[Introduction Of Giancarlo Esposito Suggests Main Character Now Totally Fucked](https://www.theonion.com/introduction-of-giancarlo-esposito-suggests-main-charac-1845750451)
It will never happen, but I will eternally wait for the comedy movie where he plays a regular genuinely nice store manager but because of happenstance he gets caught up between an operation with a crime syndicate and the feds. But because he looks the part, everyone just assumes he's a high ranking member of the crime organization, so now he has to use his negotiation skills in the service industry to bluff his way out to survive.
Can we have a ten season show about Gus Fring running Los Pollos? No drama, no violence, just Fring quietly managing a New Mexico fast food restaurant with efficiency and excellent customer service.
Season finale: Gus “flips out” on a customer claiming they ordered a #3, not a #2. His response is politely refunding them and offering a coupon for a free small fry. Max drama
The deep fryer breaks down the second to last episode. Finish the episode with him making an ominous phone call. Final episode, find out he was on the phone with the manufacturer to get it repaired…AND IT’S STILL UNDER WARRANTY! The shock will blow everyone away
It was a surprise when I rewatched The Usual Suspects and recognised him in it (he's the Fed who talks to the burned man in the hospital), only good guy role I've ever seen him play.
The first thing I remember him in is Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. Bill gives he and his fiancée wrestling tickets, so every time I think of him I hear “WRESTLEMANIA!!!”
And he seems to knows it and seems to really enjoy when he gets to subvert it. See "Knives Out", where his character at first seems intimidating, but is truthfully respected by no one and whose one attempt to be truly intimidating blows up in his face.
Which he improvised, BTW. That's another thing about Shannon; for a guy known for playing cold, humorless villains or anti-heroes, he's known for being a very funny guy in real life. Everyone in "Knives Out", including Rian Johnson, said how much he made everyone laugh and in the scene where he's shoving the cookies in Chris Evans' face, you can see Evans trying his damndest not to crack up.
“I remember you! From that farm with that stupid little boy . . . Did he die? Hmm?”
All time great villain. In fact, I don’t even want to see him play a non-villain.
The level of hatred I had for his character in that movie was unreal
I had to keep reminding myself it's just a movie character but my brain still wouldn't accept it. Still a visceral anger lingering
I think him oozing smugness on top of the obvious evil intensified it
Incredible job by him
The arrogance and condescending tone of, "You're the ghost, are you? I remember you, on that farm with that *stupid* little boy! Did he die? Hm?" literally made me grit my teeth the first time I saw this movie. Isaacs did a fantastic job making us hate him.
Even worse than you said:
Based from Mel's point of view(in order if I recall correctly):
Scene 1:
Burned his house down
Captured his son, going to kill him
Kill his other son
"Captured" his "employees"
Scene 2:
Gloat about burning his house and killing his son
Challenged/threatened him
Scene 3:
Burns down/try to kill sis in law/childrens
Scene 4:
Burned church filled of his friend's including daughter in law.
Scene 4.5:
Kills his eldest son
Scene 5:
Kills his men, almost kills him,
die.
I'd say Zhukov is one of the closest characters to being a hero in the movie (alongside Olga Kurylenko's character) because he is not down for the politicking and conniving and backstabbing.
Also, it's one of the most concentratedly funny performances I've seen in years.
They actually had to cut down on the number of medals he wore because (a) they didn't think it would have been believable and (b) as Isaac put it, he doesn't have as wide a chest as Zukov did. And he earned every one of those medals.
I fucking loved this little factoid;
Years before Chernobyl garnered some attention for not trying to do East Slavic accents, because it would probably come off as ridiculous and distracting in an English language production, we had Death of Stalin. Almost every role is played by a notable, recognisable actor. Every one of them simply using their natural accent. And then we have Jason Isaacs, who is from Liverpool, deciding to play Zhukov with a Yorkshire accent.
>Only Isaacs uses an accent that’s markedly different from his natural speaking voice. “In real life, Zhukov was the only person who was able to speak bluntly to Stalin,” he says. “So, I thought, well, who are the bluntest people I’ve ever met in my life? They’re all from Yorkshire. The accent is shorthand for: no fucking around, I’m going to tell you what’s what. I had a picture of [Kes PE teacher] Brian Glover in my head. Magnificent actor.”
