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Person Online Asks “Which Actor Crushed A Role So Hard That Nobody Else Will Be Able To Live Up To It?”, 50 People Deliver
Characters in movies and TV series are often defined by the actors who play them. And while characters can have a myriad of people play them, there is always that one actor who manages to fill a character's shoes the best, and people can’t imagine anyone else playing the role.
Reddit has been discussing just that. One user asked the lovely AskReddit community which actor crushed a role so hard that nobody else will be able to live up to it? and got a slew of amazing responses.
Bored Panda has collected the best answers and turned it into a curated list that you can find below. While you’re scrolling, comment and vote on the submissions you loved the most, and tell us what character-actor combinations you think are iconic in the comment section below!
More Info: Reddit
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#1
When they inevitably recast Jack Sparrow [Johnny Depp], it'll be clear just how big a gap there is.
RoseTheMad 4 years ago
Once again for those people in the back that don't know: F**K AMBER HEARD THE LYING COW.
Sean Harrison 4 years ago
I doubt they'll recast the role. They'll so something else like bring in his long-lost son or brother (played by a new actor), or something lame like that.
Franziska 4 years ago
There's no way a nrew POC movie will be succesfull without Johnny Depp, it's his role no one elses
Monday 4 years ago
Yup. Whether you love him, hate him or feel excessively neutral about him, it's his role. He was the perfect choice and no matter how good the next guy is, it won't be enough.
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RoseTheMad 4 years ago
Apparently, Margot Robbie... I just hope her performance is absolutely nothing like her harley quinn performance...
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RELATED:
#2
Alan Rickman as Severus Snape.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Honestly if they ever do reboot of the harry potter franchise i will have difficulty to get used to all the new actors and actresses.... But Snape will be the most difficult
Raven Sheridan 4 years ago
While he is American, I think Adam Driver is a good candidate for a younger Severus Snape.
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Sabs 4 years ago
Alan Rickman was the first person to be cast in the series and without an audition, JK wanted him so badly because she pictured him in the role as she was writing the series. Warner Bros wanted a larger cast list for the role but she shut them down. At one point they pushed for Ralph Finnes (Voldemort) to play Snape but we all know how that turned out. ;)
PeachPossum 4 years ago
Hard enough when they replaced Dumbledore, but Snape? No way, always Alan Rickman for me. RIP Mr. Rickman.
Monday 4 years ago
If we're using their Dumbledore replacement as an example I can only hope that they never do a reboot. Sir Michael Gambon is an excellent actor but he was an awful Dumbledore in 3 and 4.
Load More Replies... Sean Harrison 4 years ago
I'd actually like to see Tim Roth play the role, since he was the first pick.
#3
Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
I cannot even see rowan atkinson as rowan atkinson anymore!!! He IS Mr Bean!!
Robert T 4 years ago
Mr Bean is not a cast role. Rowan Atkinson is literally Mr Bean. He couldn't be played by anybody else.
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Nadine Bamberger 4 years ago
He's lived and breathed this parts for so long, he is Mr. Bean, it's not just a part to play anymore.
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 4 years ago
A good thing he owns the character, then. Perhaps that would prevent a cashgrab reboot.
Confused Flamingo 4 years ago
Even when I see him in other movies I can't help but call him Mr bean
#4
RDJ for Iron Man, the man WAS Tony Stark end of discussion.
earringnut 4 years ago
Multiple people played his dad but he is the only Tony Stark.
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Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
Wrong tense. He IS Tony Stark. (well, no, he's RDJ, but he will also forever remain Tony Stark)
Monday 4 years ago
At this point it's easier to believe RDJ is just a character played by Tony Stark...that's how perfect he is for the role.
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youshouldseemeinacrown 4 years ago
I think that all of the casting for these movies was amazing
David Beaulieu 4 years ago
I love the Marvel movies, and RDJ was fantastic, but he was playing RDJ not the Tony Stark of the comics.
