Let’s be real—casting can either make or break a story. You may have the most wonderful script and visuals in the world, but if the actor playing a particular role doesn’t work, the magic just isn’t there. The ideal casting, however? Lightning in a bottle. It can make us laugh until we cry, cheer on a villain, or reconsider a character we believed we knew. Sometimes it’s one actor dominating the part; sometimes it’s a whole cast going gangbusters. Here are 10 moments when casting directors nailed the target.
10. Margo Martindale in BoJack Horseman
When an actor is cast as himself and magically turns into a fan-favorite character, you know it’s something special. Margo Martindale’s recurring appearance as “Esteemed Character Actress Margo Martindale” was a wild, self-referential joy. Her wildly exaggerated misadventures became so legendary that the in-joke still arises in fan circles years after the fact.
9. Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge – Harry Potter
Not many performances make people actively loathe a character—and that’s praise here. Imelda Staunton’s sweet, sinister take on Umbridge was so genuine it got people seething. She got the character’s prim, pink facade concealing a genuinely vile center just right.
8. Jesse Plemons as Todd – Breaking Bad
Todd wasn’t boisterous, flashy, or showy—he was uncomfortably quiet, and that made him more terrifying. Jesse Plemons had the perfect level of calm menace in every scene, leaving audiences wondering what he was going to do next. His unpredictability made Todd unforgettable.
7. Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute – The Office
There’s a reason that Dwight ended up one of the most quotable characters in sitcom history: Rainn Wilson suited the part like it was tailor-made for him. From his weird beet-farm philosophy to his absolute devotion to Michael Scott, Wilson turned Dwight into the center of the show’s humor.
6. The Addams Family Cast
Finding one good actor is difficult. Finding an entire cast just right is a miracle. Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, and Christina Ricci didn’t merely act the Addamses—they were the Addamses. Their chemistry, timing, and devotion to the creepy and kooky atmosphere made the movies cult classics.
5. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark – Iron Man
Marvel took a gamble on Robert Downey Jr., and it paid off in ways no one could’ve predicted. His swagger, wit, and humanity brought Tony Stark to life so completely that it’s now impossible to picture anyone else in the role. In many ways, his casting shaped the entire MCU.
4. Bryan Cranston as Walter White – Breaking Bad
Going from goofy sitcom dad in Malcolm in the Middle to a morally crumbling drug kingpin was no small leap. Bryan Cranston made Walter White’s transformation believable from start to finish—starting as a man you sympathize with, then slowly shifting into someone terrifying. That arc works because Cranston nailed every beat.
3. Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa – Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino required an individual who had the capability to be charming, frightening, and multilingual—step forward, Christoph Waltz. His turn as Hans Landa was razor-sharp, half charisma, half menace, and immediately fixed him as one of cinema’s greatest villains.
2. Accurate Deaf Casting in CODA
Representation is important, and CODA showed how effective real casting could be. By casting deaf actors—Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, and Daniel Durant—the film didn’t merely tell a tale, it lived it. Kotsur won an Oscar, and the deployment of ASL consultants and interpreters on the movie set a new standard for diversity in Hollywood.
1. Meryl Streep—Effectively Every Role She’s Ever Had
There’s a reason that Meryl Streep’s name is synonymous with “perfect casting.” She brings icy poise as Miranda Priestly or vanishes into historical figures, and she makes every movie she’s in better. Casting Streep doesn’t only assure a solid performance—it tends to pull equally solid co-stars along, forming powerhouse casts.
Casting directors may not receive their Oscar nods (yet), but their contributions make the stories we adore. Single-scene stunners to all-time casts, these selections remind us that sometimes the greatest choice is made before the cameras roll.