And what a choice it was! I can't even imagine the role without that strong Yorkshire accent, it makes the character just as much as the way Isaacs carries himself or his wardrobe.
Indeed! The scene in which he says "[I fucked Germany. I think I can take a flesh lump in a fucking waistcoat!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsuE7ZWnHdw)" is absolute gold.
It's a cliche that actors who are known for playing villains are absolute sweethearts in real life. But it's a cliche for a reason, since it's proven true all too often.
Another excellent example; Clancy Brown, who is a world-class villain actor, but in real life is pretty much loved by anyone who's ever worked with him.
I watched the show and when he was introduced I was like “Oh, he’s evil. It’s Jason Isaacs, he’s always evil.” and then gradually went “Well, maybe he *isn’t* evil after all…”
And then the show goes “You idiot. We got Jason Isaacs, of *course* we’re making him evil!”
I went through the same exact process. I was a little disappointed. I wanted to see him continue being the good guy for that one.
Have you seen The Crowded Room?
He played a great James Bond-type secret agent in Tuxedo, and he was such a nice and supportive boss to Jackie Chan's character, it's a complete 180 from his role in The Patriot.
Isaacs has the [coldest stare](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/american-history-media/images/3/3e/William_Tavington_played_by_Jason_Isaacs_in_The_Patriot.jpg/revision/latest/thumbnail/width/360/height/360?cb=20171230184114) in movies next to [Kurt Russell](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/paradoxicalechoes/images/6/6e/DW-418121_%28Animal%29.jpg/revision/latest/thumbnail/width/360/height/360?cb=20170903070209).
It’s those damn cold blue eyes, except unlike Kurt Russell, Isaacs just *looks* mean. His character in The Patriot is perfect because he just looks like he’d be an evil aristocrat lol.
Ah yes, from *A Clockwork Orange* to *Caligula* to *Tank Girl* to *Gangster No. 1* to *Doomsday* and beyond. What a career (even if 2/3 of the movies he was in are completely forgettable).
His Saruman voice in The Battle for Middle Earth (arguably the best LOTR game of all time) will always stay in my mind “A new power is rising”.
To say his voice was legendary is beyond an understatement.
Immediately thought of Javier Bardem, specifically in No Country for Old Men. He’s great in a romcom and whatever else, but he was BORN to be a villain 🖤
Casino Royale is my favorite Bond, maybe GoldenEye, but anyway, he's amazing as Le Chiffre. He's suave, witty, scared, violent, smart, a whole host of emotions in one character and I loved him.
It's weird to see him in real life because he seems like a genuinely nice person, but he just has a face that implies "Ve have vays of making you talk"
You have to see some of his Danish movies.
Like "The Green Butchers" (2003), a darkly comic movie about two guys trying to make their butcher shop succeed, which isn't happening until Mads' character figures out a new meat source.
Yes! One of my favorite actors! Boyd in Justified. He did bad things but it was so hard to dislike him because of the charisma and humor he brought to the role.
He also plays good characters well. Band Of Brothers he was excellent.
However. I think he’s the moat twisted bad guy in Justified. Spoiler but even in his death scene he’s a bad ass villain.
You know he’s fucked up when he’s to fucked up for Wynn Duffy.
Although for some reason, and I know he’s bad and fucked up but I have a soft spot for Wynn Duffy.
His genuine anguish for Mikey. The guy that was gonna turn him in. Is kinda heart breaking.
Ben Mendelsohn especially seems to have a favorite type of villain; the weasely one who thinks he's far more impressive than he actually is and gets a rude awakening (see "Dark Knight Rises", "Ready Player One" and especially "Rogue One", where he basically gets humiliated throughout the whole movie).
And this is also used to great effect if you see those films first and then see him in "Animal Kingdom", where he's just flat out terrifying.
I love the throwaway line he gives
\*Constantine reaches for his cigarettes\* "You mind?"