James Mills 4 years ago (edited)
it was like the role was written specifically for him. even though he probably wouldn't have been born when the character was created.
#5
Ryan Reynolds did an excellent job being Deadpool to the point where i am reading a Deadpool comic book with Reynolds' voice in my head narrating it.
earringnut 4 years ago
It's weird but when Deadpool is on my brain I can't think of any other Ryan Reynolds characters.
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James Mills 4 years ago
it was like the role was written specifically for him. even though he probably wouldn't have been born when the character was created.
Vermillion Ace #443 4 years ago
With the alternative being Nolan North, if there was that inner voice narrator thing going at some point. 😅
#6
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.
He’s so deeply connected to that character that I feel it would be impossible for anyone else to fill the fedora.
J. F. 4 years ago
To think that the role was suppossed to be played by Tom Selleck ... good thing he turned it down for "Magnum"
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
While we would probably still like Indy if he'd been played by Tom Selleck, I'm glad we got to meet the best Thomas Magnum as well as the best Henry Jones, Jr.
Load More Replies... Rose the Cook 4 years ago
Harrison Ford, minus the hat, should have played Robert Langdon in The Da Vinci Code. Tom hanks is fine in other films but his Langdon was disappointing. In fact the whole film was a disappointing adaptation of a good book.
Samantha Power 4 years ago
Seems like the role was made for him, really enjoyed all the Indiana Jones movies :)
Laura Mende (Human) 4 years ago
Tom Selleck was the first who was been offered the role... Imagine Magnum as Indie! Impossible!
#7
Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall.
RoseTheMad 4 years ago
YES A MILLION TIMES YES. She is literally just McGonagall irl, she really has her spirit - her wit and badassery (after fighting cancer whilst filming the HP movies!)
#8
Robin Williams as the genie.
Aunt Messy 4 years ago
Robin Williams in any part he ever played. He owned all of his characters.
Steve Barnett 4 years ago (edited)
Can't fault that argument at all. 'One hour photo' was my favourite, but that film fights to the death with other suitable contenders. He started mainly as a comedian but ended up being more of an accomplished actor. RIP Robin, your talent is missed by many.
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Vicky Z 4 years ago
I honestly liked Will Smith too, which I didn't expect it, but yes Williams' performance was unique!
Tobias the Tiger 4 years ago
Will Smith did a good job making the role his own. Considering he's an actual singer and dancer, too, his performance of "Friend Like Me" was quite well-made.
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Brian Michael 4 years ago
I couldn't stand will smith as the genie, not because of his acting; I consider will smith a good actor and enjoy his personality, the reason I couldn't stand him as the genie is because they made the char look like him. It should have been CG, and it shouldn't be a real person just because it was a live action movie.
Alex Langley 4 years ago
The trouble with Genie is that the part was written FOR Robin. It's why Will couldn't pull it off, nor will anybody else be able to... the Genie WAS Robin Williams.
Heather Resatz 4 years ago
I love Robin Williams, he was such a great Genie I wondered how Will Smith would do .. he absolutely killed it!! Love them both
#9
Ian McKellen is the both true Gandalfs.
BetweenTheCracks 4 years ago
There's a blooper reel out there where Ian fluffs one of his lines. He realizes it mid-flow, looks at the camera, and quietly intones "Bollocks". Cracks me up every time!
Vetus Vespertilio 4 years ago
Agreed. Sean Astin is under appreciated as an actor.
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Colleen Ross 4 years ago (edited)
Sean Astin as Sam, best best friend ever! The entire cast was chosen perfectly.
#10
Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump.
Zoe's Mom 4 years ago
Yet, he wasn't first choice but he was fantastic as Forrest.
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Spuck Oblivious 4 years ago
Some actors are like Nic Cage : always the same person. Tom Hanks can ACT. He could be a villain if he wanted to, which I'm sure he doesn't...and I don't either. There's actors and actors. Hanks is an actor.
Tami 4 years ago
Love him as the hyper-aggressive Dermot Hoggins in Cloud Atlas.
