# The best Satan **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2012, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637 "2012-03-13T12:35:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/61 "2012-03-14T06:00:06Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > And in the scene by the water on top of the skyscraper, he does this subtly strange rhythm in his walk; it somehow suggests hooves without any real reference. Those are lifts. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/62 "2012-03-14T06:07:52Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > At first I read that as John Goodman. > > And you know, John Goodman would make a great Satan. Isn’t he possessed by the devil in Fallen? My memory of that movie is kind of vague, but I seem to remember him launching into a Devil’s Advocate type rant in that film. ---
**Author:** ![Valerieblaise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Valerieblaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valerieblaise)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/63 "2012-03-14T06:14:54Z")
I think my favorite has to be [Jason Sudeikis on SNL](http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/weekend-update-the-devil-on-penn-state/1368181). ---
**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 14, 2012, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/64 "2012-03-14T06:23:50Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > I want to throw books in there, although that’s not what you had in mind. 🙂 I nominate The Walkin Dude from _The Stand_. He was thoroughly believable as evil incarnate. The information that I found most chilling and convincing was the fact that he was kinda fuzzy on the details of his history. He seemed to remember being in Vietnam, or perhaps working on oil rigs …? Or something. > > That nebulous “where did he come from?” sense of evil that just springs forth when fertile ground is ready to nurture him seems to me absolutely what the devil needs to flourish. And if he’s taking human form, of course he’d be sort of confused. He’s not God, he’s a fallen angel set upon destroying good. The details? Eh. Let’s get on with the destruction of humanity. Derek Leech, who’s appeared in several works by Kim Newman, is the same type of character. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/65 "2012-03-14T16:28:01Z")
There was an episode of “Northern Exposure” where Charles Martin Smith (from “American Graffiti”, “Starman”, “Never Cry Wolf”) is revealed to be satan. In exchange for something, he attempts to get Shelly (the blonde at the bar) to lie or something. I thought it was one of the best portrayals of Satan as the Smith character even explains why he isn’t in the horns and pointy tail form. And he it is because he is so friendly and likeable, that his “disguise” is so effective. And he also explains how the “little” sins are what he strives for: not murder or anything, but to get such an innocent, ethical gal like Shelly to tell a (small) lie is the type of “soul selling” he really works for. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/66 "2012-03-14T16:48:37Z")
It’s probably far from the best overall, but my favorite in the category of non-traditional yet deliberately evil looking, I really like the _Passion of the Christ_ devil. I also must say I loved the devil in the “bad” endings of the video game _Catherine_–but it’s because he’s so comically inept. ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/67 "2012-03-14T17:53:34Z")
Gary Oldman in the amazing Tony Scott short film (part of the BMW short film series) “Beat the Devil”, in which James Brown (as himself!) had years back sold his soul to him and now wants to get it back. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/68 "2012-03-14T18:06:14Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > There was an episode of “Northern Exposure” where Charles Martin Smith (from “American Graffiti”, “Starman”, “Never Cry Wolf”) is revealed to be satan. In exchange for something, he attempts to get Shelly (the blonde at the bar) to lie or something. > > I thought it was one of the best portrayals of Satan as the Smith character even explains why he isn’t in the horns and pointy tail form. And he it is because he is so friendly and likeable, that his “disguise” is so effective. And he also explains how the “little” sins are what he strives for: not murder or anything, but to get such an innocent, ethical gal like Shelly to tell a (small) lie is the type of “soul selling” he really works for. Wasn’t he the little accountant guy from “The Untouchables”? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/69 "2012-03-14T19:10:52Z")
I like H. Jon Benjamin’s portrayal on the animated show **Lucy, Daughter of the Devil**. I bet the real Satan has the voice of Archer. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/70 "2012-03-15T00:39:04Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Wasn’t he the little accountant guy from “The Untouchables”? Yep. And I do remember that episode of Northern Exposure. But I didn’t remember until this moment. ---
**Author:** ![enigmatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@enigmatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigmatic)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/71 "2012-03-15T01:19:06Z")
[Rowan Atkinson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91DSNL1BEeY) ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/72 "2012-03-15T03:37:23Z")