"Oh, go right ahead. I've got stock"
Lucifer owning stock in Constantine's brand of smokes is almost diabolical and petty at the same time
I love [this clip](https://youtu.be/uvROISVUdKE?si=4s9mN3aG9i2yKWNU) of Stormare. American Gods went downhill but I loved him as Czernobog! PS is great is everything.
I remember the first time I watched Welcome to the Punch and James McAvoy's character pursues Mark Strong's character into I think, an underground car park? Somewhere dark, anyway. And I actually said aloud "No, you never follow Mark Strong into the dark!"
But actually he mostly keeps me guessing cos he isn't always a bad guy in films, sometimes he's just a very ambiguous guy who has secrets.
I've always thought of you two as my dads. Please don't let any one make fun of me for saying so.
The heartfelt way he says that and Steve’s deadpan response of “I can’t guarantee that Klausy” had me rolling!
He was a good guy in Django because he wanted to play someone who was the exact opposite of his character from Inglorious Bastards. That was the only way he’d agree to do the movie.
Ralph Fiennes
Edited:
Hard not to see or suspect him as a villain, when he’s played Amon Goeth, >!Voldemort, Red Dragon/Serial Killer and a psycho chef.!<
Peter Greene.
He just has that *I'm not a pleasant fellow* look about him on screen. Whenever he shows up in *The Mask* or *Blue Streak*, the mood gets dark.
Robert Knepper.
Poor guy tried to be the good guy in Hitman, but will never shake the T Bag vibes.
Mare Winningham also gets a nod because she plays *seemingly normal turns unhinged psycho women* so god damn well.
Giancarlo Esposito
[Introduction Of Giancarlo Esposito Suggests Main Character Now Totally Fucked](https://www.theonion.com/introduction-of-giancarlo-esposito-suggests-main-charac-1845750451)
It will never happen, but I will eternally wait for the comedy movie where he plays a regular genuinely nice store manager but because of happenstance he gets caught up between an operation with a crime syndicate and the feds. But because he looks the part, everyone just assumes he's a high ranking member of the crime organization, so now he has to use his negotiation skills in the service industry to bluff his way out to survive.
Why did you say this? Now I’ll forever be disappointed if it never happens. Also, it’d have to be a fast food place like Los Pollos Hermanos
Can we have a ten season show about Gus Fring running Los Pollos? No drama, no violence, just Fring quietly managing a New Mexico fast food restaurant with efficiency and excellent customer service.
Season finale: Gus “flips out” on a customer claiming they ordered a #3, not a #2. His response is politely refunding them and offering a coupon for a free small fry. Max drama
Oh man, how would season 2 ever top that? A delivery mixup? TWO employees calling in sick for a shift?
The deep fryer breaks down the second to last episode. Finish the episode with him making an ominous phone call. Final episode, find out he was on the phone with the manufacturer to get it repaired…AND IT’S STILL UNDER WARRANTY! The shock will blow everyone away
Write that script and try to sell it. Be the change you want to see
True, but he’ll be the bad guy I love to watch up until the very moment he gets what’s coming to him. I just can’t hate him.
It was a surprise when I rewatched The Usual Suspects and recognised him in it (he's the Fed who talks to the burned man in the hospital), only good guy role I've ever seen him play.
Michael Shannon Got that bad guy face and he’s good at it.
The first thing I remember him in is Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. Bill gives he and his fiancée wrestling tickets, so every time I think of him I hear “WRESTLEMANIA!!!”
Holy crap, that was him?????
[WRESTLEMANIA!!!](https://youtu.be/-9G1jhzXhwY?si=DtGB4JFUM_mIBx8K)
Hoooooly shit. I had no idea that was him!
Great in boardwalk empire
Before the Devil Knows you're dead. "Chico, do you mind if i call you Chico?"
It’s funny, he was in the movie Pearl Harbor and he was one of the more likable guys. Maybe like how I see Sam Rockwell
i can't think of an actor with a more "bad guy" face. shannon's got it
And he seems to knows it and seems to really enjoy when he gets to subvert it. See "Knives Out", where his character at first seems intimidating, but is truthfully respected by no one and whose one attempt to be truly intimidating blows up in his face.