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Jason Johnson 4 years ago
Fun fact, prior to Tom Hanks being cast for the role, it was offered to John Travolta who turned it down.
Scagsy 4 years ago
I rewatched this with my wife recently as she had never seen it. I remembered it being a heart-warming story where the underdog comes out on top and that's just how I billed it to her. By the end, we were both sat there with unremitting tears streaming down our faces. She agreed that it was a great movie but also, I'm not allowed to recommend films in future as I can't be trusted.
#11
Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean Luc Picard.
Nadine Bamberger 4 years ago
Earl Grey, hot and the f**k off, casting director, there's nothing for you to recast here.
#12
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, amazing acting.
Kathy Brandt 4 years ago
My favorite scene was when Oberyn visited Tyrion in prison. Tyrion didn't speak a word while Oberyn was doing his dialog. His emotions spoke volumes.
Zoe's Mom 4 years ago
First time I saw him was in a small film called Station Agent. If you can find it, rent it. No sex, drugs or rock and roll but well done.
Rannveig Ess 4 years ago
He just blew me away in this role. The first time I saw him was in Steve Buscemi's movie "Living in Oblivion". He played a jaded, PO'd Little Person. I think he may have had 2 lines and he was incredible.
Janice Blaufox 4 years ago
I first saw Peter Dinklage in a little film called, "The Stationmaster". I have admired his acting ever since then.
#13
Hugh Laurie - Dr. House.
Sanne H. 4 years ago
First thing I think of when I see Hugh Laurie is “Ps: Woof Woof!”
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Steve Barnett 4 years ago
In the UK he's best remembered for being one ½ of '(Stephen) Fry and Laurie' and as George (Blackadder). This is one of my favourites 'Fry and Laurie's sketches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNoS2BU6bbQ
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
The two middle Black Adders are among the funniest things ever made! Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are absolutely brilliant!
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Marion Connolly 4 years ago (edited)
i grew up watching Fry and Laurie and knew his accent, but since House a british accent sounds wrong on him
Ahimsa Soul 4 years ago
Yeah, whenever I see Laurie I kinda expect to see Fry. To be honest I think others actors could play House.
Katherine Heasley 4 years ago
And yet, he plays idiots like Bertie Wooster (Jeeves & Wooster) and the Prince Regent (Blackadder) so well, too.
#14
Arnold Schwarzenegger - Terminator.
Sabs 4 years ago
Funny story he was approached to play RoboCop but due to his size they felt it would have made him a laughing stock looking like Michelin man.
Robert T 4 years ago (edited)
He allegedly offered to do the German voiceover for Terminator, but they turned him down due to his Austrian accent, which made him sound like a farmer. Poor Arnie.
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Glynna Bowood 4 years ago
Always and forever The Terminator although he was also perfectly cast in Predator!
Eagle Girl 4 years ago
He's Such 'THE Terminator' it became part of his role as 'The Govenator" lol
#15
Christopher Lloyd as Doc in Back to the Future.
Glynna Bowood 4 years ago
His character Jim, in Taxi, was unforgettable (as was Danny DeVito as his boss!)
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PeachPossum 4 years ago
My brother so loved Back To The Future that he once told me he wanted to watch the trilogy back to back. A couple of days later I found the trilogy on DVD at a used bookstore. He was so thrilled and spent the next day enjoying them. One day I will be able to watch the trilogy again without crying. Miss you, bro. RIP
#16
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
Sam Chilton 4 years ago
I've grown up adoring all the X-Men films (aside for Origins, which should never have been made) and when he hung up the claws, all the magic left. Haven't even bothered with Dark Phoenix.
BetweenTheCracks 4 years ago
If only he were a foot shorter and a lot hairier... but he does nail Logan's personality!
