Best at Being Bad: 5 Actors Who Were Born to Play Villains
These actors literally thrived in their evil roles.
Don't get us wrong, these actors are great in any role they portray. However, their villainous performances stand out in their careers and outshine the rest of their roles. Let's take a look at some of the best actors who are most appealing as bad guys.
Tim Curry
Best roles: Dr. Frank-N-Furter (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Darkness (Legend), Pennywise (It 1990), Roger Corwin (Charlie's Angels).
The acclaimed English actor is known for his versatile performances in film, television, and theater, particularly renowned for his portrayals of villains, showcasing his exceptional talent for bringing complex and often menacing characters to life.
Willem Dafoe
Best roles: Green Goblin (Spider-Man), Elias Grodin (Platoon), Jopling (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Ryuk (Death Note).
Willem Dafoe is widely known for his great performance as Green Goblin in Sam Raimi 's first Spider-Man movie. With the expression of his face, Dafoe can portray a truly mad and evil character.
It's no wonder people have been proposing Dafore for the role of The Joker for many years.
Javier Bardem
Best roles: Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men), Raoul Silva (Skyfall), Captain Armando Salazar (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales).
No one who is familiar with Bardem's work will be surprised that he is on the list.
While the Spanish actor is good in any role, once you hear his name, you probably immediately remember his Oscar-winning role in No Country for Old Men.
Bardem managed to realistically portray a psychopath who is clearly dangerous for society.
Mads Mikkelsen
Best roles: Le Chiffre (Casino Royale), Kaecilius (Doctor Strange ), Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal), Grindelwald (Fantastic Beasts ).
Although Mads Mikkelsen has an exceptional acting range, he is primarily recognized for his villainous roles in movies.
The role that drew more attention to the actor is his widely known portrayal of Le Chiffre in the 2006 film Casino Royale.
Best roles: Gus Fring (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul ), Moff Gideon (The Mandalorian ), Stan Edgar (The Boys ).
This list wouldn't be complete if Giancarlo Esposito wasn't here. Esposito is mostly known as the antagonist from Breaking Bad, where he portrayed Gustavo Fring, a cold and reasonable yet able to get his hands dirty, meth businessman.
His performance even caught the attention of the game industry. He played a protagonist in a popular video game Far Cry 6.
