Whether on stage or on screen, playing a villain requires a certain set of skills, and many brilliant actors have made their legacies in dozens of antagonistic roles. The likes of Christopher Lee, Jeremy Irons, Alan Rickman, and Tim Curry have become notorious actors known for playing villains, but there are many who use the archetype to break out of their normal molds.
Teen heartthrobs, romantic leads, and even beloved comedians have taken a walk on the dark side a time or two, and their dedication to the roles clearly paid off. They might be remembered for their more positive or heroic roles, but sometimes playing the villain can be just as rewarding.
Karen Gillan (Guardians Of The Galaxy)
The lovable Amy Pond might be one of Karen Gillan's most memorable roles, but those who have been cruising the galaxy with Star-Lord, Rocket, and the rest of the Guardians will recognize her as the cybernetic daughter of Thanos, Nebula. It's a role that Gillan delivers with some serious intensity.
Nebula is a far cry from the spunky redhead who did battle against the Daleks and Cybermen with the Doctor, going all-in for her vengeful assassin motif against her sister, Gamora. While she eventually swapped sides later in the MCU, Gillan's fearsome performance makes her stand out from the crowd.
Jason Alexander (Criminal Minds)
While he'll always be known for portraying the "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald" George Costanza, Jason Alexander is definitely not a one-trick pony by any means. He's a brilliant character actor who has an entire palate of different personas under his belt. Like Carrey, most of his villain roles are comedic rather than straight evil, but there is one that stands out as particularly chilling.
He might look like Billy Connoly's stunt double, but Henry Grace is no comedic role for the former Seinfeld actor. Henry is a sequence-obsessed serial killer who toys with Agent Rossi in the season four episode, "Masterpiece." The performance might have appeared strange, but the nature of the character's crimes is a particularly dark turn for the actor to take.
Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther)
Michael B. Jordan is an actor that has made a name for himself in both action films and emotional dramas. Having such titles as Creed, Without Remorse, and Red Tails in his resume truly shows off his skillsets for both genres impeccably well, but his truly career-defining role will always be that of Erik Killmonger in Marvel's Black Panther.
Killmonger is one of the most complex and thought-provoking supervillains in recent years. In a cinematic universe composed of wizards, Norse gods, and metahumans, there's a villain whose drive is fueled by true injustices against an entire race of people. In another universe, like Marvel's What If... series, Killmonger would be a vigilante or anti-hero, which is what makes him so interesting. Pair that with Jordan's passionate and unexpected performance, and the result is a sympathetic supervillain whose methods might be wrong but his reasoning is logical.
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
If there's one role that truly defined Heath Ledger's range as an actor, it was his Oscar-winning portrayal as the Clown Prince of Crime in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. With titles like A Knight's Tale and 10 Things I Hate About You already filling out his filmography with romantic heartthrob roles, the Joker was a perfect mold-breaking role for Ledger.
The Nolanverse's adaptation of Batman's iconic nemesis is a completely different take on the normally brightly colored and darkly comedic character. Heath Ledger brought a dark and nihilistic personality to the character, making him an agent of chaos to Batman's symbol of justice. To say it was a career-defining role would be an understatement.
Johnny Depp (Fantastic Beasts)
Though they may not be considered one of Johnny Depp's best performances, he already had a few villainous roles in his filmography, including a turn as Sweeney Todd and as the real-life mobster White Bulger. However, Depp's true turn to the dark side was as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts series.
Sweeney Todd was more of an anti-hero and Bulger was an enigmatic role for a biopic, but Grindlewald is a shamelessly dark wizard that positively drips with malice every second he's on screen. Easily one of the most dangerous characters in Depp's repertoire, he proved an unexpected knack for playing villains as well as he plays heroes.
Marina Sirtis (Gargoyles)
Marina Sirtis is an actress with some incredible range, and while she will forever be known to Star Trek fans as Counselor Troi, Disney buffs will forever remember her as Goliath's former lover, Demona. Disney's Gargoyles was an incredibly dark and deep show from the house of mouse, and this fearsome femme fatale was one of the series most tragic figures.
Demona is a misanthropic female Gargoyle leftover from the days of Castle Wyvern who despises humankind for what they did to her and Goliath's clan. Hearing someone who can be so warm, gentle, and distinguished as Deanna Troi become cold, cruel, and tortured as Demona is truly a demonstration of impeccable vocal abilities.
Kevin James (Becky)
Yet another actor who's been hiding a surprising range all this time, Kevin James went from lovable funnyman to a Neo-Nazi with his role in 2020's Becky. James's performance as Dominick is a far cry from the oafish characters the actor has portrayed in the past, taking a complete left turn in his career.
While the film's reviews and reputation are definitely mixed, James is easily a stand-out feature simply for how frightening and intimidating he can be whenever he's on-screen. Although they're often lauded as some of Kevin James' best roles, this move away from the actor's light-hearted comedic characters was certainly unexpected for viewers.
Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained)
While DiCaprio finally earned his long-deserved Oscar with his work in The Revenant, it could be argued that the truly Oscar-worthy role in his filmography is that of Calvin Candie from Django Unchained. Compared to some of DiCaprio's best-known roles like Jack in Titanic and Jay Gatsby in 2013's The Great Gatsby, Candie is like something out of an evil alternate dimension.
The cruel keeper of Candyland is the most despicable character DiCaprio has ever played, and the role truly showed just how far over the edge the actor has the potential to go. The bloody-handed speech at the dinner table alone was certainly more than an award-winning moment, and one fans of DiCaprio would never have expected.
Nathan Lane (Only Murders In The Building)
Only Murders In The Building is full of twists, turns, and surprises, and one such surprise was a phenomenal performance from legendary character actor and Broadway superstar, Nathan Lane. Nathan Lane's top-rated characters and roles include turns in The Lion King, Addam's Family Values, and The Birdcage showing that he's certainly a viewer-favorite, but seeing him play a true villain is a rarity.
Lane plays Teddy Dimas in OMITB, a deli-chain owner who runs an illegal jewelry operation on the side. Lane delivers Dimas with all the severity and seriousness of a mob boss when his darker deeds are discovered. It's a refreshing performance and one that sees the Broadway star dabble in both his comedic and serious tones.
Robin Williams (One Hour Photo)
Robin Williams as a horror villain might sound incredibly unlikely, but the unhinged Cy Parrish is a frightening and insidious performance. Williams has always had a reputation for portraying beloved comedy characters, and even on the rare occasion where he has played an antagonistic character, they're not what one would consider diabolical. But that's not the case when it comes to One Hour Photo.
Cy is a lonely photo-developer who lives vicariously through the photos of a family who continuously uses his booth. But when he discovers the father having an affair, things take a dark turn. The friendly photography buff soon turns into a predator as he tries to correct the shattered image of an ideal family. Obsession can soon turn to madness, and Williams brilliantly captures that motif in this underrated and chilling performance. It's one of his best roles that break Robin William's usual typecasting.