# What's the best screen portrayal of the Devil? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** actor-characters\ **Created:** [September 26, 2022, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235 "2022-09-26T03:56:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/21 "2022-09-26T12:55:23Z")
Gotta go with Ray Walston in Damn Yankees. That should be right up OP’s alley. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/22 "2022-09-26T13:51:10Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I forgot to add that characters who seem to be the Devil but are not formally identified as such are fine to mention. > > In Needful Things, Max von Sydow plays a character not called the devil, but he kind of is. I always liked that story, both book and movie, because the devil never does anything evil… not directly. He just gets other people to do evil things out of desire. One of my favorite King books and movies. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/23 "2022-09-26T14:02:04Z")
Elizabeth Hurley in the _Bedazzled_ re-make. She could have my worthless soul if I could just sit at her left hand and stare. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/24 "2022-09-26T14:06:23Z")
John Glover in the TV series _Brimstone_. Humorous, personable, cheerful…and with no pity or remorse. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/25 "2022-09-26T14:18:27Z")
I came to this thread with a selection of favorites, to be both amused and disappointed that I was beaten to ALL OF THEM. Not in any particular order, I would have mentioned Legend (Darkness), the Prophecy, Brimstone (which I’ve mentioned in at least a half dozen other threads), Angel Heart and Needful things. If you held me hostage and forced me to Pick the best, as per the OP, I would probably have been going back and forth between Legend and Prophecy, while finally settling on Darkness due to the absolutely lushness of the portrayal between costuming, voice, and seductiveness. Prophecy does a better job of being aggrieved, jealous, and (arguably) smarter, but cannot quite match the budget and power of Legend’s performance. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/26 "2022-09-26T14:22:38Z")
Can’t pick just one! _Häxan_ (1922) – Writer-director Benjamin Christensen as the Devil: [![](https://www.splittoothmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MV5BNzE0NjBhOTYtYzk5MS00OTllLWI3MjQtNWRjZTUzMTAyYTA5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDE5MTU2MDE@._V1_.jpg) ](https://www.splittoothmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MV5BNzE0NjBhOTYtYzk5MS00OTllLWI3MjQtNWRjZTUzMTAyYTA5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDE5MTU2MDE@._V1_.jpg) _Fantasia_ (1940) – Chernabog, perhaps the most effective incarnation of a Devil-like being ever put on the screen. _Angel on my Shoulder_ (!946) – Claude Rains: typically dapper, insidious and witty as he manipulates – and gets manipulated by – murdered gangster Paul Muni. _Simon of the Desert_ (1965) – Silvia Pinal, perhaps my favorite Satan of all; certainly one of the funniest. _Spirits of the Dead_ (1968), segment: “Toby Damnit” – Marina Yaru, creepiest of all: [![](https://kalafudra.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/tobydammit1.jpg) ](https://kalafudra.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/tobydammit1.jpg) _Prince of Darkness_ (1987) – Not an actor, but the jar of “liquid Satan” gives a fine performance. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/27 "2022-09-26T14:43:41Z")
I agree with Him from the Powerpuff Girls. That’s my favorite devil. And Tim Curry is great in Legend too. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/28 "2022-09-26T15:21:54Z")
Matt Servitto in the Adult Swim series _Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell._ He’s more like the literal boss from Hell who likes having toadies around to abuse, mainly because he’s bored and stuck in an eternal rut. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/29 "2022-09-26T15:28:10Z")
_The Witches Of Eastwick_ is, of course, just Jack Nicholson doing his go-to schtick — but I can’t actually see a way to improve on that. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/30 "2022-09-26T15:31:39Z")
John Ritter in “Wholly Moses!” ---
**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 26, 2022, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/31 "2022-09-26T15:52:06Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > John Glover in the TV series _Brimstone_. Humorous, personable, cheerful…and with no pity or remorse. Compare to Ray Wise’s Devil in the [TV show “Reaper”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaper_(TV_series)). It’s essentially the same concept as “Brimstone”, but with a more comedic flair. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/32 "2022-09-26T16:44:11Z")
All of my favorites have already been named. (The Devil’s Advocate, Brimstone, Angel Heart, Heaven Can Wait) So I will have to go with an honorable mention: Aaron Reed, who donned Tim Curry makeup for the [Match.com](http://Match.com) commercials. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Da7fp0FmSYg/hqdefault.jpg "Match Made In Hell") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da7fp0FmSYg) Also did a commercial for Mint Wireless called “Dream Job”, which I am having trouble linking. ---
**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 26, 2022, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/33 "2022-09-26T17:03:46Z")
And we’ve gotta give a shout out to the Devil on South Park. He’s just a demon trying to torture souls in Hell, but he’s stuck in an abusive relationship with Saddam Hussein who keeps trying to take over his job. Plus, he [sings](https://youtu.be/mmaMfXwlq90) real [good](https://youtu.be/kn2D1nnsZjw). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/34 "2022-09-26T19:02:09Z")
Oh, that reminds me, honourable mention to Dave Grohl in _Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny_ ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/35 "2022-09-26T19:15:00Z")
I came in to mention Glover in Brimstone. He also plays an angel in one episode. The Devil has been telling Stone that killing the man who raped his wife was not the sin that damned him, just the capstone on an evil life. The angel tells Stone that he was a good man who almost made it into Heaven. Angel “Look at all the women in this park. What do you see?” Stone “They’re all very pretty.” Angel " I suppose they are. But, that’s not what I meant. Every woman in this park would have been raped by Gilbert Jacks if you hadn’t killed him." There were great depths to Glover’s Devil. Vigo in Prophecy was my next choice “I am the first angel, once loved above all others.” ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/36 "2022-09-26T20:10:44Z")
Who is the devil in OBwaT? ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/37 "2022-09-26T20:35:11Z")
There was an episode of **Northern Exposure** where Charles Martin Smith (“toad” from **American Graffiti** , but older) played Satan. Appearing totally harmless and unassuming, the complete opposite of most people’s concept of what the devil would look like, I thought his portrayal was one of the best. No scary intimidation, but he attempts to corrupt (sell her soul) Shelly ever so slightly. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that episode, but I seem to recall him explaining that getting “weak” people to sell their soul was too easy. So the real challenge was to see if he could get the pure of heart to cheat just a little. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/38 "2022-09-26T21:47:11Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Who is the devil in OBwaT? Going from Tommy’s description, “He’s white… with empty eyes and a big hollow voice. He loves to travel around with a mean old hound.” Remind you of anyone? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/39 "2022-09-26T22:25:47Z")
The guy from the Caramilk ad [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Lu066haghDQ/hqdefault.jpg "Caramilk Devil Anything..? 1982") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu066haghDQ) ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2022, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235/40 "2022-09-26T22:35:45Z")
I like a lot of the ones mentioned above, but this is another one that has always creeped me out: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dirw_h8Fah8/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGE0gSChlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLAzK_bqxHfRc1tnTlOhj5VBC_WqTg "Tales From the Darkside - Give you a million -The Devil collects soul - Paid in Full -80s Horror TV") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dirw_h8Fah8) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-screen-portrayal-of-the-devil/972235.md?page=3)