The Top 30 Evil Actors
by rmgallerani | created - 05 May 2011 | updated - 14 Jul 2013 | PublicI've ranked this list based on how many villains these actors have played, how evil said villains are and by how much I like them as actors.
I've set up a few rules:
1. Each actor must have played a minimum of six villains.
2. The majority of these villains must be some of there most well-known roles. I tried to stay away from a lot of obscure films and roles.
3. I excluded actors who have played a lot of villains but are most well-known for playing beloved heroes (ex. Ian Mckellan and Kiefer Sutherland).
4. I also excluded actors who have played many villains but aren't necessarily most well-known for playing villains (ex. Ed Harris, Kevin Bacon, Gene Hackman).
And of course this is all subjective.
1. Alan Rickman
Actor | Die Hard
Alan Rickman was born on a council estate in Acton, West London, to Margaret Doreen Rose (Bartlett), of English and Welsh descent, and Bernard Rickman, of Irish descent, who worked at a factory. Alan Rickman had an older brother (David), a younger brother (Michael), and a younger sister (Sheila). ...
Severus Snape - Harry Potter Hans Gruber - Die Hard Judge Turpin - Sweeney Todd The Sheriff of Nottingham - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Elliott Marston - Quigley Down Under Grigori Rasputin - Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny
2. Christopher Lee
Actor | Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was perhaps the only actor of his generation to have starred in so many films and cult saga. Although most notable for personifying bloodsucking vampire, Dracula, on screen, he portrayed other varied characters on screen, most of which were villains, whether it ...
Count Dracula - Dracula Saruman - The Lord of the Rings Count Dooku - Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Francisco Scaramanga - The Man with the Golden Gun Lord Summerisle - The Wicker Man King Haggard - The Last Unicorn
3. Gary Oldman
Actor | The Dark Knight
Gary Oldman is a talented English movie star and character actor, renowned for his expressive acting style. One of the most celebrated thespians of his generation, with a diverse career encompassing theatre, film and television, he is known for his roles as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy (1986), ...
Stansfield - Leon: The Professional Count Dracula - Bram Stoker's Dracula Mason Verger - Hannibal Drexl Spivey - True Romance Ivan Korshunov - Air Force One Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg - The Fifth Element
4. Jack Nicholson
Actor | Chinatown
Jack Nicholson, an American actor, producer, director and screenwriter, is a three-time Academy Award winner and twelve-time nominee. Nicholson is also notable for being one of two actors - the other being Michael Caine - who have received an Oscar nomination in every decade from the '60s through ...
The Joker - Batman Jack Torrance - The Shining Frank Costello - The Departed Col. Nathan Jessep - A Few Good Men Jimmy Hoffa - Hoffa Daryl Van Horne - The Witches of Eastwick
5. Kevin Spacey
Actor | L.A. Confidential
Kevin Spacey Fowler, better known by his stage name Kevin Spacey, is an American actor of screen and stage, film director, producer, screenwriter and singer. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s before obtaining supporting roles in film and television. He gained critical acclaim in...
John Doe - Se7en Roger 'Verbal' Kint / Keyser Soze - The Usual Suspects Francis Underwood - House of Cards Buddy Ackerman - Swimming with Sharks Hopper - A Bug's Life Lex Luthor - Superman Returns
6. John Malkovich
Actor | Being John Malkovich
John Gavin Malkovich was born in Christopher, Illinois, to Joe Anne (Choisser), who owned a local newspaper, and Daniel Leon Malkovich, a state conservation director. His paternal grandparents were Croatian. In 1976, Malkovich joined Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, newly founded by his friend Gary ...
Mitch Leary - In the Line of Fire Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom - Con Air Vicomte Sebastien de Valmont - Dangerous Liaisons Teddy KGB - Rounders Gilbert Osmond - The Portrait of a Lady Tom Ripley - Ripley's Game
7. Ben Kingsley
Actor | Sexy Beast
Ben Kingsley was born Krishna Bhanji on December 31, 1943 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England. His father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, was a Kenyan-born medical doctor, of Gujarati Indian descent, and his mother, Anna Lyna Mary (Goodman), was an English actress. Ben began to act in stage plays during ...