#17
Tim Curry, Frank N Furter. Anyone else in the role knows they never live up to that sexy god of a man. ‘I can make you a man’ is the most brilliant filthy scene to appear on cinema screens while people aren’t nude :/
Victoria 4 years ago
As much as I agree with this, I would 100% watch the f**k out of a Rocky Horror reboot with the muppets
Mya Lugar 4 years ago
As a much younger woman I was attracted to him/her in that movie? Talk about conflicted!
ThoughtsAreNotFacts 4 years ago
Right! Seeing this character as an odd preteen/not fully aware yet lesbian I questioned EVERYTHING! LOL
Load More Replies... BetweenTheCracks 4 years ago
This led to his role as Darkness in "Legend", which he also crushed.
Monty Is Fiennes 4 years ago
First time I saw that film I was twelve (over a friends house), after that I watched everything he did... loved it when he sang... but appreciated his talent so much.... Will never forget that first introduction though... I had no concept of what the film was doing/saying... everything was just a hint of an idea in my mind.... but I couldn't take my eyes off it....
Tracy Sellars 4 years ago
Any attempt to redo Rocky Horror will never live up to it. All parts were filled to perfection. If you enjoy his movies watch Clue, he is fantastic in that one too.
#18
Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams.
earringnut 4 years ago
I'm a fan of the sitcom and Ricci did great but in my mind she's not the only Wednesday.
Tacocat 4 years ago
I also am a fan of the series. Ricci did amazing in that part, but so did the other child who played Wednesday.
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CowboyHank 4 years ago
The only reason she was good in this role is because she just needed to scowl and be unpleasant the entire time
Sam Chilton 4 years ago
I really wish she'd grown up to be more like Morticia, but she lost a lot of weight and became some sort of anime-cat-looking-person.. just weird
#19
Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn. Best book to movie translation for a character I’ve ever seen.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
Eh. He did good, but "best book-to-movie translation" would definitely not go there. I'd say that honor goes to Michael Sheen and David Tennant as Aziraphel and Crowley for "Good Omens".
Lila Launehase 4 years ago
I wholeheartedly agree. The first time I saw the first LOTR-movie I got an hour long goosebumps.
Mimi M 4 years ago (edited)
I took a personality test (not a junk quiz, but one built on real stats) that had 1600 fictional characters in it. Based on similarities, it told you who you were most like. I was inordinately proud that the character I was most like was Aragorn. Okay, done bragging. Hell, it made me unreasonably happy. (Btw, second ranked was Black Panther, which was cool too.) Here it is in case anyone is interested - I recc to take the full-length version: https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/characters/
Lily Langtry 4 years ago
I just went and took this and got...Dobby from Harry Potter. I am not at all okay with this, hahaha. Still happy for you that you're Aragorn though.
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MiddleEarth 4 years ago
I love both the movies and books, and sure, there is differences, but I love them.
Robert Robi Z 4 years ago
I read the books when I was just a kid of about 10 or 11. It was boring (and beyond understanding a thing). Then I read the books when I was a young adult. Still boring (although I did understand them). Then I saw the movie. Not boring! I tried reading the books after watching the movie, but I simply couldn't, I rather watched the movie three more times!
Lorraine R 4 years ago
Or at least, no way they read them before they saw the films. A lot of the film's fans consider the movies to be more "canon" than the books. Those of us who have read and re-read the books over the past fifty or more years know that the films were Peter Jackson's creations, and merely "based on" the real LOTR, which is Tolkien's alone.
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Danielle Renee 4 years ago
and he wasn't even supposed to be the actor to play him. he came it last minute to take over the roll...but he would never say who the original was
#20
Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice.
ThoughtsAreNotFacts 4 years ago
Agreed, but what was with Birdman? I wanted (and expected) to like it so much more than I did
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im_so_bored13 4 years ago
I was gonna say, Alex Brightman did damn good job as well
Load More Replies... Tobias the Tiger 4 years ago
Beetlejuice was the first villainous character he ever played, and damn, he did a great job especially for a first-timer.
#21
Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley.