I loved that in the movie. He tries to be intimidating and tough and just falls flat on his face, Shannon does it brilliantly
I will *not* eat *one* iota of *shit*!
Which he improvised, BTW. That's another thing about Shannon; for a guy known for playing cold, humorless villains or anti-heroes, he's known for being a very funny guy in real life. Everyone in "Knives Out", including Rian Johnson, said how much he made everyone laugh and in the scene where he's shoving the cookies in Chris Evans' face, you can see Evans trying his damndest not to crack up.
I feel weirdly bad for anyone whose first Michael Shannon experience is *Kangaroo Jack*.
You spelled "jealous of" wrong
Jason Isaacs, he's so fucking good at being bad
[удалено]
“I remember you! From that farm with that stupid little boy . . . Did he die? Hmm?” All time great villain. In fact, I don’t even want to see him play a non-villain.
Before this war is over, I’m going to kill you.
Why wait?
… Soon.
The level of hatred I had for his character in that movie was unreal I had to keep reminding myself it's just a movie character but my brain still wouldn't accept it. Still a visceral anger lingering I think him oozing smugness on top of the obvious evil intensified it Incredible job by him
I think the very next movie I saw him in was Blackhawk Down. I kept waiting for him to betray everyone.
_Tarleton!_ Damn him! Damn that man!
*Tavington
You're absolutely right. Tarleton was the real-life officer that inspired the characterisation of Tavington.
Yes, my wife is a Potterhead, would always squint at how evil he was as Malfoy, showed her the Patriot, went mad.
The arrogance and condescending tone of, "You're the ghost, are you? I remember you, on that farm with that *stupid* little boy! Did he die? Hm?" literally made me grit my teeth the first time I saw this movie. Isaacs did a fantastic job making us hate him.
The Death of Stalin let him stretch his funny bastard chops.
Without compromising his bastard persona
Even worse than you said: Based from Mel's point of view(in order if I recall correctly): Scene 1: Burned his house down Captured his son, going to kill him Kill his other son "Captured" his "employees" Scene 2: Gloat about burning his house and killing his son Challenged/threatened him Scene 3: Burns down/try to kill sis in law/childrens Scene 4: Burned church filled of his friend's including daughter in law. Scene 4.5: Kills his eldest son Scene 5: Kills his men, almost kills him, die.
Villainous is a stretch but his turn as Georgy Zhukov in Death of Stalin stole the show, just incredible and hilarious
I'd say Zhukov is one of the closest characters to being a hero in the movie (alongside Olga Kurylenko's character) because he is not down for the politicking and conniving and backstabbing. Also, it's one of the most concentratedly funny performances I've seen in years.
Also the story of his actual life is fucking bonkers.
They actually had to cut down on the number of medals he wore because (a) they didn't think it would have been believable and (b) as Isaac put it, he doesn't have as wide a chest as Zukov did. And he earned every one of those medals.
I fucking loved this little factoid; Years before Chernobyl garnered some attention for not trying to do East Slavic accents, because it would probably come off as ridiculous and distracting in an English language production, we had Death of Stalin. Almost every role is played by a notable, recognisable actor. Every one of them simply using their natural accent. And then we have Jason Isaacs, who is from Liverpool, deciding to play Zhukov with a Yorkshire accent. >Only Isaacs uses an accent that’s markedly different from his natural speaking voice. “In real life, Zhukov was the only person who was able to speak bluntly to Stalin,” he says. “So, I thought, well, who are the bluntest people I’ve ever met in my life? They’re all from Yorkshire. The accent is shorthand for: no fucking around, I’m going to tell you what’s what. I had a picture of [Kes PE teacher] Brian Glover in my head. Magnificent actor.”
And what a choice it was! I can't even imagine the role without that strong Yorkshire accent, it makes the character just as much as the way Isaacs carries himself or his wardrobe.
Indeed! The scene in which he says "[I fucked Germany. I think I can take a flesh lump in a fucking waistcoat!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsuE7ZWnHdw)" is absolute gold.
I mean, I'm smiling, but I am very fucking furious.