Don Logan - Sexy Beast Meyer Lansky - Bugsy The Rabbi - Lucky Number Slevin Cosmo - Sneakers Grinko - Transsiberian Nizam - Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
8. Jeremy Irons
Actor | Dead Ringers
British actor Jeremy Irons was born in Cowes, Isle of Wight, a small island off the south coast of England. He is the son of Barbara Anne Brereton (Sharpe) and Paul Dugan Irons, an accountant. Young Jeremy didn't prove very fond of figures. He visited mainland England only once a year. He wound up ...
Scar - The Lion King Claus von Bulow - Reversal of Fortune Simon Gruber - Die Hard with a Vengeance Randall Bragg - Appaloosa Uber-Morlock - The Time Machine Rodrigo Borgia - The Borgias
9. Willem Dafoe
Actor | Spider-Man
Having made over one hundred films in his legendary career, Willem Dafoe is internationally respected for bringing versatility, boldness, and daring to some of the most iconic films of our time. His artistic curiosity in exploring the human condition leads him to projects all over the world, large ...
Norman Osborn / Green Goblin - Spider-Man Max Schreck - Shadow of the Vampire Rick Masters - To Live and Die in L.A. Bobby Peru - Wild at Heart Barillo - Once Upon a Time in Mexico Rat - Fantastic Mr. Fox
10. Ralph Fiennes
Actor | The Constant Gardener
Actor Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes was born on December 22, 1962 in Suffolk, England, to Jennifer Anne Mary Alleyne (Lash), a novelist, and Mark Fiennes, a photographer. He is the eldest of six children. Four of his siblings are also in the arts: Martha Fiennes, a director; Magnus ...
Lord Voldemort - Harry Potter Amon Goeth - Schindler's List Francis Dolarhyde - Red Dragon Harry Waters - In Bruges Ramesses II - The Prince of Egypt Hades - Clash of the Titans
11. Dennis Hopper
Actor | Easy Rider
Multi-talented and unconventional actor/director regarded by many as one of the true "enfant terribles" of Hollywood who led an amazing cinematic career for more than five decades, Dennis Hopper was born on May 17, 1936, in Dodge City, Kansas. The young Hopper expressed interest in acting from a ...
Frank Booth - Blue Velvet Howard Payne - Speed Victor Drazen - 24 Deacon - Waterworld King Koopa - Super Mario Bros. Kaufman - Land of the Dead
12. Christopher Walken
Actor | The Deer Hunter
Lead and supporting actor of the American stage and films, with sandy colored hair, and pale complexion. He won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Deer Hunter (1978), and has been seen in mostly character roles, often portraying psychologically unstable individuals, though...
Max Zorin - A View to Kill Vincenzo Coccotti - True Romance Gabriel - The Prophecy Frank White - King of New York Brad Whitewood, Sr. - At Close Range Max Shreck - Batman Returns
13. Ian McShane
Actor | Deadwood
A natural at portraying complex villains, anti-heroes, and charming heavies, Ian McShane is the classically trained, award-winning actor who has grabbed attention and acclaim from audiences and critics around the world with his unforgettable gallery of scoundrels, kings, mobsters and thugs.
And, now...
Al Swearengen - Deadwood Blackbeard - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Teddy Bass - Sexy Beast Tai Lung - Kung Fu Panda Ragnar Sturlusson - The Golden Compass Waleran Bigod - Pillars of the Earth
14. James Woods
Actor | Vampires
James Howard Woods was born on April 18, 1947 in Vernal, Utah, the son of Martha A. (Smith) and Gail Peyton Woods, a U.S. Army intelligence officer who died during Woods' childhood. James is of Irish, English, and German descent. He grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island, with his mother and stepfather ...
Hades - Hercules Byron De La Beckwith - Ghosts of Mississippi Max Bercovicz - Once Upon a Time in America Gregory Ulas Powell - The Onion Field Tom Heddon - Straw Dogs (2011) Ned Trent - The Specialist
15. Hugo Weaving
Actor | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Hugo Wallace Weaving was born on April 4, 1960 in Nigeria, to English parents Anne (Lennard), a tour guide and teacher, and Wallace Weaving, a seismologist. Hugo has an older brother, Simon, and a younger sister, Anna, who both also live and work in Australia. During his early childhood, the ...
