# Which actor has the greatest 'bad guy' ratio? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 15, 2020, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548 "2020-03-15T22:45:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/1 "2020-03-15T22:45:17Z")
I’m watching The Mandalorian and thinking that I’ve never seen Giancarlo Esposito every play a real good guy. I looked him up in IMDB and he’s been in a whole lot more movies than I care to watch (I mean HOLY SHIT!, he’s been in a lot of things) but I cannot think of one thing I’ve seen him in where he didn’t turn out to be a bit of an asshole. What has he been in that you’ve seen where he played a straight up good guy? What other actors and actresses can you think of that you’ve never seen play a good guy? The only actress I can think of who I’ve never seen play a good guy is Anne Ramsey because in Hollywood, ugly is as ugly does. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/2 "2020-03-15T22:47:59Z")
Christopher Walken … even when he tries he just can’t pull it off … ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/3 "2020-03-15T22:55:18Z")
Billy Drago has played a villain in everything I’ve seen him in. He wasn’t really ugly, but there was something unnerving about his eyes. ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/4 "2020-03-15T22:58:44Z")
Actually, Giancarlo Esposito was the protagonist in the first role I ever saw him in. The short-lived but quite funny “Bakersfield P.D” that aired on Fox in the early '90s. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/5 "2020-03-15T23:14:30Z")
Has Mickey Rourke ever not played a scumbag? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/6 "2020-03-15T23:16:00Z")
> [@neofishboy](#): > > Actually, Giancarlo Esposito was the protagonist in the first role I ever saw him in. The short-lived but quite funny “Bakersfield P.D” that aired on Fox in the early '90s. He was also a good guy on the final season of “Homicide: Life on the Streets.” ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/7 "2020-03-15T23:19:32Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > He was also a good guy on the final season of “Homicide: Life on the Streets.” Perfectly normal good guy( but not a large role as I recall )in _Blue in the Face_. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/8 "2020-03-15T23:23:35Z")
Danny Trejo is my nomination. [https://www.google.com/search?q=danny+trejo&rlz=1CAKEFG\_enUS879&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT4te-z53oAhVjlnIEHcZvA7kQ\_AUoAXoECCAQAw](https://www.google.com/search?q=danny+trejo&rlz=1CAKEFG_enUS879&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT4te-z53oAhVjlnIEHcZvA7kQ_AUoAXoECCAQAw) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/9 "2020-03-15T23:30:10Z")
[Michael Berryman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Berryman) doesn’t _quite_ have a perfect score, but he’s usually a villain that I’ve seen. (Because, as the OP said ugly == evil in this biz.) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/10 "2020-03-15T23:35:23Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Danny Trejo is my nomination. > > [https://www.google.com/search?q=danny+trejo&rlz=1CAKEFG\_enUS879&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT4te-z53oAhVjlnIEHcZvA7kQ\_AUoAXoECCAQAw](https://www.google.com/search?q=danny+trejo&rlz=1CAKEFG_enUS879&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT4te-z53oAhVjlnIEHcZvA7kQ_AUoAXoECCAQAw) I dunno - ever since _Spy Kids_, I think he’s played at least as many good guys as bad guys. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/11 "2020-03-15T23:38:17Z")
This is going back a bit but I wouldn’t be surprised if the “bad guy” ratio for[Lee Van Cleef](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Van_Cleef) ranked quite high. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/12 "2020-03-15T23:39:15Z")
Lee Van Cleef ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/13 "2020-03-15T23:41:24Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > Has Mickey Rourke ever not played a scumbag? His characters in _Sin City_ and _The Wrestler_ aren’t scumbags at all. Those are the roles that I identify him with most closely, because I’m 33 and most of his earlier roles were before my time. ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/14 "2020-03-15T23:42:56Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Danny Trejo is my nomination. > > [https://www.google.com/search?q=danny+trejo&rlz=1CAKEFG\_enUS879&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT4te-z53oAhVjlnIEHcZvA7kQ\_AUoAXoECCAQAw](https://www.google.com/search?q=danny+trejo&rlz=1CAKEFG_enUS879&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT4te-z53oAhVjlnIEHcZvA7kQ_AUoAXoECCAQAw) Enrique from _King of the Hill_ seemed like a pretty decent guy. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/eIH0I_tNkk0/hqdefault.jpg "enrique cries out to hank") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIH0I_tNkk0) ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/15 "2020-03-15T23:43:47Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > His characters in _Sin City_ and _The Wrestler_ aren’t scumbags at all. Those are the roles that I identify him with most closely, because I’m 33 and most of his earlier roles were before my time. Yeah, they were scumbags for sure in both of those, especially in sin city. But they weren’t the BAD guys. Hell, EVERYone in Sin City was a scumbag of sorts. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/16 "2020-03-15T23:55:59Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > His characters in _Sin City_ and _The Wrestler_ aren’t scumbags at all. Those are the roles that I identify him with most closely, because I’m 33 and most of his earlier roles were before my time. I never saw _Sin City_ so I have no comment there. In _The Wrestler_, yeah, he’s pretty much a detestable person with a constant stream of selfish and destructive choices behind him. I’m not saying I don’t feel for the guy but he’s not a mensch by any means. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/17 "2020-03-16T00:03:32Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > [Mickey Rourke’s] characters in _Sin City_ and _The Wrestler_ aren’t scumbags at all. Those are the roles that I identify him with most closely, because I’m 33 and most of his earlier roles were before my time. He’s also at least the putative antihero of _Angel Heart._ ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/18 "2020-03-16T00:05:05Z")
Michael Shannon played a lot of bad guys ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/19 "2020-03-16T00:10:51Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Danny Trejo is my nomination. > > [https://www.google.com/search?q=danny+trejo&rlz=1CAKEFG\_enUS879&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT4te-z53oAhVjlnIEHcZvA7kQ\_AUoAXoECCAQAw](https://www.google.com/search?q=danny+trejo&rlz=1CAKEFG_enUS879&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT4te-z53oAhVjlnIEHcZvA7kQ_AUoAXoECCAQAw) The first two things I ever saw him in were Desperate Housewives and Spy Kids, so he’s more of a tough guy with a heart of gold to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/20 "2020-03-16T00:11:00Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Danny Trejo is my nomination. > > [https://www.google.com/search?q=danny+trejo&rlz=1CAKEFG\_enUS879&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT4te-z53oAhVjlnIEHcZvA7kQ\_AUoAXoECCAQAw](https://www.google.com/search?q=danny+trejo&rlz=1CAKEFG_enUS879&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT4te-z53oAhVjlnIEHcZvA7kQ_AUoAXoECCAQAw) He plays a dimensional cop on The Flash with suuuper rough edges, but he’s still a good guy, so long as you realize “bring 'em back alive” isn’t really on the to-do list when you’re chasing somebody who can teleport across dimensions. Plus, he only threatened to kill Cisco like four or five times, and… okay, maybe he’s not a good guy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548.md?page=2)