Caro Caro 4 years ago
A friend once said Sigourny is the only woman who can look sexy in army underwear ! She is amazing.
denzoren 4 years ago
Ellen Ripley does not get enough credit for being one of the first strong female lead characters. She was amazing and irreplaceable.
Aliquid A 4 years ago
She gets plenty of credit... but I don't have a problem if you want her to get more
Load More Replies... Aliquid A 4 years ago
Interestingly, the script for the movie didn't have first names for the characters. So it was just "Ripley". The script was written without assigning genders to the roles, so when they cast the roles they could have chosen a man or a woman to play Ripley. -- I think that made a difference on her character. The writers didn't say "lets make a bad-ass woman", they just said "lets make a bad-ass hero"
Miss Cris 4 years ago
Well, that person had to be pregnant of an alien. It could be a man, of course (alien effect?), but still it would be weird.
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#22
Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge.
Umbridge sucked in the books, but in the movies she turned Umbridge into a character that you just don't like into one that you hate with a burning passion.
Charlotte A. 4 years ago
I hated the character to begin with and was really curious as to who could possibly do such an awful person "justice". Imelda did it wonderfully (and without me hating HER for it - sometimes it's just hard to disconnect one character from another played by the same actor). But that said, I think almost every actor cast in Harry Potter was a great choice. I was also curious who Emma Thompson would play when I heard she'd be in the series, and I did NOT see her Trelawney coming. Absolutely excellent!
Hannah Edwards 4 years ago
The thespian bit parts make the movies for me. I absolutely loved Kenneth Brannagh hamming it up like crazy as Gilderoy Lockheart.
Load More Replies... RoseTheMad 4 years ago
I feel sorry for Imelda Staunton - for a long time after the release of Ootp people seemed to genuinely hate her just for her character, when IRL she's a lovely woman. But honestly, when you think about it, that just means she played the role so terrifyingly well!
PeachPossum 4 years ago
Same with Lena Headey. People hated Cersei Lannister so much, they were spitting on Headey and cursing her, refusing her autograph. People are stupid if they cannot separate fantasy from reality.
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Raccoon Queen 4 years ago
She was such a good character. You’re supposed to hate her, and her biggest achievement is making her an amazing character that we could still hate. I’ve had this discussion many times.
Glynna Bowood 4 years ago
Yes, when the character is so completely covered by an actor that you can't see the actor as themselves anymore - that needs to be in this list!
#23
Heath Ledger as the Joker.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
I honestly liked also Jack Nicholson and Joaquin Phoenix! They all gave something different to the role
Eagle Girl 4 years ago
Yeah but Heath brought a desolation & despair, not just evil, which gave a depth that made him next level Joker. Even Nicholson gave him a nod.
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Dave P 4 years ago
Let Mark Hamill do a live Joker Role and you will have the only more Iconic Joker.
Bunzilla 4 years ago
At the very least, Mark Hamill always be the definitive Joker voice in my head. Just like Kevin Conroy will always be the definite Batman / Bruce Wayne voice. But honestly, Mark Hamill's joker laugh is chilling.
Load More Replies... Sarah 4 years ago
Unpopular opinion here; I liked Jared Leto's Joker. I liked ALL the different version of the Joker, actually. I kind of look at the different version/portrayals as different sides of the same person. I see each one as a tiny aspect of the whole, each with their own "personalities" and desires. I think it makes the mythos of the character more interesting and more fun.
Miss Cris 4 years ago
Yes, it's like listening to different covers of a favourite song. :)
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Anthony Picco 4 years ago
No one terrified me as much as Heath as The Joker... the others were good in their own way
Sarah Pryde 4 years ago
I LOVE all the different actors who have portrayed Joker (yes, i even liked Jared Leto)......each kinda gave their own "flavor"....its such a fun debate subject
Spuck Oblivious 4 years ago
The sickest Joker. As in properly giving up to the sickness. (I absolutely love Phoenix too. Ledger's movie was a different part of the Joker's life ofc and I feel it perfectly embodies the fear for the Joker.)
