Good or bad, they’re always brilliant.
Welcome to WatchMojo UK, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10
British actors who can play heroes and villains.
For this list, we’ll be highlighting the best British performers who are equally adept
at playing good and evil.
Today’s picks are based on the quality of each actor’s work, but also the popularity
of their polar opposite roles, the frequency with which they seem to switch sides, and
the balanced reputation each entry has achieved.
So, if an actor is predominantly known as a villain but they’ve occasionally played
the goodie, they’re likely to score a lower rank.
A much-missed and multi-talented performer, Alan Rickman kick started his career as the
iconic antagonist in the perennial action classic “Die Hard”.
And, mostly thanks to that phenomenal performance as Hans Gruber, Rickman was somewhat typecast
as a shoo-in villain for a considerable time.
However, Rickman’s back-catalogue boasts some pitch perfect protagonists, too.
And his ability to balance both sides of morality was made famously clear through his role as
the Potions Master Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” films.
She’s an actress generally known for playing kind and endearing characters, but that pleasant
exterior can also be weaponized for the opposite effect.
Staunton’s Oscar-nominated performance as the kind-hearted (if controversial) title
character in “Vera Drake” remains one of her best remembered roles, but she’s
arguably best recognised by mainstream movie audiences for playing Dolores Umbridge in
“Harry Potter”.
A role which well and truly flipped her typically likeable demeanour, she became one of the
most detested villains in the entire series.
Often cast in eccentric roles, Bonham Carter has at least proven she can play both kinds
of madness.
The actress’ unique energy, dedication and style makes her a good fit for roles like
the Fairy Godmother in “Cinderella”, but also equally suitable as a bonkers villain
in the Tim Burton “Alice in Wonderland” films.
Though her more critically acclaimed roles tend be more nuanced, Helena Bonham Carter
still relishes the opportunity to work at either end of the over dramatic scale.
Though first introduced to audiences as the duplicitous Bond girl Miranda Frost in “Die
Another Day”, Rosamund Pike’s ensuing career has mostly focused on kinder roles.
After period pieces such as “Pride and Prejudice” and action roles in movies like “Wrath of
the Titans”, she seemed to be treading a hero’s trail.
But then came David Fincher’s “Gone Girl”, where she plays the twisted Amy Dunne - which
definitely recaptured Pike’s evil side.
The change of direction was well worth it too, netting her an Oscar nomination.
This actor showed both sides of his potential at a very early stage in his career.
As the unstable alcoholic Begbie in “Trainspotting” and the down-on-his-luck steelworker Gaz in
“The Full Monty”, Robert Carlyle quickly proved he was not one to be typecast.
And, though he can play one side or the other with apparent ease, he’s often at his best
when balancing them both at the same time.
His role as Rumplestiltskin in “Once Upon a Time” offers a prime example of the on-again/off-again
menace he’s capable of.
Considered one of the greatest chameleon actors of his generation, Gary Oldman’s acting
range seems to have scaled good, evil and everything else in between.
Though contemporary audiences will most likely be familiar with him as a good guy ally to
both The Boy Who Lived and The Caped Crusader, the actor’s early career is crammed with
colourful villain roles in films like “True Romance” and “The Fifth Element”.
And let’s not forget his Oscar-winning turn as wartime leader and British icon, Winston
Churchill - which further proved his unrivalled versatility.
He’s marked down by many as a blatant baddie, but Mark Strong has consistently proven he
can be anything but.
Yes, he’s played cold-blooded nemeses in the likes of “Kick-Ass” and “Sherlock
Holmes”, but he’s since flipped that perception several times.
Most notably, his role as Merlin in the “Kingsman” franchise has shown he has a lighter side,
whilst his wider film work has often highlighted how Strong can nail a genuinely noble character.
In fact, his bad guy stereotype usually adds extra emotional intensity to his more admirable
characters.
Widely recognised as the Tenth Doctor in the BBC’s seminal sci-fi series, Tennant has
worked on both sides of the character spectrum, both before and after his most famous role.
His performance as the Doctor was known for being fairly outlandish, but he’s also utilized
that eccentricity for nefarious purposes for roles like Barty Crouch Jr. in “The Goblet
of Fire”, and as Kilgrave in “Jessica Jones” - where he earned rave reviews as
one of the MCU’s best villains.
Either way, this actor always delivers.
This “Sherlock” star could quite easily have become typecast on either side of the
good/bad divide, but he has impressively balanced his allegiances throughout his entire career.
Cumberbatch is famed for his leading man roles as the inimitable Baker Street detective or
as a Sorcerer Supreme in the Marvel Universe, but he’s also widely regarded for villainous
turns in the fantasy world of Middle-earth and the far-flung adventures of the USS Enterprise.
Another chameleonic performer, a Cumberbatch character can keep you guessing until the
very end.
As arguably the most distinguished performer on today’s list, Sir Ian has shown his skill
in becoming both heroes and villains since his days at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
But, he portrayed his two most memorable movie roles simultaneously, at the beginning of
the 21st century.
Playing the noble wizard Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” and the mutant terrorist
Magento in “X-Men”, McKellen majestically captured our imaginations with completely
opposite characters.
Whether kind and courageous or rugged and twisted, he’s the ultimate example of acting
adaptability.