post 68). You could practically smell his filth. **Lee van Cleef** in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (post 77). This performance made the biggest impression on me, but **RickJay** has made a pretty good case for William H. Macy in Fargo (post 33). **F. Murray Abraham** in The Name of the Rose (post 87). IIRC, the impact is heightened by the fact that in the first few minutes that we see him onscreen, he’s turned away from the camera. I’m no expert on films or acting, but I thought it was a brilliant device. **Ted Levine** in Silence of the Lambs (post 93): That freaked me right the hell out! **Bridget Fonda** in A Simple Plan (post 100). Excellent choice. The bangs down to her eyes made her seem all the more scheming and cynical, for some reason. **Orson Welles** in The Stranger (post 113). There’s a scene in which he lies and it’s supposed to be very obvious that he’s lying. Again, I’m no expert on films or acting, but I thought it was very well done. My contributions: **Robert Shaw** as Doyle Lonnegan in The Sting. **John Vernon** as Dean Vernon Wormer in Animal House. **Bob Gunton** as Warden Norton in The Shankshaw Redemption. **Jonathan Banks** as Zack (the bad guy’s main henchman) in Beverly Hills Cop. Looked mean as hell. What a surprise to see him as Jay’s brother Donnie in Modern Family. **Richard Dreyfuss** as Dr. Leo Marvin in What About Bob? **Colin Cunningham** as Detective Brian Curtis in the Canadian TV series Da Vinci’s Inquest. Sliiii-my! ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/116 "2014-04-01T17:44:39Z")
I’ll second Henry Fonda in Once Upon A Time in the West. I’ve never seen eyes quite so cold. The first time I saw Ray Liotta was in Wild Thing, and he just radiated pure menace. Best thing about that movie. Stellan Skarsgård and Jonathan Pryce from Ronin are both cold bastards, but then pretty much all the main characters are as well. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/117 "2014-04-01T17:46:58Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > Andrew Scott as Jim Moriarty in _Sherlock_. > > StG Yes! to this. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/118 "2014-04-01T18:27:05Z")
Peter Lorre in “M”. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/119 "2014-04-01T23:25:41Z")
Gotta give a nod to Michael Gambon playing Albert Spica in The Cook, thief, his Wife and her Lover. He was one of the vilest villains from scene one and he plays him as unlikable all the way through. I’ve never wanted to see a character get what he deserves more than ole Albert and the movie doesn’t really skimp on it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660/120 "2014-04-02T00:15:55Z")
Helena Bonham Carter really nailed the part of Bellatrix Lestrange in the “Harry Potter” series. Bellatrix was a total sociopath in the books, and Bonham Carter was absolutely perfect. Even that whole gleeful, enthusiastic way she had when she was tormenting someone. Margaret Hamilton who played the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz”. She said small children were always scared of her after that, which bothered her, since she had been a teacher. She’d always have to explain that she had only been playing a role in a movie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-embrace-the-evil-of-their-character/677660.md?page=7)