I’ll start with Courtney Cox, largely because I’m a sadist and feel like inflicting the following implied-nudity, probably-Shopped, & not-quite-safe-for-work picture on y’all:
I can easily see her in a spy thriller, calmly telling the hero, “Look, you can talk without being tortured, or after being tortured. We’re gonna kill you either way; it’s just a question of whether it’ll be an open- or closed-casket service. It’s all the same to me.”
But that’s just my opinion. What actors best known for light, sympathetic, heroic, or comedic roles can you most easily see turning to the dark side?
And don’t say Denzel Washington, or someone will mock you.
I’d say most actors known for comedy could play effective villains. All that laughing-on-the-outside? Yeah, but what’s underneath? Robin Williams and Jim Carrey can play chilling sociopaths, because, you know. It all depends on whether the commedy actor is willing to show that side of himself to the public.
I was intrigued by the rumors a few years ago that Rowen Atkinson might be playing Voldemort. It turned out not to be true, but I think it could have been brilliant.
I definately could have seen Bob Keeshan plunging a knife into someone’s neck, especially that of some 6 year old kid eating a slightly toasted pastry strudel.
Kristen Bell - I could see her as a Richard Gloucester type of manipulative villain. She plays smart very well (see “Veronica Mars”), and she’s just plain likeable. As was Richard - he was able to scheme, lie, and murder his way to the throne precisely because so many people thought of him as a good and honest friend.*
I’m speaking of Shakespeare’s character, here - I know the real Richard III was very likely a decent man.
On Scrubs, she played a – well, not exactly EVIL lawyer – she played a lawyer who was zealous in her advocacy of her father’s care, and perceived as a bitch by Dr. Cox, who might be seen as sexually exploiting JD.
I think the comedians as referred to earlier would make awesome villains, at least on par with Hannibal Lector. Robin Williams has always done well as a villain. Carey needs to be more psychotic, less funny, and less like his Riddler character.
All you need to do is juxtapose (look it up) a person who looks, acts, or is expected to look or act a certain way with very bad behavior. The prototype, imho, is the made-for-TV biopic of Ted Bundy starring Mark Harmon. I don’t think his image ever recovered from it.
