Hollywood typecasting can be a curse for many "good guy" actors and actresses, but some have managed to escape their pigeonholes with acclaimed performances as villains. It’s a rare thing, especially for performers who are so comfortable with and accustomed to playing heroes, bleeding hearts, or softies. Still, sometimes an actor will be offered the chance to flex their theatrical muscles and try something new. It’s been the case throughout cinema history, with some actors stuck with their labels for decades before they get the chance to explore new dramatic avenues. Naturally, it can work both ways, with typecasted villains getting the chance to go good.

There can be an element of the bittersweet in seeing an actor – previously typecasted for dozens of years – suddenly try a new kind of role and excel, leaving audiences lamenting about what might have been if the same actor had been given chances like this earlier in their career. Often, actors will try out a new type of character, do well with them, only to revert back to their typecast, either out of choice or because they are pressured into doing so by audiences and producers. Sometimes, however, they keep at it. With that in mind, here are seventeen “good guy” actors and actresses who went dark for perfect movie villains.

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Henry Fonda - Once Upon a Time in the West

One of the biggest families in Hollywood is the Fondas, whose actors include Jane, Peter, Bridget, Troy Garity, and patriarch Henry. In the mid-20th century, Henry Fonda made a name playing everyman heroes like Tom Joad in John Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath, justice-seeking lawmen like Juror #8 in 12 Angry Men, and sympathetic protagonists like Gil Carter in The Ox-Bow Incident. In 1968, however, he ventured into mainstream villain territory for the first time in his career, playing the ruthless and cold-blooded hired gun named Frank. Sergio Leone’s choice to cast him was deliberately subversive and showcased Fonda’s range like no one else had before. He’s chilling, enigmatic, and unforgettable in the role.

Jim Broadbent - Hot Fuzz

Though American audiences might not be as familiar with him, Jim Broadbent is a staple of British television and film, having appeared in countless films over the course of fifty years. He is best known for playing soft-spoken, kind-hearted older gentlemen, which is how he is first presented in Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz (of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy), in which he plays Police Inspector Frank Butterman. As the true hilariously evil capabilities of Frank are slowly revealed, however, Broadbent is allowed to show his true range in a role that he is clearly having fun in. Frank is maniacal, violent, and hubristic, but he is above all hilarious, and that is due in no small part to Broadbent’s abilities.

James Cagney – White Heat

Raoul Walsh’s classic crime drama White Heat (1949) brought James Cagney back to Warner Bros. after lengthy contract disputes resulting in his hiatus. It was an inspired way to bring him back, as Cagney, playing the psychopathic and erratic criminal leader Cody Jarrett, expertly portrays the explosiveness, instability, and inhumanity of one of cinema’s most violent bad guys. It’s an electrifying performance, perfectly summed up during the top-of-the-world scene, which itself has become one of cinema’s most beloved moments. Cagney’s trademark energy and charisma are part of the reason that White Heat is still considered one of the greatest gangster movies ever made.

Julie Andrews – Victor/Victoria

Forever remembered for her iconic roles in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, Julie Andrews was established as one of the most talented actors and singers of the 1960s. In 1982, however, she diversified her career more than she previously had done by playing the two titular identities in Victor/Victoria. It won her an Academy Award nomination, and although the Victoria character, who transforms herself into a male female impersonator named Victor, is not explicitly villainous, her duplicity and willingness to impersonate others warrant a place on this list. She is also one of Andrews’ finest achievements, cementing her as one of Hollywood’s most versatile performers.

Robin Williams – One Hour Photo

The early 2000s marked a period in Robin Williams’ illustrious career where he sought to challenge himself with more dramatic and dark roles than he previously had. In 2002, he starred in two acclaimed psychological thriller films, the first being One Hour Photo, in which he played an obsessive stalker hellbent on following a family whom he has been photographing. His character Seymour is complex, unsettling and sometimes haunting, and is played with such confidence that it is hard to imagine that Williams has always been one of the biggest names in comedy. Robin Williams broke typecasting again before his tragic death in 2014, and it’s easy to see why.

Kurt Russell – Death Proof

Quentin Tarantino’s most overlooked film is undoubtedly his exploitation thriller Death Proof, starring Kurt Russell as the charismatic, sinister Stuntman Mike, who uses his car to kill young women. Russell’s charm is apparent in Mike’s more devious moments, but his previously underused darker side comes out when Mike starts killing, and it’s a fantastic watch. Prior to Death Proof, Russell had had a varied career playing action heroes, comedy characters, lawmen, and everyman guys, but had rarely tried his hand at playing out-and-out villains. Death Proof is one of Tarantino’s most watchable, easy-going films, and Russell’s charisma and sadistic charm are at the center of it.

Michael Keaton – Spider-Man: Homecoming

Few castings in superhero movies have drawn excitement like Michael Keaton’s did in the first of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films. It marked his return to the genre for the first time since playing Batman in 1989, this time playing Adrian Toomes, a blue-collar salvage worker brought to a life of crime by a threat to his livelihood. His alter ego is Vulture, a sympathetic and yet menacing villain who earned Keaton widespread acclaim for his nuanced performance. Prior to Homecoming, Keaton had been better known for playing understated heroes, struggling everymen, and crime fighters. Afterward, public interest in his work was renewed, and his status as a versatile actor was reaffirmed.

Elijah Wood – Sin City

Robert Rodriguez’s films have always pushed the boundaries of what cinema is allowed to do, and Sin City is perhaps his magnum opus in this respect. Though prior to this (and probably still today), Elijah Wood’s name was forever associated with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, he was given the chance to play a sinister, silent, and cannibalistic serial killer named Kevin, serving as a henchman to Rutger Hauer’s Cardinal Roark. Wood is memorably scary, conveying pure evil from his character without uttering a single word, truly showing what range he has as an actor. There is possibly no greater contrast between two characters than Frodo Baggins and Kevin.

