An actor should be able to face any type of role thrown at them, after all this is the challenge that actors must deal with when they take on complicated, dark and mentally disturbing film roles. People rarely seem to remember an actors role as a nice, friendly and warm character. Instead, it is the villains of films that often give more value and as a result tend to be remembered in the long term.
However, in these sorts of roles, there are a few actors out there who surprise us due to their friendly manners and personality off screen. Could anyone imagine, for example, the sweet and innocent Hermione from 'Harry Potter' changing into an evil traitor, or even the likes of Dustin Hoffman playing a dark villain?
Many actors with a face that look like they have never smashed a plate or told a lie in their life, and have played good characters in films before, often surprise the public with their dark side, which in some cases can create a complete change in their careers. One example is that of Jake Gyllenhaal, someone who could be the perfect son-in-law to any family until we see him in complex roles in films such as 'Donnie Darko', 'Enemy' and 'Nightcrawler'.
Friendly faces, evil inside
We have come up with a list of 13 adorable actors that have been capable of turning into the likes of dangerous murders, psychopaths, rude and obnoxious individuals and all in all typical villains.
1 Imelda Staunton in 'Harry Potter' (2001-2011)
Would anyone really think that this adorable and friendly woman who was nominated for an Oscar in 'Vera Drake' and has been in the likes of 'Sense and Sensibility', 'Nanny McPhee' and 'Pride' could have the capabilities of a villain? Well, the actress with what seems a harmful and innocent face has played one of the most hated characters in the 'Harry Potter' sagas.
Imelda Staunton played professor Dolores Umbridge, an evil and ruthless woman whose teaching "methods" were with the aim of making Hogwarts like some sort of authoritarian regime by torturing students by writing phrases in their own blood like "I must not tell lies". A sociopathic character that gave the actress the opportunity to delve into a very complex and evil role.
2 Anthony Perkins in 'Psycho' (1960)
He was the perfect son-in-law. Anthony Perkins quickly rose to fame in Hollywood with memorable parts in films such as 'The Actress' and more notably 'Friendly Persuasion' for which he was nominated for an Oscar as the best supporting actor. After successful roles in movies such as 'Fear Strikes Out' and 'The Matchmaker', he started showing his musical ability. His immaculate image of a serious young man all seemed to change when he accepted the role of starring in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film 'Psycho'.
His performance as Norman Bates was brilliant, which led to him being remembered for this murderous psychopathic character for the majority of his career. It originally earned him international recognition, as he won the Best Actor award at Cannes for the 1961 film 'Goodbye Again' and even worked in Europe together with Orson Welles in the 'The Trial', based on the novel by Franza Kafka. He also appeared in 'A Ravishing Idiot', together with Bridget Bardot and 'Murder on the Orient Express'.
However, in Hollywood he was seen as a psychopathic murderer on the screen which made his role in 'Psycho' the perfect role for the American actor.
3 Julia Roberts in 'Mirror, Mirror' (2012)
Who would have thought that the protagonist in 'Pretty Woman', 'The Pelican Brief' and 'Notting Hill' would have the opportunity to show an evil side to her as a wicked stepmother in 'Mirror,Mirror'? Although it is hard to believe, Julia Roberts is indeed the villain of this film.
It was in 'Mirror, Mirror' where the actress brought out her dark side, although it has to be said with a comical touch that made viewers somewhat forgive her for her wrongdoings she committed against the poor princess played by Lily Collins. The evil Queen is one of the few bad characters the actress has played in a successful career which has seen her win an Oscar for her part in 'Erin Brockovich'.
4 Maribel Verdú in 'Snow White' (2012)
Speaking of wicked stepmothers, in 2012 there was another actress with a young and innocent face who showed her dark side and came along to torture the poor 'Snow White'. Yes, in Hollywood the likes of Julia Roberts surprised us all and Charlize Theron did a good job, and in Spain it was Maribel Verdú's job.
Verdú pulled out her most fierce side in order to play the to wicked stepmother of Macarena García, as she even made her own stepdaughter see their poor pet rooster get turned into a plate. Without doubt one of the better roles that the Spanish actress has played, and certainly one of the most terrifying.
5 Mark Hamill in 'Batman' (1992)
His fans already know but nevertheless, try and imagine the famous jedi Luke Skywalker as the perfect voice for Batmans nemesis: The Joker. In fact, after his legendary role in the 'Star Wars' saga, it is his role as the Dark Knights enemy that a lot of people remember him for.
As a result of his success as the voice of the Joker, it was a contributing factor to the release of the animated film 'Batman: The Killing Joke' in which he returned to voice the villain. Mark Hamill is known for his voice in the 1992 animated series, and although other actors have attempted the role, he is the real voice of the Joker.
