# Great acting as antagonists in films who are not really bad/evil but just serious a\*\*holes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [September 2, 2025, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682 "2025-09-02T17:12:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/1 "2025-09-02T17:12:05Z")
This topic probably has been done before, but I just rewatched [Contact](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_(1997_American_film)) and Tom Skerritt’s character David Drumlin, the national science advisor who impedes, takes over, and gets credit for Jodie Foster’s character’s work, makes you kinda grit your teeth in aggravation but the character isn’t really an bad/evil guy. (Side note–the movie has Skerritt and John Hurt and is about first contact with an alien species. This contact goes a little better than their previous one.) The classic example is the mayor from _Jaws._ From his point of view, he’s looking out for the town’s best interest and doesn’t understand the threat the shark imposes until it’s too late. I think Murray Hamilton really nails it as the douchebag mayor. One I remember seeing years ago is Brian Cox’s character in _[Longitude](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_(TV_series))_. As I recall, Cox’s Lord Morton is a minor character but he’s such a pompous ass who vehemently opposes clockmaker John Harrison winning the [Longitude prize](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_rewards) because he’s not a Royal Society astronomer or mathematician. I remember thinking: “That’s some great acting because I want to punch that guy in the face!” I think all three performances were great because you really dislike the characters and although they’re antagonists, they’re not really evil villains like, say, Darth Vader. (Even the shark in _Jaws_ was just doing its thing.) What other performances comes to mind? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/2 "2025-09-02T17:16:49Z")
Walter Peck in _Ghostbusters_ is a smug asshole, but he’s also just a guy from the Environmental Protection Agency with perfectly legitimate concerns about the storage of toxic chemicals in NYC. For some reason that’s the first one that jumped to mind. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/3 "2025-09-02T17:25:52Z")
Inspector Callahan’s immediate supervisor in most of the _Dirty Harry_ movies is a contemptible deskjockey bootlicker who does well for himself at Callahan’s expense. He’s easy to hate, without being at all cartoon-level evil. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/4 "2025-09-02T17:36:10Z")
Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen) in _Major League_. He’s an asshole, of course, but what makes him one of the film’s antagonists is that he simply doesn’t care about baseball or winning anymore: he’s much more interested in his finances, and has stopped playing hard out of fear of being injured, especially because he believes he has a future in acting and endorsements, and doesn’t want to damage his face. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/5 "2025-09-02T17:42:11Z")
Principal Rooney in _Ferris Bueller’s Day Off_. ( Ferris was kind of a little piece of shit.) ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/6 "2025-09-02T17:42:29Z")
Is he the one who was referred to as “d\*ckless”? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/7 "2025-09-02T17:45:33Z")
Yes, it’s true: this man has no dick. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/8 "2025-09-02T17:47:47Z")
And with respect to Ghostbusters, it was pretty stupid on Peck’s part to shut down the system with no knowledge whatsoever or what would actually happen. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/9 "2025-09-02T17:47:55Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Walter Peck in _Ghostbusters_ > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Principal Rooney in _Ferris Bueller’s Day Off_. Those two actors: William Atherton and Jeffrey Jones, made mini-careers for themselves in the '80s and early '90s, playing the archetype of the “not really evil, just an asshole” antagonist. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/10 "2025-09-02T17:53:14Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Those two actors: William Atherton and Jeffrey Jones, made mini-careers for themselves in the '80s and early '90s, playing the archetype of the “not really evil, just an asshole” antagonist. So let’s add Dean Rooney to the list. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/11 "2025-09-02T17:55:51Z")
Heck, for most of _Die Hard_, Atherton’s character was just a reporter chasing down a huge story, he didn’t become an asshole until he put the McClane’s kids on TV. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/12 "2025-09-02T17:57:41Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Those two actors: William Atherton and Jeffrey Jones, made mini-careers for themselves in the '80s and early '90s, playing the archetype of the “not really evil, just an asshole” antagonist. Jeffrey Jones gives off that vibe in everything I’ve seen him in\*, even when he’s playing a character that’s not especially an asshole. In _Beetlejuice_, based purely on his actions he should be the 3rd or 4th least likable character, after Beetlejuice, Otho, and possibly Delia. Yet he comes across as more hateable than any of those characters. The same thing goes for _Who’s Harry Crumb_, where he comes across as a whole lot more creepy than the equally villainous characters played by Annie Potts and Tim Thomerson. As for William Atherton, I especially enjoyed a guest appearance he had on _Murder She Wrote_, in an episode that also featured Terry Kiser (who should probably also be on this list). Atherton’s character was the murderer. \*. Given that he was eventually found to be a pedophile, my guess is that he isn’t a true actor, but rather that he plays himself in all his roles. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/13 "2025-09-02T17:57:49Z")
In the _Way-Way Back_, Steve Carrell plays the most punchable step-Dad imaginable. He’s an asshole and a philanderer but he’s really nothing more than just a shitty guy making half-assed attempts to hold things together. They are really good at making you hate him, though. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/14 "2025-09-02T18:04:44Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > So let’s add Dean Rooney to the list. Already done, which is why I quoted: > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Principal Rooney in _Ferris Bueller’s Day Off_. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/15 "2025-09-02T18:06:08Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Jeffrey Jones gives off that vibe in everything I’ve seen him in\*, even when he’s playing a character that’s not especially an asshole. Such as in _Amadeus_, where he’s the pompous-yet-vacuous Emperor Joseph II (“too many notes”). ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/16 "2025-09-02T18:15:59Z")
What about Ronny Cox as Cohaagan in _Total Recall_? Evil or ahole capitalist? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/17 "2025-09-02T18:32:27Z")
I haven’t watched that, but he definitely comes across as as a jerk in _Star Trek TNG_ in his role as Captain Jellico. His character is just a hard but professional Federation captain who is running the Enterprise as best he can in Picard’s absence. But he still manages to make Jellico a hated character. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/18 "2025-09-02T18:41:27Z")
Maybe it’s just me, but I’d say intentionally shutting off the oxygen to an entire colony, thereby suffocating the entire population, just to maintain your business monopoly qualifies as actually evil. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/19 "2025-09-02T18:53:48Z")
Kiefer Sutherland in _Stand By Me_. Yeah, he’s a jerk who bullies the younger kids a bit, but ultimately he just wanted what the kids wanted - to see the dead body, and get some bit of fame for being the one who found the lost kid. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682/20 "2025-09-02T18:56:40Z")
Jerry Lundegaard’s FIL Wade in Fargo. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-acting-as-antagonists-in-films-who-are-not-really-bad-evil-but-just-serious-a-holes/1022682.md?page=2)