Tom Hanks - Road to Perdition

Though one of the most celebrated Hollywood dads and often regarded as the nicest man in cinema, Tom Hanks has occasionally tried his hand at playing bad guys. The best of these is esteemed director Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition, in which Hanks plays Michael Sullivan Sr., a hitman employed by an Irish mob boss during the Great Depression. Hanks is widely known for playing affable characters in such films as Forrest Gump, Sleepless in Seattle, and Toy Story, but his revenge-seeking Michael character in Perdition is far from them. Conflicted, violent, and complex, Sullivan is by no means a one-dimensional villain, and he’s tremendously played by an actor unaccustomed to bad guys.

Jim Carrey - Sonic the Hedgehog

Video game adaptations are notoriously hard to get right, although both movie and television industries seem to be turning a corner on this front, with The Last of Us and The Super Mario Bros. Movie both releasing to critical acclaim in 2023. Sonic the Hedgehog, a 2020 live-action/CGI hybrid adaptation, was mostly well-received as well, not least in part because of comedy legend Jim Carrey’s star turn as the Dr Robotnik, the iconic video game antagonist. Although not unlike his typical performance in that Robotnik is over-the-top, eccentric, and funny, the villain is still a unique portrayal by Carrey, who brings his infectious energy in scores.

Brad Pitt - Fight Club

David Fincher’s adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club novel was not initially met with much acclaim but has since become a cult classic. The psychological drama centers around the narrator, played by Edward Norton, as he becomes fixated with the mercurial and iconic Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt. As Tyler’s influence becomes more complex and mysterious as the film goes on, so does the narrator’s perception of reality. Pitt physically transformed for the role, bulking up and throwing in a memorable hairstyle, and moved away from his more typical roles as charismatic, good-natured heroes. It’s one of his most unforgettable performances and cemented him as one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading men.

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Although only 29 when he was cast as the indelible Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger had already established himself as one of the most beloved heartthrobs in all of cinema. Previously best known for his roles as romantic and charismatic men in 10 Things I Hate About You and Brokeback Mountain, Ledger went all-out for a performance for the ages as Batman’s most notorious enemy. He won a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, having captured the admiration of audiences and critics alike for his devotion to the role. The legacy of the portrayal is one of mystique and fascination, and often regarded as one of film’s greatest

Related: 10 Perfectly Cast Villains In Movies & TV.

Tom Cruise - Collateral

Michael Mann is undoubtedly one of the best directors working today, despite that he has only directed eleven films in the forty-two years leading to 2023. His casting of Tom Cruise as Vincent, a calculating and professional contract killer, created a sense of intrigue around the film in 2004, mostly because of Cruise having established himself as an action hero before then. Mann felt that Cruise’s charisma and presence could make the character seem more unpredictable, and this was absolutely the case. Cruise received widespread acclaim for playing the character, and Mann’s decision to cast him in Collateral as an antagonist made the film one of Mann’s most dynamic and compelling.

Charlize Theron - The Fate of the Furious

Having previously worked with Charlize Theron on The Italian Job (2003), director F. Gary Gray had no hesitation in casting her in The Fate of the Furious in 2016. Playing Cipher, an enigmatic and genius cyberterrorist, Theron was tasked with adopting a chilling and calculating demeanor in order to make Cipher seem like a formidable threat to the protagonists. The character drives much of the plot’s action – making her even more compelling – but it’s her power over and coercion of Vin Diesel’s Dom that makes her such an enjoyable villain. Though Theron had previously won acclaim for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, she was otherwise better known for playing good guys.

Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada

Meryl Streep was initially concerned about her casting as a prestigious fashion magazine’s editor-in-chief due to a demanding schedule and the potential for the character to be too stereotypical. She dropped these worries after talking to director David Frankel, going on to play what would become a powerful, enigmatic, and nuanced character. The savage Miranda Priestly could easily have been played as a one-dimensional villain, but Streep added layers of personality, vulnerability, and mystique, ultimately earning her an Academy Award nomination. Her chemistry with both Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt was also very important to the film’s success, but Streep, most well-associated with good-natured, struggling heroes, is arguably the best part of The Devil Wears Prada.

Harrison Ford - What Lies Beneath

Up until the 2000s and the rise of the MCU, Harrison Ford was possibly the biggest franchise actor in the world, with leading roles in both Star Wars and Indiana Jones. He had previously worked with director Robert Zemeckis before starring in What Lies Beneath (2002) and was drawn to the script for this reason and because the character of Norman Spencer might give him the chance to do something different. Spencer is ambiguous and sinister, growing increasingly intimidating as more of his secrets are revealed throughout the film. Zemeckis was right to take a chance with Ford, whose typecasting as a witty, charismatic hero had prevented him from previously undertaking such roles.

Gloria Swanson - Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard is arguably the best film ever made about Hollywood, with director Billy Wilder’s casting of former silent film star Gloria Swanson essential to its success. The film is littered with meta-commentary about the industry, but having the lead character Norma Desmond herself being a faded film icon added to the many layers of authenticity the film has. Swanson had been better known for playing charming, comedic, and sometimes romantic leads during the silent era, but her role in Sunset Boulevard was truly transcendent despite that her character’s motivations become increasingly adverse. Swanson expertly navigates Desmond’s emotional complexities, making her descent into madness one of the best character arcs in cinema.