Joel Hopkins 4 years ago
I gotta go with Joaquin Phoenix on this one. I had very low expectations of that film and was very surprised how good it was.
#24
Jack Nicholson in the Shining.
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
When my then boyfriend and I left the packed 1500-seat movie theater we saw this in, I commented that someone screamed at the “Heeeere’s Johnny” part, and he looked at me weirdly and said “That was YOU!”
ThoughtsAreNotFacts 4 years ago
One of my faves of all time! The staircase scene was epic! "I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just going to bash your f***ing brains in".. Terrifying!
Janet C 4 years ago
Disagree on this one. In the book, Jack Torrance started out as a gentle, friendly, kind man. He was slowly transformed by the hotel into the crazy person he became. Jack Nicholson started out too edgy and showing visible signs of mental illness (even in the interview at the beginning of the movie). His transformation wasn't nearly as severe. Read Stephen King's opinion on this. He was not happy.
Gretchen Esquilin 4 years ago
Now that I've read the book (finally!), I can totally understand why Stephen King hates Stanley Kubrick's movie adaptation. It sucks. However, Nicholson does a good job playing a psycho.
#25
Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.
Neil Bidle 4 years ago
Sorry, but the remake was horrible in almost every way.
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Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
I refuse to even watch the Depp version, lest it destroy my childhood. Wilder was perfection.
Johnny 4 years ago
You needn't worry - it's such a different take on the story that it's almost like a different story entirely.
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#26
Andre the Giant in The Princess Bride.
Computernaut 4 years ago
I would love if they did a remake of this movie with better effects and sets, but honestly the script and casting would never compare to the original.
#27
Jim Carrey in The Mask.
Slinkman 4 years ago
This role was written for Jim. He always has a habbit of playing the same kind of character in every movie he's in. No matter what he does there ALWAYS slips a bit of Carey into his performances. The Grinch has Carey, Ace ventura has Carey, Count Olaf has Carey. But in the Mask it didn't matter, he could go out of his way to be himself.
Rose the Cook 4 years ago
Never seen it,I have never been able to sit through anything he appeared in. Reminds me of Jerry Lewis.
Prilsy 4 years ago
I felt the same until I saw him on SNL, couldn't stop laughing
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RoseTheMad 4 years ago (edited)
The only thing I watched with him in it that I actually finished was the 2004 movie of "A Series Of Unfortunate Events" (which was decent but the netflix version blows it out of the water lol) ... oh, and The Grinch because I was forced to watch it in school at christmas e_e
Vermillion Ace #443 4 years ago
Let's be thankful it was played for laughs, as opposed to the source material.
#28
Bryan Cranston as Walter White in Breaking Bad. He begins as sympathetic and ends up terrifying.
And in general the whole cast of Malcolm in the Middle, even the very secondary role. There have been many middle class effed up famy sitcom but zero have achieved to be crazy and relatable like this show.
Kathy Brandt 4 years ago
I had to watch an episode of "Malcom in the Middle" to like Bryan Cranston again.
BetweenTheCracks 4 years ago (edited)
If you're into military dramas, check out "Last Flag Flying". He and Laurence Fishburne are great together, and Steve Carell will break your heart.
Load More Replies... BetweenTheCracks 4 years ago
When BB first came out, it was jarring to see the dad from "Malcolm in the Middle" in SUCH a different light. But Bryan is the man and handles both roles beautifully. There's a short video out there where his MitM character wakes up from a dream (or WAS it...?) where he was Walter-- it's hilarious!
Phoebe Bean 4 years ago
Bryan Cranston is such an amazing actor. Drama and comedy are the hardest in my opinion, and he excels at both!
RoseTheMad 4 years ago
I never even realised that walter white was also Hal in Malcolm in the Middle until quite recently, now I can't unsee it...
Jerry Conaway 4 years ago
After watching BB, I just couldn't relate to his character in Godzilla (2014).