Agent Smith - The Matrix Johann Schmidt / Red Skull - Captain America: The First Avenger Megatron - Transformers Eddie Rodney Fleming - The Interview Noah the Elder - Happy Feet Haskell Moore / Tadeusz Kesselring / Bill Smoke / Nurse Noakes / Boardman Mephi / Old Georgie - Cloud Atlas
16. Max von Sydow
Actor | Flash Gordon
Max von Sydow was born Carl Adolf von Sydow on April 10, 1929 in Lund, Skåne, Sweden, to a middle-class family. He was the son of Baroness Maria Margareta (Rappe), a teacher, and Carl Wilhelm von Sydow, an ethnologist and folklore professor. His surname traces back to his partial German ancestry.
...
Emperor Ming the Merciless - Flash Gordon Leland Gaunt - Needful Things Lamar Burgess - Minority Report Reynard - Rush Hour 3 Oktober - The Quiller Memorandum Ernst Stavro Blofeld - Never Say Never Again
17. Mark Strong
Actor | 1917
British actor Mark Strong, who played Jim Prideaux in the 2011 remake of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), is often cast as cold, calculating villains. But before he became a famous actor, he intended to pursue a career in law.
Strong was born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia in London, England, to an ...
Lord Henry Blackwood - Sherlock Holmes Frank D'Amico - Kick-Ass Sir Godfrey - Robin Hood Pinbacker - Sunshine Clive Cornell - The Guard Thaal Sinestro - The Green Lantern
18. Sean Bean
Actor | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Sean Bean's career since the eighties spans theatre, radio, television and movies. Bean was born in Handsworth, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, to Rita (Tuckwood) and Brian Bean. He worked for his father's welding firm before he decided to become an actor. He attended RADA in London and appeared in a ...
Alec Trevelyan - GoldenEye Sean Miller - Patriot Games Ian Howe - National Treasure John Ryder - The Hitcher (2007) Patrick Koster - Don't Say a Word Dr. Bernard Merrick - The Island
19. Danny Huston
Actor | The Constant Gardener
Award-winning actor, writer and director, Danny Huston is known for his versatility and dramatic screen presence. Most recognized for his roles in films like Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men and Alejandro Inarritu's 21 Grams, Huston has worked with some of the finest ...
Arthur Burns - The Proposition Marlow - 30 Days of Night William Stryker - X-Men Origins: Wolverine Sandy Woodrow - The Constant Gardener Jack Bennett - Edge of Darkness Ben 'The Butcher' Diamond - Magic City
20. Jason Isaacs
Actor | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Jason Isaacs was born in Liverpool. He studied law at Bristol University but fell in love with the theatre and directed, produced and appeared in dozens of productions there, at the National Student Theatre Festival and at the Edinburgh Festival. He graduated in 1985 but then attended the Royal ...
Lucius Malfoy - Harry Potter Col. William Tavington - The Patriot Captain Hook - Peter Pan Admiral Zhao - Avatar: The Last Airbender Michael Caffee - Brotherhood Satan - Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
21. Tim Curry
Actor | Congo
Timothy James Curry was born on April 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire, England. His mother, Maura Patricia (Langmead), was a school secretary, and his father, James Curry, was a Methodist Royal Navy chaplain. Curry studied Drama and English at Birmingham University, from which he graduated with ...
Dr. Frank N. Furter - The Rocky Horror Picture Show Pennywise the Dancing Clown - It Lord of Darkness - Legend Long John Silver - Muppet Treasure Island Cardinal Richilieu - The Three Musketeers (1993) Hexxus - Ferngully: The Last Rainforest
22. Brad Dourif
Actor | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Gaunt character actor Brad Dourif was born Bradford Claude Dourif on March 18, 1950 in Huntington, West Virginia. He is the son of Joan Mavis Felton (Bradford) and Jean Henri Dourif, a French-born art collector who owned and operated a dye factory. His father died when Dourif was three years old, ...
Chucky - Child's Play Grima Wormtongue - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers The Gemini Killer - The Exorcist III Deputy Clinton Pell - Mississippi Burning Luther Lee Boggs - The X-Files Piter De Vries - Dune
23. Christoph Waltz
Actor | Django Unchained
Christoph Waltz is an Austrian-German actor. He is known for his work with American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, receiving acclaim for portraying SS-Standartenführer Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds (2009) and bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained (2012). For each performance, he won...
