Modified from the imdb listing (which only included western actors, and I'll do the same with my additions). The most obvious drops (and why) are as follows:
Jack Nicholson - doesn't look evil without trying. At all. His evil is more of a focused mania.
Alan Rickman - hey, don't get me wrong, Hans Gruber is one of my all-time favorite movie baddies, but he's not evil or even crazy. He's German.
Willem Dafoe - Most of Willem's roles, especially his good ones, all suffer from being acted by Willem Dafoe. This is not a bad thing. It just is. It's performance art.
Robert Englund - I love the man and his work. He is an incredible stage actor, too, but as Freddie? It's a persona that requires effort. It's why they call it acting, m'boy.
Ralph Fiennes - His performance as Goethe is enough to earn him a place on the short list of great 'evil' actors. No doubt the man has chops. Unfortunately, calling Goethe evil dehumanizes what he did. Can't bring myself to do that.
Honorable mentions: too many to list.
I chose Walken. ("I don't need to be made to look evil. I can do that on my own.") Close second: Klaus Kinski. ("The dimensions of my feelings are too violent.") Close third: Lorre ("Do you think we should drive a stake through his heart just in case?" to Vincent Price at Bela Lugosi's funeral.)
Favorite actor who looks evil without even trying?
Re: Favorite actor who looks evil without even trying?
For the names listed, the only two that strike immediate evil to me are Lee Van Cleef and Peter Lorre. My favorite Van Cleef role is the demented scientist in Roger Corman's IT CONQUERED THE WORLD (1956). He's able to transform a bargain basement sci-fi potboiler into an intense domestic nightmare for his wife, Beverly Garland. Insane. Lorre's patented, pathetic evil, for me, is best exemplified in films like M (1930), MAD LOVE (1935) and STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR (1940). Vincent Price has never once seemed evil to me, merely benign and silly.
To the provided list I would add BELA LUGOSI (evil beyond reason and in spite of itself), RONDO HATTON (challenging our political correctness by assuming none exists), DICK BAKALYAN (from a dozen hopped-up juvenile delinquent movies from the 50s), LEE MARVIN (because no one in their right mind would do that to Gloria Grahame) and KIRK DOUGLAS (evil even when not asked to be, but especially so when he is).
To the provided list I would add BELA LUGOSI (evil beyond reason and in spite of itself), RONDO HATTON (challenging our political correctness by assuming none exists), DICK BAKALYAN (from a dozen hopped-up juvenile delinquent movies from the 50s), LEE MARVIN (because no one in their right mind would do that to Gloria Grahame) and KIRK DOUGLAS (evil even when not asked to be, but especially so when he is).
Last edited by Dewey1960 on May 9th, 2009, 12:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- movieman1957
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Re: Favorite actor who looks evil without even trying?
Dan Duryea. He doesn't have to try very hard to look as nasty as one can be.
Chris
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"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
Re: Favorite actor who looks evil without even trying?
I voted for Peter Lorre, but I also like George Macready.
Last edited by srowley75 on May 9th, 2009, 9:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- charliechaplinfan
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Re: Favorite actor who looks evil without even trying?
I was the one who posted other
Orson Welles he doesn't look like a cartoon baddie kind of evil but he does look like the man you would trust but is actually true evil underneath.
Orson Welles he doesn't look like a cartoon baddie kind of evil but he does look like the man you would trust but is actually true evil underneath.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Re: Favorite actor who looks evil without even trying?
My Best Fiend, Klaus Kinski. Granted, there's an awful lot of Madness (real and otherwise) behind the Evil, but that look in his eyes....
Lee Van Cleef is a close second.
Dick Bakalyan -- a great JD, but not Evil...just misunderstood.
Lee Marvin -- one of the great portrayers of Evil, but isn't the smirk/sneer kind of lovable in a coffee-in-your-face sort of way? And ultimately redeemed by being shot in the back by John Wayne (oooo...maybe he's the Great Evil).
Christopher Walken -- demented, not Evil.
Peter Lorre -- such a pathetic Evil that he becomes sympathetic Evil (whoops...maybe that does make him the truly Evil One).
MacCready and Duryea -- Slime as Evil.
Max Schrenk -- the prototype for Klaus Kinski?
Lawrence Tierney -- just because, and for terrorizing Jerry and George.
Stanley Kramer -- nevermind.
Great poll, Bryce!
Lee Van Cleef is a close second.
Dick Bakalyan -- a great JD, but not Evil...just misunderstood.
Lee Marvin -- one of the great portrayers of Evil, but isn't the smirk/sneer kind of lovable in a coffee-in-your-face sort of way? And ultimately redeemed by being shot in the back by John Wayne (oooo...maybe he's the Great Evil).
Christopher Walken -- demented, not Evil.
Peter Lorre -- such a pathetic Evil that he becomes sympathetic Evil (whoops...maybe that does make him the truly Evil One).
MacCready and Duryea -- Slime as Evil.
Max Schrenk -- the prototype for Klaus Kinski?
Lawrence Tierney -- just because, and for terrorizing Jerry and George.
Stanley Kramer -- nevermind.
Great poll, Bryce!
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
Re: Favorite actor who looks evil without even trying?
Here's my stab at the someone(s) else(s)...
John Malkovich--definitely his smile, even when it's genuine, it's creepy
Crispin Glover--The guy terrifies me
Basil Rathbone--he always makes me feel as if I've done something wrong
George Sanders--you just know you are going to be cut off at the knees
Billy Bob Thornton--gives me the "willies", even in "nice" roles
Lance Henriksen--I think it's his eyes.
George Seigmann--Griffith's "go to" bad guy
Erich von Stroheim--there's a reason he's the man you love to hate
Edward G. Robinson--even in The Ten Commandments he looks like he wants to punch you
Ernest Thesiger--may have the evilest smile in cinema
John Malkovich--definitely his smile, even when it's genuine, it's creepy
Crispin Glover--The guy terrifies me
Basil Rathbone--he always makes me feel as if I've done something wrong
George Sanders--you just know you are going to be cut off at the knees
Billy Bob Thornton--gives me the "willies", even in "nice" roles
Lance Henriksen--I think it's his eyes.
George Seigmann--Griffith's "go to" bad guy
Erich von Stroheim--there's a reason he's the man you love to hate
Edward G. Robinson--even in The Ten Commandments he looks like he wants to punch you
Ernest Thesiger--may have the evilest smile in cinema
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
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