5 Times Typically 'Good Guy' Actors Played Great Villains
They surprised fans and showed the true range of the actors' talents.
After watching enough movies, some actors become associated with "good guy" roles because they have played the overwhelming majority of them in their careers.
Sometimes, however, they go off the beaten path and play surprisingly good villains, proving the range of their talents.
Collateral (2010) – Tom Cruise
Most viewers know Tom for his heroic roles, such as Ethan Hunt from the Mission Impossible franchise, but he also makes a convincing villain, as this neo-noir action thriller shows.
A professional hitman, Vincent is both charming and intimidating, and he shares many memorable scenes with Max (Jamie Foxx), a taxi driver who finds himself his unwitting accomplice.
The Departed (2006) – Matt Damon
A far cry from his other roles, such as Will Hunting, Damon portrays the slippery Colin Sullivan, who was raised by an Irish mob boss and managed to infiltrate the police as a mole, leading to an intense game of cat and mouse with Leonardo DiCaprio 's Billy Costigan.
Django Unchained (2012) – Leonardo DiCaprio
Speaking of DiCaprio, he also took on an unusual villainous role for him in this Western from Quentin Tarantino.
Playing the unhinged plantation owner Calvin J. Candie, the actor seems almost unrecognizable as the charismatic villain facing off against the titular ex-slave Django (Jamie Foxx) and Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz).
The Terminator ( 1984) – Arnold Schwarzenegger
The role of the T-800 has become synonymous with Arnold over the years, launching his entire career to immeasurable heights.
But after all the Terminator movies he has appeared in, some people may forget that he was originally the villain of the story, playing an unstoppable killing machine that "can't be reasoned with" in an almost horror-like first film.
The Dark Knight (2008) – Heath Ledger
When it was announced that Cristopher Nolan had cast Heath Ledger to play such an iconic villain as the Joker, it caused quite a bit of controversy at the time, as no one could even predict that he would get the role.
Ironically, it turned out to be one of the best, and sadly one of the last, of the actor's career, as he passed away a few months before the film's release.