Col. Hans Landa - Inglourious Basterds Benjamin Chudnofsky - The Green Hornet August Rosenbluth - Water for Elephants Cardinal Richilieu - The Three Musketeers (2011) Mandrake - Epic Walter Keane - Big Eyes
24. F. Murray Abraham
Actor | Amadeus
Academy Award-winning actor F. Murray Abraham was born on October 24, 1939 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and raised in El Paso, Texas. His father, Fred Abraham, was a Syrian (Antiochian Orthodox Christian) immigrant. His mother, Josephine (Stello) Abraham, was the daughter of Italian immigrants. Born...
Antonio Salieri - Amadeus Bernardo Gui - The Name of the Rose Prof. Robert Crawford - Finding Forrester John Practice - Last Action Hero Ahdar Ru'afo - Star Trek: Insurrection Cyrus Kriticos - Thir13en Ghosts
25. Ray Winstone
Actor | The Departed
Ray Winstone was born on February 19, 1957, in Hackney Hospital in London, England, to Margaret (Richardson) and Raymond J. Winstone. He moved to Enfield, at age seven, where his parents had a fruit and vegetable business. He started boxing at the age of twelve at the famous Repton Amateur Boxing ...
Mr. French - The Departed Ray - Nil by Mouth Teague - Cold Mountain Gant - London Boulevard Bad Bill - Rango George 'Mac' McHale - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
26. Malcolm McDowell
Actor | A Clockwork Orange
Malcolm John Taylor was born on June 13, 1943 in Leeds, England, to working-class parents Edna (McDowell), a hotelier, and Charles Taylor, a publican. His father was an alcoholic. Malcolm hated his parents' ways. His father was keen to send his son to private school to give him a good start in life...
Alex DeLarge - A Clockwork Orange Caligula - Caligula Soran - Star Trek: Generations Kesslee - Tank Girl Mick Travis - if.... Daniel Linderman - Heroes
27. Rutger Hauer
Actor | Hobo with a Shotgun
Blond, blue-eyed, tall and handsome Dutch actor Rutger Hauer enjoyed an international reputation for playing everything from romantic leads to action heroes to sinister villains. Hauer was born in Breukelen, a Dutch town and former municipality in the province of Utrecht.
He was the son of Teunke ...
Roy Batty - Blade Runner John Ryder - The Hitcher (1986) Wulfgar - Nighthawks Cardinal Patrick Henry Roark - Sin City Earle - Batman Begins Kurt Barlow - Salem's Lot
28. Brian Cox
Actor | Succession
Brian Cox is an Emmy Award-winning Scottish actor. He was born on June 1, 1946 in Dundee, Scotland, to Mary Ann Guillerline Cox, maiden surname McCann, a spinner, and Charles McArdle Campbell Cox, a shopkeeper and butcher. His father was of Irish ancestry and his mother was of Irish and Scottish ...
Dr. Hannibal Lecktor - Manhunter Ward Abbott - The Bourne Supremacy William Stryker - X2: X-Men United Lyman Earl Collier - Chain Reaction Agamemnon - Troy Scolar Visari - Killzone
29. Michael Shannon
Actor | Take Shelter
Michael Corbett Shannon was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, the son of Geraldine Hine, a lawyer, and Donald Sutherlin Shannon, an accounting professor at DePaul University. His grandfather was entomologist Raymond Corbett Shannon.
Shannon began his professional stage career in Chicago. His ...
General Zod - Man of Steel Nelson Van Alden - Boardwalk Empire Bobby Monday - Premium Rush Richard Kuklinski - The Iceman Frankie Lombardo - Kangaroo Jack Henry - 13
30. John Lithgow
Actor | The World According to Garp
If "born to the theater" has meaning in determining a person's life path, then John Lithgow is a prime example of this truth. He was born in Rochester, New York, to Sarah Jane (Price), an actress, and Arthur Washington Lithgow III, who was both a theatrical producer and director. John's father was ...
Arthur Mitchell - Dexter Lord Farquaad - Shrek Eric Qualen - Cliffhanger Burke - Blow Out Lord John Whorfin / Dr. Emilio Lizardo - The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Carter / Cain / Dr. Nix / Josh / Margo - Raising Cain
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