#29
Jody Foster as Clarice Starling. I particularly love the scene where she looks at Buffalo Bill’s victim and you hear her voice crack during the first part of the description, where she is looking at tiny personal details like painted fingernails, but then go clinical and determined when she sees the wounds on the girl’s back. Playing badass women often veers either towards emotionless and stalwart, or basically aping a 80s action male role. Foster nailed the emotional vulnerability, ambition, and courage of that character in minute, but profound ways. No one compares.
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
I resisted seeing this, but eventually it showed at a movie theater where I worked, and I would look in now and then, and without any context or understanding of what was going on, I was riveted. Her and Hopkins’s performances were both outstanding!
Vetus Vespertilio 4 years ago
Jody Foster has the most amazing ability to show a vulnerable woman who will never the less do what has to be done at whatever cost to herself. I don’t always like her movies, but I always like her characters.
abby smink 4 years ago
In the beginning of the movie, I didn't like the idea, and kinda thought Gillian Anderson would have been better (I know, ironic),but towards the end, she won me over.
Load More Replies... Tracy Sellars 4 years ago
Anthony Hopkins in this one too. The way they play off each other is wonderful to see.
Life is ? 4 years ago
I think many actresses could do it. Susan Sarandon was okay in dead man walking.
Cold Contagious 4 years ago
Susan Sarandon is a fantastic actor with a amazing range. One of my favorites of hers is The Client, about the two young boys that witness a suicide and the mob is after them while the younger brother is catatonic due to the shock of what he saw and she is the boy's attorney because all the feds are wanting him to give them info on the mob. It's an excellent movie.
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#30
Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin.
Rachel Long 4 years ago
Well, when I see 5 weirdos dressed in togas stabbing a guy in the middle of the park in full view of 100 people, I shoot the bastards. That's *my* policy.
Stannous Flouride 4 years ago
I'm old enough to have watched Leslie Nielsen's many (over 150) appearances on TV and in my favorite childhood sci-fi film "Forbidden Planet." His very much against type casting in "Airplane!" was brilliant and the line "Surely you can't be serious?", he responded with a curt, "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." will forever be a cultural touchstone.
Marina Bailey 4 years ago
He played some great roles! But after watching Airplane!, I tried watching Forbidden Planet. It was suddenly hilarious to me and I had to stop watching. His performance as Buck Frobisher was also quite good - especially in the first episode he did, where he was dramatic and only veered a little into comedy. "You came here suddenly and you brought your dress uniform with you?" "No, I rented it. If we don't catch him by Tuesday I have to pay extra." Hee hee.
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Lotus Flower 4 years ago
Leslie Nielsen was so irritated w agreeing to do Airplane because he saw himself as a dramatic actor and comedy was low brow. Of course he leaned into it when he stole the show and became Frank Drebin. And don’t call me Shirley.
Analyn Lahr 4 years ago
I'm quite fond of Dracula Dead and Loving It myself. I like a vampire with a sense of humor.
Jason Johnson 4 years ago
I hope no one ever tries to remake this series of films, there is no substitute for Nielson.
#31
I really can't see anyone else as Hellboy. Ron Pearlman was amazing.
William Teach 4 years ago
You're being charitable. It was a hot mess of horrible.
Load More Replies... Bunzilla 4 years ago
There were a couple of animated Hellboy movies made before the live action movies (Blood and Iron, and Sword of Storms). Everyone who was in the live action movies was voicing their characters in the animated movies. And they're all totally awesome and perfectly cast. I think the only one different was Director Manning.
James Mills 4 years ago
I hope someone better comes along cause Ron Pearlman sucked as Hellboy.
Son of Philosoraptor 4 years ago
The dude could totally act through that makeup... Perlman should get a lifetime Oscar for his skill and ability to entertain us
#32
Christopher Lee as basically anything.
CowboyHank 4 years ago
Especially when he was in British special forces. The director tried to change his reaction when his character was stabbed. He responded by saying, "I know the sound that's made when someone is stabbed in the back."