6 Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight' (2008)
Well, whilst on the subject of the Joker, when Heath Ledger was to relive Jack Nicholson's role as the archenemy of Batman, many people now defend the decision to choose the actor who appeared in films such as 'A Knight's Tale', 'Casanova' and 'Ned Kelly'.
As a result, when the time came the actor certainly silenced his doubters as the role of Ledger in 'The Dark Knight' has been branded as not only one of best interpretations of DC Comic character, but one of the best performances in a superhero film in general.
7 Emma Watson in 'Regression' (2015)
Would the sweet and innocent Hermione really have the character or turning into a authentic manipulator capable of making a man turn crazy to get what he wants? The 'Harry Potter' and 'Beauty and the Beast' actress showed us all how her young looking face can in fact be the mask of a cold and evil woman in the film 'Regression', directed by Alejandor Amenábar.
With the return of the Spanish director, Emma Watson showed us her acting qualities for darker roles which we haven't seen before and are certainly far from her personality as the intelligent Hogwarts student we have grown to love. She plays a young girl named Angela who has apparently been a victim of sexual abuse by her father. The detective Bruce Kenner, played by Ethan Hawke works hard to reveal some hidden secrets.
8 Dustin Hoffman in 'Hook' (1991)
The actor has a face of someone you know you can trust. Dustin Hoffman has had many differing roles in films throughout his career, such as 'Midnight Cowboy', 'Toostie', 'Kung Fu Panda' and 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium'. All such roles have been for good roles, more or less. However, he has had complicated roles and one great example is his role in Steven Spielberg's 1991 film 'Hook'.
Hoffman plays the legendary Captain hook, the arch enemy of Peter Pan, who is in fact an adult in this version played by the one and only Robin William. It was a great opportunity for the actor to portray a classic villain and show us a side we rarely see.
9 Kathy Bates in 'Misery' (1990)
With the case of Kathy Bates, many people thought that the psychotic fan of Paul Sheldon in 'Misery' would be able to play such a dark and fierce role. Fans didn't have to wait too long though until she was back to her humble self, as the following year she appeared in 'Fried Green Tomatoes', where she played a shy Evelyn, a woman unsatisfied with her who life befriends an old lady and decides to turn her life around.
After that the actress has played similar nice characters in the likes of 'Titanic', 'Midnight in Paris' and 'About Schmidt'.
10 Guillaume Canet in 'Next Time I'll Aim for the Heart' (2014)
The French actor and director has a very kind-hearted face on him which are shown in films such as 'Merry Christmas', 'Love me if you Dare' and 'Hunting and Gathering'. However, this ideal image is not the only side to the actor as he plays a serial killer in 'Next Time I'll Aim for the Heart'.
Based on real events, Guillaume Canet, who plays Franck, a police detective in Paris. Franck is investigating the case of a man who is murdering female hitchhikers passing through the area. The locals are terrified, however what they don't know is that the detective is actually the murderer himself.
11January Jones in 'X-Men: First Class' (2011)
In 'X-Men:First Class', January Jones leaves her nice and classy personality to one side which we know from when she played the likes of Grace Kelly in 'Mad Men', to become the super-villain Emma Frost.
Although in the Marvel stories, Frost is one of the more important members of the group, in the film directed by Matthew Vaughn she was deemed a villain, just like she was in the start of the comics. Jones dazzled us with her ability to turn her attractive figure into a strong diamond shield with superhuman resistance.
12 Christian Bale in 'American Psycho' (2000)
Looking back at Christian Bale's past roles, he hasn't had many bad guy roles. However, one exception is one of his more well known roles in he film 'American Psycho'. Bates plays Patrick Bateman, a handsome investment banker working on Wall Street who is also a murderous psychopath.
Without a doubt, Bale gave everything to the role for this iconic character, created by writer Bret Easton Ellis. A character whose luxurious lifestyle turns out to bore him, so he resorts to killing people to fulfill his desires.
13 Meryl Streep in 'The Devil Wears Prada' (2006)
To play a villain in a movie, it is not a necessity to be a murderer or psychopath, instead even just being a workaholic who lacks empathy can be deemed as evil, just like the case of Meryl Streep in 'The Devil Wears Prada'. Considering she is one of the best actresses of her generation, nominated 19 times for an Oscar, she has very rarely depicted a villain in a movie. The closest she has seemed to get is being that of the chief editor of a New York fashion magazine, Miranda Priestly.
Authoritative and cold, the way in which she treats her employees with both psychological and emotional abuse is pretty evil, something which viewers will easily pick up on despite the film being a romantic comedy as such.