Let’s be real few things are more exciting for film lovers than seeing an actor totally turn on its head. One moment, they’re the heroic savior; the next, they’re the villain we adore. The greatest actors don’t merely act out roles; they inhabit them, separating good and evil with ease. From heroic icons to cinematic monsters, here’s our top 10 countdown of actors who’ve perfected both sides of the morality coin.
10. Samuel L. Jackson
Is anyone cooler at doing both the savior and the threat than Samuel L. Jackson? As Nick Fury, he’s the mastermind behind the Avengers, a solid, commanding presence in the Marvel universe. But Jackson’s darker performances demonstrate a whole other edge: from manipulative Stephen in Django Unchained to the quirky villain Richmond Valentine in Kingsman: The Secret Service and calculating Elijah Price in Unbreakable. Whether he’s saving the world or incinerating it, Jackson’s presence overwhelms every frame.
9. Heath Ledger
Few performances have come to characterize villainy as much as Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, anarchic, terrifying, and completely transmogrifying. It’s the type of part that solidified him as a cinematic legend. But before he did, Ledger was the rom-com hero underdog in A Knight’s Tale and the heroic, sacrificial son in The Patriot. That range, from romantic hero to unhinged madman, revealed a depth that only a handful of actors ever achieve and left a legacy that still inspires.
8. Meryl Streep
If anyone could be both gracious and menacing in equal amounts, it’s Meryl Streep. She’s the epitome of versatility, the impeccably menacing Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, the clever witch in Into the Woods, and the tough, inspiring leaders of The Post and Music of the Heart. Streep’s brilliance is her control; she can make cruelty compelling and empathy powerfully moving, often in the same scene.
7. Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter has turned a career into making the utterly unpredictable, whether she’s conjuring magic as Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter or melting hearts as Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother. Her acting veers from unglued madness to warm motherhood with equal ease. In Enola Holmes, she’s all brains and mayhem as Sherlock’s bad-girl mom. Bonham Carter doesn’t act characters so much as build worlds within them.
6. Denzel Washington
When Denzel Washington appears on screen, you know you’re in for a dose of power embodied. As corrupt cop Alonzo Harris in Training Day, he’s irrepressibly magnetic, winning an Oscar for it. But then he turns it around, applying stoic heroism to parts such as The Equalizer’s vigilante and the virtuous leader in The Magnificent Seven. Whether on your side or not, Denzel demands your complete attention and usually, your admiration.
5. Lena Headey
From brutal queen to brave warrior, Lena Headey has played them all. As Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones, she manipulated, wickedly, and with an eyebrow quirk that could be lethal. But she’s just as fierce in 300 as Queen Gorgo or in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’s iconic Sarah Connor. Headey infuses every character with steel and vulnerability. She’s a force, either rescuing the world or destroying it.
4. Rachel McAdams
Rachel McAdams may be Hollywood’s most under-the-radar talented actress. She made teen nastiness iconic as Regina George in Mean Girls, then reversed and became a hero,s Dr. Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange, and the unflinching reporter in Spotlight. She is capable of shattering hearts in The Notebook, then swiping scenes as a conniving schemer. McAdams lives off of emotional depth; every role feels genuine, whether she’s the villain or the anchor.
3. Idris Elba
Few stars own a screen the way Idris Elba does. He’s played both the heroic warrior and the ruthless villain from his heroics in Thor, Luther, and Pacific Rim to his menacing turns in Beasts of No Nation and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. He even went all-out alien menace in Star Trek Beyond. Charisma, depth, and that unmistakable voice deliver him credibility in any role, good, bad, or somewhere in between.
2. Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman’s very name evokes memories of depth. As Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies, he played for years out in the grey area between baddie and good guy before finally uncovering his devastating fidelity. Before that, long ago, he played the unforgettable Hans Gruber in Die Hard, redefining the contemporary film villain. But he could also melt hearts, as the soft Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility. Rickman’s performances were complex, refined, and unforgettable, the ideal mix of menace and humanity.
1. Gary Oldman
If acting were alchemy, then Gary Oldman would be its master. The man can change into anyone: the unhinged Stansfield in Léon: The Professional, the slimy Drexl Spivey in True Romance, or the mutilated Mason Verger in Hannibal. Then, just as quickly, he is the honorable Jim Gordon in The Dark Knight Trilogy, the dashing Sirius Black in Harry Potter, or Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour. Oldman doesn’t merely act parts; he vanishes into them. Nobody is better at playing good and bad.
Hollywood is fueled by hero and villain tales, but the players who really shine are those who can play both. From Oldman’s complete makeovers, to Rickman’s depth, to Jackson’s trademark swagger, these actors teach us that good and evil aren’t opposite; they’re two faces of the same coin. And these ten actors flip it better than anyone else.