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10 Actors Who Played The Roles of Both Villains And Heroes

It takes an immense amount of talent to be an actor. And on top of that to be able to play both negative and heroic roles with equal charm is a completely different level of talent and perseverance. It is no secret that it is very easy to be typecast in Hollywood, and it only takes an iconic actor to not be remembered for just one iconic role throughout their entire career. Here is a list of actors who have played both the roles of villains and heroes and left us in awe of them each time.

1. Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes played the role of Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series and did a brilliant job at it. In fact, Daniel Radcliffe who played the role of Harry Potter was genuinely scared of Ralph Fiennes during the filming. On the other hand, Ralph’s role in The Grand Budapest Hotel casts him as an absolute charming hero.

2. Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie has been scared of and yet fascinated by the Wicked Witch in Sleeping Beauty since she was a little girl. So when it was time for her to play this character in Maleficent, she effortlessly put out a convincing show. On the contrary, her heroic role as the brave Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was also just as remarkable.

3. Helena Bonham Carter

Helena Bonham Carter did an extraordinary job at playing the role of Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter series. The character is extravagant in itself and Carter fits right into the role. Later the English actor was also seen playing the charming and kind British Queen in The King’s Speech and also got a Best Actress Oscar nomination for the role.

4. Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron had done such an amazingly believable job at being the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Huntsmen that she got a section of fans rooting for her to defeat Snow White. On the contrary, Mad Max: Fury Road was carved especially to tell the story of Furiosa, the character played brilliantly by Charlize.

5. Jack Nicholson

Actors Played Both Villains And Heroes

In the 1980 film The Shining, Jack Nicholson managed to pull off the character transformation from a mentally stable person to a psychopath. On the contrary, Nicholson played the role of a man pretending to be mentally ill in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This film won him his first Best Actor Academy Award and helped him make his mark over the masses and in the industry as well.

6. Tom Cruise

As Lestat in Interview With The Vampire, Tom Cruise was vulgar, arrogant and believed himself to be almost godlike. He was a complete monster with that beautiful face. And then there is Mission impossible and his character of Ethan Hunt who is complex but works in the interest of saving the world, just like heroes are supposed to.

7. Johnny Depp

Actors Played Both Villains And Heroes
Actors Played Both Villains And Heroes

In Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Johnny Depp‘s role as the murderous barber was played so realistically that the actor refrained from watching his own performance. On the other hand, in Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp also cut people’s hair and was the sweetheart of the town and his then-girlfriend Winona Ryder.

8. Gary Oldman

Iconic Actors
Iconic Actors

According to critics, Gary Oldman was born to play evil characters. I mean, who can forget his performance in Dracula, which shot up his popularity. However, Oldman is also quite capable of playing the role of a hero. His iconic role as Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is just as unforgettable as his role in Dracula.

9. Anthony Hopkins

No one can forget Anthony Hopkins playing the role of probably one of the greatest villains in the history of cinema – which is the psychotic Dr. Hannibal Lecter. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t give us many more roles to remember him by – his brilliant performance as Odin, a good Norse God in Thor was amazing as well.

10. Brad Pitt

Actors Played Both Villains And Heroes
Actors Played Both Villains And Heroes

The iconic character of Tyler Durden in Fight Club is one that people have remembered for two decades and will remember for a few more. But that doesn’t mean this bad boy cannot crack an equally unforgettable performance as a hero. And in Troy, playing the role of Achilles, the man was figuratively a Greek God.

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