5 times Hollywood actors played iconic antagonists
Playing extreme roles can be a tricky affair for an actor, as audiences mostly remember the iconic act where the "hero saves the heroine" from the "bad men." But defying this trend some personalities have proved otherwise. A recent example is Ant-Man 3, where Hollywood actor Jonathan Majors impressed us as Kang the Conqueror. We list five actors who distinguished themselves by being antagonists-in-chief.
Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter
With a career spanning over five decades, Anthony Hopkins is one of the most prolific actors of all time. Hopkins rose to prominence by playing villainous roles in several movies like Fracture, The Wolf Man, and Magic, among others. Famous for portraying Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, which won him an Oscar, Hopkins, showcased a knack for taking bad-guy roles.
Tom Hiddleston As Loki
"Your savior is here..." In the history of superhero movie villains, Tom Hiddleston has made a distinguishable mark by playing the antagonist Loki in the Thor film franchise. The British-born actor's character is a kind of love-to-hate villain, that everyone adores. Notably, he originally auditioned for Thor's role but landed up taking the role of trickster Loki, which gave him immense popularity.
Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort
If you have seen Harry Potter movies, or read acclaimed JK Rowling books, you must know all about "He-who-must-not-be-named." The eerie-looking character, Voldemort, who literally gave us goosebumps, was played by none other than the multitalented, award-winning actor Ralph Fiennes. A prominent name in Hollywood, with a vast repertoire of films, he aced the ruthless Nazi Amon Goeth in Schindler's List, too.
Samuel L Jackson as Mr. Glass
"Pure Evil," comes to our minds when we think about Elijah aka Mr. Glass from Unbreakable. The remarkably complicated character played by Samuel L Jackson, teased in Split, leaves us to hate him or sympathize with him. Jackson has essayed many iconic performances like Nick Fury, but his stint as an antagonist made us believe in the supervillains of the world.
Ian McKellen as Magneto
Ian McKellen is a name that needs no introduction! His stellar performance in the iconic movie Lord of the Rings is still etched in the memories of audiences. But his acting chops shone brightly in the villainous role in X-Men films, where he played an extremely powerful and ruthless mutant. McKellen's noteworthy bad-guy performance made us believe in Magneto's motivations.
