These actors went to the dark side and it paid off! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most notable cases where stars primarily known for good-natured/heroic roles went against type to play villainous characters.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00 "Everything is as it should be."
00:02 Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most notable cases
00:07 where stars primarily known for good nature heroic roles went against type to play villainous
00:13 characters.
00:14 Look out for spoilers ahead.
00:16 "This ends with Connor dead no matter what."
00:20 Number 10 Elijah Wood.
00:22 Sin City.
00:23 Even if you aren't familiar with his child acting, you likely know Elijah Wood for his
00:27 role as Frodo.
00:38 The Lord of the Rings star became an underdog hero for a new generation and then completely
00:44 subverted expectations with Sin City.
00:46 In a movie of unsettling characters, Kevin might just be the worst.
00:57 He's a psychopathic killer with cannibalistic tendencies and Wood's blank expression helps
01:02 make the monster even more terrifying than your average villain.
01:05 It's such a creepy part that will make you squirm at every turn.
01:09 Those expecting a token hobbit will get a real shock to their system with this performance.
01:14 "Somehow the bastard is still alive, still staring at me."
01:18 Number 9 Leonardo DiCaprio.
01:21 Django Unchained.
01:22 In the 1990s, this actor became a huge star with parts like Jack and Titanic.
01:33 While he didn't exclusively play good guys after that, most of us associated him with
01:38 heroic roles that changed with Django Unchained.
01:46 DiCaprio becomes Calvin Kandy and doesn't give him a shred of decency.
01:51 The vicious plantation owner lets his true self be known in his first scene and only
01:56 gets worse as he invites the main characters back to his horrible home.
02:00 Disappearing into the part, DiCaprio gives every moment a layer of racist anger that
02:05 few villains have ever matched on screen.
02:07 Even after playing anti-heroes, this leading man might never explore someone this evil
02:12 again.
02:13 "Boom Hill to here is my property and I can choose to do with my property whatever
02:20 I so desire."
02:22 Number 8 Harrison Ford.
02:24 What Lies Beneath.
02:25 He's played some of the most famous heroes in movie history, but rarely has Harrison
02:30 Ford descended into true villain status.
02:32 What Lies Beneath was a chance for the actor to essentially play the opposite of Indiana
02:36 Jones.
02:37 "I can't help but feel that somehow you're trying to sabotage me, you're trying to
02:40 hurt me."
02:41 Ford is Dr. Norman Spencer, a husband with many more secrets than his wife could have
02:45 expected.
02:46 This leads to startling revelations and a tense third act where Ford's lead lets out
02:51 his true awfulness.
02:52 "I'm Claire.
02:53 I never wanted any of this to happen."
02:59 The star uses both his everyman personality and his best evil acting to keep audiences
03:05 guessing.
03:06 Once you see what his character does to Michelle Pfeiffer's Claire, you will be creeped out
03:10 for days.
03:11 You would never expect this from the man behind Han Solo making the casting choice extra effective.
03:16 "Yes, I bet you have."
03:20 Number 7 Tom Cruise Collateral.
03:24 Sometimes called the last movie star, Tom Cruise embodies the spirit of heroes like
03:28 Maverick and Ethan Hunt.
03:29 His work in this Michael Mann film, however, stands as a big departure from his time in
03:34 Top Gun or Mission Impossible.
03:35 Sporting a distinct hairdo, Cruise plays a hitman named Vincent, who has just enough
03:40 charisma to get the job done.
03:42 "Lady Macbeth, we're sitting here and the light's green.
03:44 Leave the seats."
03:45 He forces Jamie Foxx's cab driver to ferry him around Los Angeles in order to exact a
03:50 string of murders.
03:51 "I can't drive you around while you're around killing people, man.
03:54 It ain't my job."
03:55 "Tonight it is."
03:56 A little too political and unpredictable, this antagonist finds the actor in top form
04:00 as he executes targets with lethal precision.
04:03 You certainly don't want to cross him in an alley or a nightclub.
04:06 Cruise is willing to go for broke and plays a chilling assassin especially well.
04:12 "Max!
04:13 I do this for a living!"
04:17 Number 6 Steve Carell Foxcatcher.
04:20 Best known for his work on The Office, Steve Carell has a knack for quirky and funny parts.
04:25 "I have to go make a call."
04:31 But he dropped all of his comedic impulses for Foxcatcher.
04:35 Playing John DuPont, he makes viewers cringe with his lack of emotions.
04:38 "So the world championships are coming up soon?"
04:43 "Yes sir."
04:45 "I want you to win."
04:48 The whole thing veers into horror at certain parts as the man eventually lashes out and
04:52 kills somebody.
04:54 The wealthy heir might be the darkest role of Carell's career, allowing him to access
04:58 a side that's rarely shown on screen.
05:00 You can barely recognize the actor himself considering how deep into character he is.
05:05 By the end, you'll probably never look at Carell the same way again.
05:09 "A coach is a father.
05:13 Coach is a mentor.
05:19 Coach has great power."
05:22 Number 5 Denzel Washington
05:24 Training Day Detective Alonzo Harris is many things, but
05:28 nice definitely isn't one of them.
05:30 The corrupt cop stops at nothing to get his way, even if it means robbery or murder.
05:35 "I walk a higher path, son.
05:37 I can give you the keys to all the doors."
05:40 Denzel Washington's scene-stealing performance won him a second Oscar, proving that he had
05:45 another side to him as an actor.
