HORROR TEN SPOT: Top 10 Good Guys Go Bad

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

Written By Serena Whitney

There are certain actors we watch in movies who constantly play the protagonists in almost all of their roles. Whether they are most known for making us laugh, saving the world, or solving crime, most of these actors always play it safe for the fear of destroying their image or for not being able to play a convincing bad guy. (*cough Keanu Reeves in The Watcher *cough)

Some actors thankfully get over that fear and take risks, and sometimes exceed viewers’ expectations with their leaps from heroes to villains onscreen. (It worked for Denzel!) Here is my personal list of my favorite “bad to the bone” performances from popular “good guy” actors.


WARNING – SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!

1. Brad Pitt – Kalifornia

Brad Pitt’s gripping performance in Seven, convinced me he was not just a pretty boy, but that he was a damn good actor. Although, I would have been convinced two years earlier of that fact, if I had watched Kalifornia first. In the film he played Early Grayce, a psychotic and menacing, yet not so bright serial killer. If you can get past the film’s slow pace, I would recommend this a film as a must-see for Brad Pitt fans. It is truly one of his best yet overlooked performances to date.

2. Harrison Ford – What Lies Beneath

If this film had not cast Harrison Ford as the deceitful husband who ended up being the bad guy at the end, I think I (as well as others) would have figured out the twist ending earlier on in this supernatural thriller. I can’t tell you how high I jumped when he grabbed Michelle Pfeiffer after she discovered he dialed 411 instead of 911 on the portable phone. It was an amazing casting choice, for the ending would have been so predictable if a lesser-known actor had played the part.

3. Tom Cruise – Interview with the Vampire

Before Interview with the Vampire came out in theatres, Tom Cruise was being criticized for not being right for the role of the lead vampire, Lestat. (A key character in Anne Rice’s famous “Vampire Chronicles” novels) However, Tom Cruise shocked everybody when he received great reviews for his performance in the gothic vampire film. This is one of my favorite Tom Cruise roles, and I thought he definitely did a better job playing Lestat than Stuart Townsend did in the forgettable Queen of the Damned.

4. Kurt Russell – Death Proof

Although, I was not the biggest fan of Quentin Tarantino’s installment in Grindhouse, there was one thing I loved about this film, and that was the presence of Mr. Badass himself, Kurt “Stuntman Mike” Russell. In spite of the fact that he was very underused in Death Proof, he managed to steal every scene he was in. I just wish the film dealt more with him running down annoying girls with his car, instead of hearing the annoying girls talk about nothing for 45 minutes straight, but that’s just me. 😉

5. Harry Connick Jr. – Copycat

This talented singer/actor is most known for his roles in Independence Day and the show Will and Grace, but his breakout performance however was playing Daryll Lee Cullum, a redneck and crazy serial killer in the thriller, Copycat. Harry Connick Jr. sold me as a great actor during the film’s frightening prologue where his character attacks Sigourney Weaver in a bathroom stall. It surprises me how he has had very few film roles since, but hopefully one day that will change.

6. Morgan Freeman – Dreamcatcher

I have a confession to make. I really enjoyed Dreamcatcher. (Feel free to blast me endlessly for that comment.) What I especially liked in this “very guilty pleasure” of mine was the insane and ruthless alien hunter, Colonel Curtis. (Played by the great Morgan Freeman) For an actor who is known for playing God, the President, and very intellectual police detectives, I thought it was a bold and welcome character change for him. So what if this role is hailed for being his worst onscreen performance by many critics, I thought he did a kickass job, and he looked like he had a lot of fun filming it. (It had to at least be more fun than filming Edison Force.)

7. Ethan Hawke – Taking Lives

When I had watched the trailer for this film years ago, audiences were made to believe that notorious bad guy, (well…before 24 anyways) Kiefer Sutherland was the serial killer in this 2003 thriller. Although, when it was revealed that Ethan Hawke was in fact the culprit behind the murders, I felt completely misled, disappointed, and stupid for not being able to figure out the “oh so obvious” plot twist earlier on. However, Ethan was able to play the villain convincingly during the film’s infamous “scissors scene.” (I won’t spoil that one for you folks! That one you have to see for yourselves!)

7. Ethan Hawke – Taking Lives

When I had watched the trailer for this film years ago, audiences were made to believe that notorious bad guy, (well…before 24 anyways) Kiefer Sutherland was the serial killer in this 2003 thriller. Although, when it was revealed that Ethan Hawke was in fact the culprit behind the murders, I felt completely misled, disappointed, and stupid for not being able to figure out the “oh so obvious” plot twist earlier on. However, Ethan was able to play the villain convincingly during the film’s infamous “scissors scene.” (I won’t spoil that one for you folks! That one you have to see for yourselves!)

9. Frank Whaley & Ethan Embry – Vacancy

If someone had told me before I had went to see Vacancy that these two actors (who were best known for playing geeks in 90’s comedies) were going to be the villains in the movie, I probably wouldn’t have been so excited to see the film. Thankfully, I went into this disturbing flick not knowing they were in it, and I was very surprised to see how convincing they were in their menacing roles. Frank Whaley sold me as the psychotic motel owner, and Ethan Embry freaked me out during each scene he chased the protagonists of the film. (The T-1000 of masked killers if you ask me!)

10. Owen Wilson – Minus Man

It’s funny how many people have not even heard of this 1999 mystery flick. Every time I tell my friends Owen Wilson played a killer in a movie, they always laugh and tell me I must be mistaken. Before he was well known for his hilarious roles, Owen Wilson had played Vann, a twisted, cold, yet oddly enough likable serial killer who moves to a small town in The Minus Man. This is definitely a performance not to be missed!

Tags: Hollywood

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