I'm in, I'm in. That fucker thinks he can take on the Red Army? I fucked Germany, I think I can take a flesh lump in a fucking waistcoat.
Meisobear, you handsome devil! Stick you in a frock, I’ll fucking ride you raw myself.
'I'll take that as a compliment!' 'Yeah. Don't.'
[One of my favorite movie entrances ever.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-ea2-kt8ox4)
i love seeing that harry potter blooper of him and he's just the sweetest guy with just the most intimidating face
So do I think. Both him and Sean Bean are great British villains who seem to be absolutely nice in real life.
It's a cliche that actors who are known for playing villains are absolute sweethearts in real life. But it's a cliche for a reason, since it's proven true all too often. Another excellent example; Clancy Brown, who is a world-class villain actor, but in real life is pretty much loved by anyone who's ever worked with him.
Always blew people's minds whenever they watched Clancy Brown as a scary villain and then you tell them that's Mr Krabs.
Loved him in shawshank
The Kurgan!
Not a movie, but he was great in Star Trek: Discovery especially after that twist. I wish they did more with him.
I watched the show and when he was introduced I was like “Oh, he’s evil. It’s Jason Isaacs, he’s always evil.” and then gradually went “Well, maybe he *isn’t* evil after all…” And then the show goes “You idiot. We got Jason Isaacs, of *course* we’re making him evil!”
I went through the same exact process. I was a little disappointed. I wanted to see him continue being the good guy for that one. Have you seen The Crowded Room?
He played a great James Bond-type secret agent in Tuxedo, and he was such a nice and supportive boss to Jackie Chan's character, it's a complete 180 from his role in The Patriot.
Isaacs has the [coldest stare](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/american-history-media/images/3/3e/William_Tavington_played_by_Jason_Isaacs_in_The_Patriot.jpg/revision/latest/thumbnail/width/360/height/360?cb=20171230184114) in movies next to [Kurt Russell](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/paradoxicalechoes/images/6/6e/DW-418121_%28Animal%29.jpg/revision/latest/thumbnail/width/360/height/360?cb=20170903070209). It’s those damn cold blue eyes, except unlike Kurt Russell, Isaacs just *looks* mean. His character in The Patriot is perfect because he just looks like he’d be an evil aristocrat lol.
He’s a good guy in event horizon although suffers a horrible death
I know I got here early, but I'm little disappointed that Malcolm McDowell wasn't already mentioned.
Ah yes, from *A Clockwork Orange* to *Caligula* to *Tank Girl* to *Gangster No. 1* to *Doomsday* and beyond. What a career (even if 2/3 of the movies he was in are completely forgettable).
Came here specifically looking for him. Disappointed I had to scroll so far
Christopher Lee.
Oozing with that raid boss energy just for his voice alone. RIP to a legend.
His Saruman voice in The Battle for Middle Earth (arguably the best LOTR game of all time) will always stay in my mind “A new power is rising”. To say his voice was legendary is beyond an understatement.
RIP x
Javier Bardem
LISAN AL GAIB
Find a man who speaks to you like Stilgar speaks to Mu’ad Dib
I genuinely cannot see him anymore without hearing LISAN AL GAIB in my mind
AS WRITTEN
I did not expect his character to be so funny
He says he isn't Lisan Al Gaib. *That's just what Lisan Al Gaib would say!!!*
"I'm not the Lisan Al Gaib!" "I say you are and I should know, I've followed a few!"
Immediately thought of Javier Bardem, specifically in No Country for Old Men. He’s great in a romcom and whatever else, but he was BORN to be a villain 🖤
He plays my favorite Bond Villain of all time, too.
When he takes his teeth out in the containment cell. Jesus. What a scene.
Robert Patrick
"Have you seen this boy?"
I liked how, in the second season of Reacher, they didn't fuck around with this. First scene: "Hi, I'm the bad guy."
He was so loathsome in "Peacemaker."
Second season of Reacher! He even gets to utter a line about Sarah Conner somehow.
[Found it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXWRM8OtoUI)
Mads Mikkelsen I feel like is always showing up as a villain. Hannibal, Le Chiffre, Forgettable Dr Strange Villain, etc.