05:46 The star's work in everything from Glory to The Equalizer shows him in more heroic
05:51 form.
05:52 "But I still don't want to carry your flag."
05:54 But Training Day lets him run wild.
05:56 Harris has no filter and willfully puts others in harm's way for his own benefit.
06:01 After giving Ethan Hawke's character the worst day ever, Washington's lead makes
06:06 sure everybody knows just how shameless he is.
06:09 "King Kong ain't got shit on me!"
06:13 Number 4 Tom Hanks Road to Perdition
06:16 In this particular film, there aren't exactly any traditional heroes.
06:20 The mob story finds Tom Hanks playing an anti-hero, Michael Sullivan Sr., who kills plenty of
06:25 people by the end.
06:26 "I turn a blind eye to what I have to do."
06:30 "And what is that?"
06:33 "Kill the man who murdered my family."
06:37 We often find Hanks portraying the model citizen or the comic lead, but he's neither in this
06:42 grim tale.
06:43 He's not the only one who comes out looking villainous either, as Paul Newman and Jude
06:47 Law also get their evil moments.
06:49 Sullivan Sr. tries to protect his son and avenge his family, but it all comes at the
06:53 cost of his soul.
06:54 "Can you get Mr. Rooney a message for me?"
06:57 "What is it?"
07:06 The fact that Hanks can play a violent man as compelling as his most famous roles is
07:10 a testament to his skill.
07:12 "My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates.
07:17 You never know what you're gonna get."
07:21 Number 3.
07:22 Robin Williams - Insomnia
07:24 When you think of Robin Williams, you probably think of hilarious comedy or heartbreaking
07:28 dramas.
07:29 "Son of a bitch.
07:30 He stole my life."
07:32 However, the late artist completely transforms into conniving killer Walter Finch for Insomnia.
07:38 Playing against type, Williams comes off more sinister than ever before.
07:42 He also finds a way to build the character around subtle and quiet moments of menace.
07:47 Watching him opposite Al Pacino, the true diversity of his talent comes out in this
07:51 Christopher Nolan film.
07:52 "Thank God you got me taking care of us.
07:53 She saw the dress.
07:54 We're the same old."
07:56 The performance is so stellar, it makes us wish he had played more all-out villains during
08:01 his lifetime.
08:02 Finch wasn't the only disturbing role Williams took on that year either, lending his star
08:07 power to One Hour Photo as well.
08:09 "I don't want you to touch her.
08:11 If you touch her again, I stab you in the heart."
08:14 Number 2.
08:15 Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight.
08:17 As one of the brightest stars of the late 90s and 2000s, the late Heath Ledger impressed
08:22 in everything from amazing dramas to heartthrob roles.
08:25 His turn as the Joker still stands as a defining part in his career, making movies like A Knight's
08:30 Tale seem like they're from a different performer.
08:33 In The Dark Knight, Ledger combines a creepy laugh, clown makeup, and amazing physicality
08:38 to create a masterful villain.
08:40 "Let's put a smile on that face."
08:44 He elevates the character by mixing chaos and terror in equal measure.
08:48 He succeeds in contorting his every mannerism into something completely foreign to his usual
08:53 persona.
08:54 "See, madness, as you know, is like gravity.
08:59 All it takes is a little push."
09:01 Batman films have been known to let people explore darker roles, with Danny DeVito's
09:06 work as Penguin being another standout.
09:09 "Things change."
09:11 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:14 John Goodman, Barton Fink.
09:17 Using his gregarious charm, Goodman subverts his persona to play a mad killer.
09:22 "Look upon me!
09:23 I'll show you the life of the mind!"
09:29 Jodie Foster, Elysium.
09:31 Playing a strict defense secretary, Foster reveals her knack for portraying cold villains.
09:36 "Shoot them down."
09:37 "Green light, 21-B."
09:38 "Green light."
09:39 Will Smith, Six Degrees of Separation.
09:49 Smith leaves behind his crowd-pleasing characters to play a con man.
09:53 "Don't ever say I'm stupid."
09:55 "Have some flexibility.
09:56 You're stupid not to realize what you could be."
09:59 "What could I be?"
10:00 Hugh Grant, Paddington 2.
10:02 Grant sheds his rom-com charm for a theatrical villain role.
10:07 "And you, are you pretty?"
10:14 Octavia Spencer, Ma.
10:16 The Oscar winner becomes a scary woman who hosts high school parties at her house.
10:21 "What you did to me, the humiliation, it never goes away."
10:31 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
10:35 about our latest videos.
10:37 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
10:40 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
10:46 1.
10:48 Henry Fonda - Once Upon a Time in the West
10:50 When the late Henry Fonda was in a western, he was usually the moral center of the film.
10:55 Once Upon a Time in the West completely changed that notion.
10:58 Indeed, he plays a heartless murderer in this Sergio Leone movie.
11:12 His work as Frank might just embody pure evil, with the character seemingly killing anyone
11:17 who gets in his way, often in truly disturbing fashion.
11:24 Fonda really digs his teeth into the role, portraying the dirty outlaw who plays by his
11:28 own rules with everything he has.
11:30 A later flashback reveals the deepest depths of Frank's sadistic nature.
11:34 With his final moments on screen, Fonda sells the awful details of his character's troubled
11:40 ways.
11:49 Did we forget another memorable villain turn?
11:51 Let us know in the comments below.
11:53 And don't forget to like and subscribe for more WatchMojo videos.
12:10 See you next time!
12:16 [outro]