Most actors fall into a typecast.  Based on looks, acting skills, and presence, an actor will either generally be cast as a “good guy” or a “bad guy”.

Every once in awhile, Hollywood surprises the audience, by taking an actor normally thought of as the protagonist, or hero, and casting them as the villain.  These surprises are normally found in horror films or thrillers, because they usually provide an extra shock to a plot twist.

In honor of actors who have broken their own mold, here is our list of 10 actors who unexpectedly became our memorable villains.  Be warned, there may be plot spoilers.

#10 Orlando Bloom-‘The Good Doctor’

Due to his boyish good looks, and natural charm, Orlando Bloom normally plays our heartbreaking good guy.  He saves the day in films like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘The Three Musketeers’, and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.

However, in ‘The Good Doctor’, he does quite the opposite.  In this 2011 indie film, Bloom plays Dr. Martin Blake who meets an 18-year-old patient named Diane, suffering from a kidney infection, and gets a much-needed boost of self-esteem. However, when her health starts improving, Martin fears losing her, so he begins tampering with her treatment, keeping Diane sick and in the hospital right next to him.  Bloom does a wonderful job turning his boyish good looks into a creepy accessory.

#9 Matthew McConaughey-‘Frailty’

McConaughey is known for his charismatic smile, smooth humor, and fit physique, which leads to heroic roles in movies such as ‘Sahara’, ‘Contact’, and the recently award winning ‘Dallas Buyers Club’.  His roles are usually smart, suave men, who through intelligence and strength, win the day.

In ‘Frailty’, the viewer sees a whole different side to McConaughey.  McConaughey plays the lead role of Fenton Meiks, a man who confesses to an FBI agent his family’s story of how his religious fanatic father’s visions lead to a series of murders to destroy supposed “demons.”  What the viewer gets to see is a dark, seedy, and deeply disturbed character from McConaughey.  One with as much depth as his heroic roles.

#8 Leslie Nielsen-‘Creepshow’

We all remember Leslie Nielsen for his goofy and slapstick roles in ‘Naked Gun’, ‘Airplane!’, and ‘Dracula Dead and Loving It’.

What viewers were surprised to discover, was that Nielsen could also hold is own as Richard Vickers, a unstable man who seeks serious revenge.  When he discovers his wife is cheating on him with a man named Harry Wentworth, Richard decides to take matters into his own unstable hands. He buries them neck deep in sand on the beach, well below the high tide line, showing absolutely no remorse. Nielsen plays Vickers with ease, and is shockingly still appealing.

#7 Halle Berry-‘Perfect Stranger’

Halle Berry is best known for her superhero role in the X-Men franchise, as well as her “wrong place wrong time” heroine roles in ‘Gothika’, ‘Frankie & Alice’, and ‘The Call’.

Viewers were surprised when Berry took a step out of the good spotlight to play Rowena Price, a journalist who goes undercover to ferret out businessman Harrison Hill as her childhood friend’s killer. Posing as one of his temps, she enters into a game of online cat-and-mouse.  What you find at the end of the maze, is a woman who is ready to do anything to protect herself, and hide her deep secrets.

#6 Tom Cruise-‘Interview with the Vampire’

Tom Cruise is featured in many action films as the guy who saves the day and gets the girl.  It’s rare you see Cruise as the ruthless villain who gets away.

Audiences were thrilled and disturbed when Cruise surfaced as Lestat de Lioncourt in 1994’s ‘Interview with the Vampire’.  Cruise turned his charming smile into a sign of malice, turning the main character into a vampire, and teaching him the dark, emotionless ways.  Cruise has since played a villain in ‘Collateral’, but nothing tops the uneasiness audiences felt from his undead peformance.

#5 Robin Williams-‘One Hour Photo’

Robin Williams turns his quiet, goofy awkwardness, and shapes into a creepy performance as Seymour Parrish in ‘One Hour Photo’.  “Uncle Sye”, after being fired for theft from his photo lab position, stalks a family who rejects him as being of their own.  Williams does a tremendous job making the audience cringe and uneasily follow him as he descends further into madness.

Williams also played serial killer villain Walter Finch in ‘Insomnia’, released the same year as ‘One Hour Photo’.  It’s interesting to note, Williams was considered for the role as Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shinning’.

#4 John Goodman-‘Fallen’

Normally known for his jolly attitude, big sense of humor, and contagious laugh, John Goodman is typecasted as the courageous sidekick, or friend to come to when you need wise advice.

In ‘Fallen’, Goodman plays Jonesy, partner to John Hobbes (Denzel Washington).  After chasing the ghost of a dead convict, Hobbes learns the truth behind the case, and Goodman shows himself as a calculating, unnerving villain.  ‘Fallen’ is proof that Goodman can use his acting chops to play the character everyone loves to hate.

#3 Cary Elwes-‘Kiss the Girls’

Sure, Cary Elwes has been in scary movies before (think ‘Saw’), but never as the guy victims run from.

Elwes pulls away from his normal gigs as the goofy, sharp-witted, handsome hero of the people, and transforms into killer Detective Nick Ruskin, aka “Casanova”.  Elwes perfects an icy demeanor as the good looking keeper of women, keeping audiences guessing until the very end.

#2 Harrison Ford-‘What Lies Beneath’

Whether it’s from Germans, airplane hijackers, the dark side, or aliens, Harrison Ford normally saves the day, and gets the girl.

Viewers were pleasantly surprised to find Ford as a university research scientist, Norman Spencer.  Spencer, after his wife is haunted by a dead woman, is found to be a cheater who is willing to do anything to save face.  His chilly attitude, lack of impulse control, and brilliance makes him a great villain, and Ford does a wonderful job portraying so.

#1 Kevin Costner-‘Mr. Brooks’

Kevin Costner, to me, represents the everyday American man.  He’s played a corn farmer, Robin Hood, and even Superman’s dad.  Even his voice, to me, can evoke calmness.

However, in 2007, Costner uses his man-next-door charms and level-headed demeanor against those who trust him as Earl Brooks, a business man by day, and ruthless killer by night.  His alter ego is voiced by William Hurt, and called by “Marshall”, which only highlights his unstable mental state.  Every time Mr. Brooks tries to stop, “Marshall” tells him it’s futile.

Costner does surprisingly well as a ruthless killer, and even pleases audiences by sticking it to Dane Cook, something I think we all have dreamed about at one point or another.

 

 

Hollywood does a wonderful job of keeping it’s audience on their toes.  As long as filmmakers continue to desire to provide psychological twists and turns, we will continue to see those we thought were good, go bad.