Love Dave Grohl in “Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny” ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/73 "2012-03-15T06:35:05Z")
> [@phreesh](#): > > Totally agree. I love how he seems like a loser most of the time, but they throw a few instances, like the local bingo game where he wins every time, where you’re all, “Wait, could he actually **be** the devil?” > > Love it. I love this version of the Devil too! “Lady, you can’t cheat at bingo. If you could, I would, but you can’t. I won because I was lucky - lucky to wind up in a town full of losers!” ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/74 "2012-03-15T15:21:12Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > I thought it was one of the best portrayals of Satan as the Smith character even explains why he isn’t in the horns and pointy tail form. And he it is because he is so friendly and likeable, that his “disguise” is so effective. And he also explains how the “little” sins are what he strives for: not murder or anything, but to get such an innocent, ethical gal like Shelly to tell a (small) lie is the type of “soul selling” he really works for. If we have drifted enough to bring up books, I want to mention \*Good Omens \*by Pratchett and Gaiman. First of all, it is wonderful, as good as anything either have done alone. One of the main characters is Crowley, who is not \*the \*Devil but is \*a \*devil, and there is a scene where he is talking to some other, more old fashioned devils. The other devils had tempted individuals with greed or lust, while Crowley had tied up all the cell phone systems in London for 30 minutes at lunch hour. The other devils could not understand the shift from craft-based to industrial temptation. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/75 "2012-03-15T15:24:48Z")
> [@Reno\_Nevada](#): > > If we have drifted enough to bring up books, I want to mention \*Good Omens \*by Pratchett and Gaiman. First of all, it is wonderful, as good as anything either have done alone. One of the main characters is Crowley, who is not \*the \*Devil but is \*a \*devil, and there is a scene where he is talking to some other, more old fashioned devils. The other devils had tempted individuals with greed or lust, while Crowley had tied up all the cell phone systems in London for 30 minutes at lunch hour. The other devils could not understand the shift from craft-based to industrial temptation. Didn’t Crowley also carefully and with great discomfort move all the construction signs during a rainstorm one night so that a roadway being laid down formed some Sigil of great nefariousness, thereby frustrating everyone during their daily commute and increasing the amount of Evil in the world? I’m pretty sure he’s been at work in Chicago, too. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/76 "2012-03-16T05:28:02Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Viggo Mortensen was pretty good as the Devil in _The Prophecy_, but I probably mostly remember the performance for the special effect where he [scatters apart into birds](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8SC7C2wwDS4#t=62s) at the end (it was a stunning and brilliantly used effect at the time). “Humans – and how I love you talking monkeys for this – know more about war and treachery of the spirit than any angel.” ---
**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 16, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/77 "2012-03-16T14:21:37Z")
Has anyone mentioned Jason Lee in _Dogma_? “No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater than central air.” ---
**Author:** ![Clawdio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d07c76/32.png) [@Clawdio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clawdio)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/78 "2012-03-16T16:38:32Z")
I agree with those that have said \*\*Peter Stormare \*\*from Constantine even though it is only a brief appearance. I also think Tilda Swinton cast as Gabriel is flipping brilliant. I also agree that this is a totally underated movie. My second place vote goes to Max von Sydow from Needful Things. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/79 "2012-03-17T05:53:20Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Didn’t Crowley also carefully and with great discomfort move all the construction signs during a rainstorm one night so that a roadway being laid down formed some Sigil of great nefariousness, thereby frustrating everyone during their daily commute and increasing the amount of Evil in the world? _Many phenomena - wars, plagues, sudden audits - have been advanced as evidence for the hidden hand of Satan in the affairs of Man, but whenever students of demonology get together the M25 London orbital motorway is generally agreed to be among the top contenders for exhibit A._ _- Good Omens_ ---
**Author:** ![Anduril](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Anduril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduril)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637/80 "2012-03-17T16:42:53Z")
Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice was the most sympathetic Satan I’ve ever read. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-satan/615637.md?page=5)