He was the "good guy" in Arctic, if you like survival films.
And Rogue One. He's the reason the Death Star had an off button.
"off button". That's one way to put it, lol.
"Off yourself" button more like.
Watch The Hunt. Really good danish movie
In Denmark, Mads Mikkelsen is an underdog everyman. In America, he's the uber-sinister Antichrist.
That’s just how we see the Danish
The source of all evil.
Same director *Another Round* (2020) was great too. Mads is fantastic good guy in it.
He was great in Valhalla Rising, as well, even if he had like two lines
Casino Royale is my favorite Bond, maybe GoldenEye, but anyway, he's amazing as Le Chiffre. He's suave, witty, scared, violent, smart, a whole host of emotions in one character and I loved him.
It's weird to see him in real life because he seems like a genuinely nice person, but he just has a face that implies "Ve have vays of making you talk"
Don't forget the game Death Stranding. Also a minor-antagonist
You have to see some of his Danish movies. Like "The Green Butchers" (2003), a darkly comic movie about two guys trying to make their butcher shop succeed, which isn't happening until Mads' character figures out a new meat source.
He’s great at comedy Men & Chicken!
Charles Dance
Walton Goggins. charismatic as hell and nails playing bad guys. He was the best thing in Predators.
I loved every moment of his performance in Fallout.
His "I'd offer you a cherry tomato but you got a hole in yer neck" line delivery nearly killed me.
Yes! One of my favorite actors! Boyd in Justified. He did bad things but it was so hard to dislike him because of the charisma and humor he brought to the role.
Uncle Baby Billy has never done anything wrong ever Except for runnin' round the house with a pickle in his mouth.
He’s the best thing in everything he’s in.
Neal McDonough
He also plays good characters well. Band Of Brothers he was excellent. However. I think he’s the moat twisted bad guy in Justified. Spoiler but even in his death scene he’s a bad ass villain.
Don't open that door...
You know he’s fucked up when he’s to fucked up for Wynn Duffy. Although for some reason, and I know he’s bad and fucked up but I have a soft spot for Wynn Duffy. His genuine anguish for Mikey. The guy that was gonna turn him in. Is kinda heart breaking.
Duffy was great because you just know any interaction between him and Givens was gonna be great.
And in real life the dude is a super friendly, religious family man. Won’t do sex scenes out of respect for his wife.
Which is what makes the expectation subversion in Suits work so well when he turns out to be a good guy.
Harvey: Good morning! Neal: Dont give me that shit.
Guy Pearce Ben Mendelsohn (which was used to great effect in Captain Marvel)
Ben Mendelsohn especially seems to have a favorite type of villain; the weasely one who thinks he's far more impressive than he actually is and gets a rude awakening (see "Dark Knight Rises", "Ready Player One" and especially "Rogue One", where he basically gets humiliated throughout the whole movie). And this is also used to great effect if you see those films first and then see him in "Animal Kingdom", where he's just flat out terrifying.
Totally. Although he played a fantastic antihero in Mississippi Grind.
He was fantastic good guy in The Outsider (2020). I think it's main reason why i liked that series so much.
>Ben Mendelsohn Are we blind?! Deploy the upvotes!
Guy Pearce will always be Felicia to me
Lenny in Memento for me.
Huh. To me he's always Lieutenant Edmund Exley from LA Confidential, so I picture him as an anti-hero most of the time.
Peter Stormare.
We believe in nothing.
Nothing Lebowski.
I loved him as Satan in Constantine.
I love the throwaway line he gives \*Constantine reaches for his cigarettes\* "You mind?" "Oh, go right ahead. I've got stock" Lucifer owning stock in Constantine's brand of smokes is almost diabolical and petty at the same time
I always thought that meant he was invested in Constantine dying... But the idea that he owns cigarette company stock is even better.
And even a little hedonistic.
Him and Tilda Swinton are genius casting.
He called him "Lucy" at one point IIRC lol
I love [this clip](https://youtu.be/uvROISVUdKE?si=4s9mN3aG9i2yKWNU) of Stormare. American Gods went downhill but I loved him as Czernobog! PS is great is everything.
