# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/41 "2020-03-16T15:39:40Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I can think of two good-guy roles for Wilford Brimley off the top of my head. He was the assistant nuclear engineer in _The China Syndrome_ who heroically speaks up at the end of the movie, defending the Jack Lemmon character against the corporate slander that was trying make him out to be a nut. That was actually the first movie I ever saw him in. > > He also was the kick-ass-and-take-no-prisoners assistant U.S. attorney general at the end of _Absence of Malice_ who came in, almost as a _deus ex machina_ character, to mete out judgment. A great scene: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btqBJJF2yvE&list=PLVat6AsoeViHndZ0REK\_t29JR3DjlPWor&index=1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btqBJJF2yvE&list=PLVat6AsoeViHndZ0REK_t29JR3DjlPWor&index=1) Check out _Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins_ someday. Brimley plays the head of a secret government agency who recruits an ex-cop (Fred Ward), has him trained by a Korean martial arts master (Joel Grey), and then sends him to bring down a corrupt defense contractor. I wouldn’t quite say it’s a great movie, but it’s so much better than it should have been. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/42 "2020-03-16T16:00:03Z")
It may be that Brimley has just a few bad-guy roles and that they’re among the few films of his I’ve seen. The Firm is one, for sure, and maybe I’ve only seen a few more. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/43 "2020-03-16T16:34:35Z")
Malcolm McDowell has to be up there. And two guys that played Dracula- Christopher Lee and Gary Oldman. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/44 "2020-03-16T17:01:06Z")
Esposito was the hero/martyr in one of the greatest political satires ever made, “Bob Roberts.” He works so well as a bad guy, for me, that I always think of him , deep down, the decent guy he played in that. Adding to the list: Fairuza Balk Tobin Bell Robert Carlyle Glenn Close Charles Dance Bette Davis Brad Dourif Michael Emerson William Forsyth John Glover Sidney Greenstreet Sid Haig Margaret Hamilton Angelica Huston Burl Ives Brion James Boris Karloff Udo Kier Peter Lorre Bela Lugosi John Carroll Lynch Mercedes McCambridge Malcolm McDowell Tom Noonan Michael Rooker Robert Ryan Rade Serbedzija Peter Stormare Jo Van Fleet J.T. Walsh Michael Wincott James Woods ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/45 "2020-03-16T17:32:23Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Malcolm McDowell has to be up there. And two guys that played Dracula- Christopher Lee and Gary Oldman. He is even more famous for being the british anti-hero, even clockwork orange had that going. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/46 "2020-03-16T17:35:44Z")
Rondo Hatton ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/47 "2020-03-16T17:36:01Z")
Since someone already mentioned Christopher Walken, I’ll name Gary Oldman. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/48 "2020-03-16T17:42:23Z")
Does Tarantino count? Is he an actor? Or does he not count because he’s an actual asshole? Hard to say… ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/49 "2020-03-16T17:42:29Z")
Rondo Hatton ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/50 "2020-03-16T18:04:37Z")
Robert Z’Dar - even his name seems comically villainous. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/51 "2020-03-16T19:08:07Z")
Richard Lynch > **[Richard Lynch - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0528433/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1)** > > Richard Lynch. Actor: Halloween. Richard Hugh Lynch was born on February 12, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York City, to Irish immigrant parents. He was one of seven children. Before starting a career as an actor, he joined the United States Marine Corps in... ---
**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 16, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/52 "2020-03-16T19:37:57Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Does Tarantino count? Is he an actor? Or does he not count because he’s an actual asshole? Hard to say… He definitely counts as always being a bad actor. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/53 "2020-03-16T19:45:17Z")
[Eric Campbell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Campbell_(actor)). He appeared in 11 films with Charlie Chaplin and always played the villain, so his ratio is 100%. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/54 "2020-03-16T21:04:51Z")
John Carradine. If not overtly evil, then definitely sinister and creepy. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/55 "2020-03-17T00:33:01Z")
John Colicos. Evil scientist, OC figure, agent of tyrannical empires, prick traitor. Has he ever played a good guy? ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/56 "2020-03-17T01:33:10Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Since someone already mentioned Christopher Walken, I’ll name Gary Oldman. I will second Gary Oldman. Especially since he was such a scary crazy bad guy in Léon. Playing Commissioner Gordon does not cancel out that performance. //i\ ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/57 "2020-03-17T03:02:49Z")
> [@icon](#): > > I will second Gary Oldman. Especially since he was such a scary crazy bad guy in Léon. Playing Commissioner Gordon does not cancel out that performance. > > //i\ Funny. I think of Gary Oldman as the hero in [Romeo is Bleeding](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107983). It always seems strange to see him play a villain role. ---
**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 17, 2020, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/58 "2020-03-17T03:32:54Z")
The nicest person I’ve ever seen Kurtwood Smith play was Forman’s dad, which isn’t that big of an improvement over Clarence from Robocop if you ask me. ---
**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 17, 2020, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/59 "2020-03-17T03:58:37Z")
> [@jerez](#): > > Don’t you think that’s part of the job description? Of course only the good ones can pull it off. I’m thinking Newman, Hoffman, Pacino… Have any of these characters played bad guys? I mean BAD guys. Not “morally complex characters”, I mean BAD GUYS. If they have, I don’t know about it. But I will admit I haven’t seen literally every single movie they’ve ever made, just the most famous ones. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548/60 "2020-03-17T04:01:11Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Have any of these characters played bad guys? I mean BAD guys. Not “morally complex characters”, I mean BAD GUYS. If they have, I don’t know about it. But I will admit I haven’t seen literally every single movie they’ve ever made, just the most famous ones. Paul Newman played Sidney Mussburger in _The Hudsucker Proxy_, definitely a bad guy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-actor-has-the-greatest-bad-guy-ratio/849548.md?page=4)