Some actors will forever be connected to one of their characters more than others, like Sean Connery as James Bond, a line of performances so iconic the actor reportedly just about made a cameo in 2012's Skyfall (in Albert Finney's role). There are also the less serious roles, like beloved character actor Christopher McDonald's Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore.
Regardless of genre, there are some roles in some movies that just manage to fit an actor's style perfectly. Whether they're typically one-note performers and the part is intentionally robotic or they're versatile and just find the character particularly chewy, people can't help but think of that one iconic role whenever these actors' names come up.
Linda Blair - Regan MacNeil - The Exorcist (1973)
The fact that Linda Blair was only 14 years old at the time that William Friedkin directed The Exorcist and turned in a performance as convincing as hers is jaw-dropping. Many of the major scares in Friedkin's film heavily involve Blair's ability to act without saying a word, and she excels. The head spin wouldn't work as well were it not for her mouthing of the subsequent line (the dialogue was dubbed in) with such sadistic joy.
The Exorcist, unfortunately, had more negative effects on Blair than positive, but she was still an integral part of making the film one of the most impactful of the past 50 years. Or, as STinG666 put it: "It's kind of disappointing that Blair got some Oscar-costing backlash once they realized she didn't provide the voice of Pazuzu. She's still giving a damned effective performance here..."
Sylvester Stallone - Rocky Balboa - Rocky (1976)
There's an argument to be made that the responsibility for Rocky's massive critical and commercial success rests entirely on the shoulders of Sylvester Stallone. As the sole writer and the lead actor (delivering an excellent performance for a fresh-on-the-scene actor), it was a script tailor-made for Stallone by Stallone, and it immediately announced him as a writer who could reach the heart of characters and their development.
Rocky left theaters with $225 million worldwide (per The Numbers) and did so on a minuscule budget of $1 million. Fortunately for Stallone and the character, the franchise has hit it big far more often than not, even with eight installments and counting. When asked to name a movie character whose presence can only be inhabited by one performer, The_Dork-uh-Whale wrote simply "Rocky Balboa." In response, a now-deleted user added "This is the best answer."
James Earl Jones - Darth Vader - Star Wars (1977)
James Earl Jones is known for often playing kind characters, like his lovable Terence Mann in Field Of Dreams. Yet, over a decade prior to Dreams, he was voicing what is perhaps cinema's most globally recognized villain.
On a Reddit thread discussing how many performers have played Star Wars' Darth Vader over the years, iomegabasha wrote that "it's always been James Earl Jones for me." And for many others as well, considering his instantly recognizable voice is as classic as the scarred Sith Lord's suit if not more so, and anyone can wear a suit.
Harrison Ford - Han Solo - Star Wars (1977)
Redditor weareight thinks Harrison Ford's Han Solo can't be recast, and Marxist_Saren agreed via a dig at 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story.
In the latter Redditors' words: "We even got proof of this one." Solo isn't the best of Disney's Star Wars films, but even if it is someone's least favorite, they have to appreciate that it could have been much worse. Regardless, it showed that the audience's ability to buy into a performance could be entirely dependent upon who is performing.
Robert Englund - Freddy Krueger - A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Wes Craven's landmark A Nightmare on Elm Street is arguably more impressive now than ever. While not a box office smash upon release, ANOES' practical effects make it look ahead of its time, Craven's direction was razor sharp, and the script was peppered with brilliance. But it was Robert Englund's distinctive presence as Freddy Krueger that gave the film, and its sequels, longevity.
CantUteLLimPlayN suggested Englund in his role, and it's a fair one, as Englund's Krueger stands as probably the most terrifying and unique villain in horror movie history, slasher or otherwise.
Brad Dourif - Chucky - Child's Play (1988)
Brad Dourif earned an Oscar nomination for his very first released film, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, but to most if not all film fans, he'll always be Chucky. Dourif is, as his debut would indicate, a terrific performer, but his inhabitance of a freckled killer doll ended up relegating the actor to the horror genre for the foreseeable future.
And even in a sea of incredible projects such as Cuckoo's Nest and Deadwood, his performances as Chucky rank towards the top. He takes what could have been a joke and makes it not only believable (by horror movie logic), but scary. The same could be said of Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany, and VampiressVanity brought up franchise runner Don Mancini's claim that "if Brad, Jennifer, or both..." pass away before the completion of the next film or TV season, "the series/movies would end out of respect."
Anthony Hopkins - Hannibal Lecter - The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
Anthony Hopkins has been in an awful lot of movies, many of which were released prior to 1991. But it's as if his work in smaller films like Magic and critical darlings like The Elephant Man was utterly irrelevant once Hannibal Lecter and The Silence Of The Lambs came around. The character altered the thespian's career, and it stands as not only his most pop-culturally popular role but one of the most famed performances of all time.
Even with a take from Brian Cox before and a Mads Mikkelsen take afterward, Hopkins' Lecter is still seen as number one. The reasons are innumerable, and highoncraze phrased it well by saying "Anthony Hopkins brought a cold visceral terror..."
Hugh Jackman - Wolverine - X-Men (2000)
Like The Wolf of Wall Street for Margot Robbie, X-Men caused fellow Australian actor Hugh Jackman to blow up overnight. Prior to the early Marvel film's release, Jackman was utterly unknown in the United States, yet he owns the big-budget film from his first scene: a bar brawl.
Jackman played the character a grand total of nine times, from X-Men to Logan, and Redditors like xaeminn still talk about his performances to this day. In the Redditor's words, "The Wolverine Hugh Jackman." The two names are synonymous.
Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter - Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Admittedly, Alan Rickman's role as Severus Snape is every bit as beloved as Daniel Radcliffe's Harry Potter. But Radcliffe is more inseparable from his role, whereas Rickman starred as the equally iconic Hans Gruber in Die Hard. A now-deleted user responded in agreement with MayoOfTheNaize's claim that Radcliffe was mostly inseparable from Potter. They then added how Elijah Wood's Frodo Baggins is in the same camp.
The characters are both the biggest of either actor's career, but the levels of fame were a bit different. Wood had a steady career as far back as the early 1990s, but Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone was Radcliffe's breakthrough. Fortunately, both have managed to avoid typecasting via their consistent work in interesting and entertaining films, e.g. Guns Akimbo, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore, and The Lost City.
Johnny Depp - Captain Jack Sparrow - Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003)
Recent controversy aside, Johnny Depp remains one of Hollywood's most successful actors of the aughts. That was due in no small part to the surprise runaway success of Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl. While the film's soaring profits can be partially attributed to its gorgeous cinematography, interesting villain, marquee names, and franchise-best plot, it really all comes down to Depp's presence in the lead role.
His ingenious, Keith Richards-inspired swagger is an unexpectedly perfect way to turn an inherently sinister, murderous character into a lovable goofball. The impact of Depp's performance was enough to net him an Academy Award nomination the first go-round, but he would ultimately wear out his welcome. Even still, Senator_Chickpea name-dropped Captain Jack on a thread about characters inseparable from their performers.