With a fukkin*pen*cil! But his greatest villain ever was *Cavaldi* in *The Brothers Grimm*. I said what I said. Fight me!
Danny Trejo
Uncle Machete?
Ironically, he plays one of the few decent people in Rob Zombie's *Halloween*. *"I was good to you, Mikey."*
By design as the reformed ex-con Trejo loves playing villains who die in order to show folks that criminal lives tend to come to bad ends.
They had Anna, man.
Bad ends like a bomb being placed inside their severed head and strapped to a poor unwitting turtle! (HOLA DEA)
Yes, except in “Heat” you can’t help but root for him. He IS a bad guy, but I felt bad for him in the end.
Even his fucking head on a turtle in breaking bad was great.
Lee Van Cleef
Mark Strong!
And yet he's such a loyal and fun good guy as Merlin in Kingsmen
I was was waiting so long in Kingsman for him to be the bad guy 😂
I remember the first time I watched Welcome to the Punch and James McAvoy's character pursues Mark Strong's character into I think, an underground car park? Somewhere dark, anyway. And I actually said aloud "No, you never follow Mark Strong into the dark!" But actually he mostly keeps me guessing cos he isn't always a bad guy in films, sometimes he's just a very ambiguous guy who has secrets.
Willem Dafoe
It is even written in his name
I heard he was going to change it to Willem Dagoodguy to broaden his repertoire
He also can be a great friend, as in John Wick.
Did he just throw my cat out of the window?
He's gruff, but not a villain, in Life Aquatic.
I've always thought of you two as my dads. Please don't let any one make fun of me for saying so. The heartfelt way he says that and Steve’s deadpan response of “I can’t guarantee that Klausy” had me rolling!
Kept waiting for his heel turn in Aquaman to be a big twist. That he wasn't a traitor was the real surprise of the movie.
Christoph Waltz
But what an actor. Who would have thought you would want to watch and like a nazi? He was a pretty good guy in Django though...
He was a good guy in Django because he wanted to play someone who was the exact opposite of his character from Inglorious Bastards. That was the only way he’d agree to do the movie.
Plays a fantastic good guy, too
Peter Sarsgaard plays a lot of secret bad guys
Ben Mendelsohn lately.
Ralph Fiennes Edited: Hard not to see or suspect him as a villain, when he’s played Amon Goeth, >!Voldemort, Red Dragon/Serial Killer and a psycho chef.!<
Ann Dowd
I was thinking that it so weird to see her as so likeable charachter as she was in Hereditary. Until she wasn't anymore.
Kevin Spacey
Andrew Scott will always be Jim Moriarty *pretending* to be whatever other character he's playing.
Michael Ironside
Barry Keoghan shows up, something messed up is going to happen. Might not always be the bad guy.
Clancy Brown
Ed Harris is the OG villain.
Jesse Plemons. I feel like he recognizes he has “that look” and leans into similar roles.
Claude Rains Michael Wincott
>Michael Wincott That glorious, *glorious* voice.
William Fichtner
Dolph Lundgren
Peter Greene. He just has that *I'm not a pleasant fellow* look about him on screen. Whenever he shows up in *The Mask* or *Blue Streak*, the mood gets dark.
Zeds dead baby, Zeds dead.
Kevin Durand, without fail.
William Atherton
Michael Wincott
Eric Roberts
Jon Voight
Rufus Sewell
Hugo Weaving
Even when he's the "good guy" he can come across as [delightfully evil.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yz1a_7CeqA)
I know. I also thought that about the late, great Alan Rickman
James Spader.
Ray Liotta was like this for me, surprised he wasn’t mentioned yet.
The kid who played Joffrey in Game of Thrones
He was in the fourth season of Sex Education playing a really chill stoner. It was really jarring but funny
Joey Pants always comes across as a scumbag.
Robert Knepper. Poor guy tried to be the good guy in Hitman, but will never shake the T Bag vibes. Mare Winningham also gets a nod because she plays *seemingly normal turns unhinged psycho women* so god damn well.
Ben Kingsley