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Unwelcomed Guest 4 years ago
I looked after him in hospital just before he died, he physically was so frail however when he spoke he drew the attention of the entire room. He really was someone to behold
Pernille Dyre 4 years ago
I totally agree and was SO starstruck when I met him as a teenager....
Beans 4 years ago (edited)
Fun fact he was a huge Lotr fan (he'd even met Tolkien in his youth) and he asked Peter Jackson for an audition but he thought he was going to get the role of Gandalf which was his dream to play. But Gandalf had been cast already. Luckily he said yes to playing Saruman. Another fun fact: he was a legit British spy.
Jason Johnson 4 years ago
Fun fact, Jackson originally offered the Gandalf part to Lee, who felt he was too old to portray it and asked to play Saruman instead. Lee was huge Tolkien aficionado, so in additional to his amazing voice and great skills as an actor he helped Jackson shape the roll.
Sarah Pryde 4 years ago
yall NEED to see the original The Wicker Man....hes been on record as saying that is his favorite piece of acting
Jerry Conaway 4 years ago
Ugh, I really didn't like the way he portrayed Count Dooku/Darth Tyrannus in the Star Wars prequels. He was just doing the gigs for the money. You could argue the George Lucas was a terrible director and famous for making his actors seem wooden, but an actor like Lee should have been able to pull more from the part on his own.
#33
Joaquin Phoenix as commodus in gladiator. I have never hated a character so much till I saw him in that movie. He is so cowardly, despicable, and creepy. Phoenix did such a good job in making you loathe his character.
Sammi Danni 4 years ago
I would also say the King Joffrey from GoT was also VERY well done. I loathed that character so much
Spuck Oblivious 4 years ago
It took me forever to learn this is also Phoenix. He's an actor. (Unlike some 'actors' who are always just the same person.)
Adam Belaire 4 years ago
Joaquin's Commodus was amazing to the point where I saw him in Ladder 49 and I could only see this character and was not a fan of the movie. The same thing with Christian Bale in Shaft (and subsequently Batman Begins), and Wayne Knight in Jurassic Park/Seinfield (and subsequently anything I see him in now.)
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
You should watch the Little Women where Susan Sarandon plays Marmee; Christian Bale plays Laurie and is utterly fantastic. This was the first thing I ever saw him in and I had no idea he was British.
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Sandra Bell 2 years ago
Proof he is an actor, as he is nothing like that character. He is filled to the brim with compassion.
Fajar Kurniawan 4 years ago (edited)
Joaquin is not very popular in my country, so every time I try to explain him in a movie where he's in it, I just said he's the Gladiator's enemy. at least until The Joker. And also Russel Crowe, I always end up with 'the guy who played Gladiator'
#34
Patrick Stewart as Professor X, and everyone knew it would happen a decade before the first X-Men movie.
Neil Bidle 4 years ago
Classically trained actor with a range and voice that not many can match
Kim Stucky 4 years ago
Stewart and Mckellan and McAvoy and Fassbender are the best casting for those roles. Days of Future Past makes me so happy because I can see all of them in the same movie.
Sam Chilton 4 years ago (edited)
Baldly going where no mutant has gone before! Although I do like MacAvoy, it's not the same.
#35
Danny Trejo as Machete.
Heather Menard 4 years ago
Funny as hell when you see the guys in the bouncing car get thrown all over the place
#36
Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds.
Mars Lander 4 years ago
D'jango is QT's Crown Jewel, Magnum Opus at least to me, and Waltz is perfect in both
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Natalia Shoemark 4 years ago
He is easily my favorite villan!!! Also in Django and Water for Elephants
Glenn Zoontjens 4 years ago
He’s an amazing actor. I hated the character but he played him to perfection. One of those rare actors who brings an incredible degree of believability to any role he plays. Will watch any movie with him in it, irrespective of how deplorable the character
DC 4 years ago
Christoph Waltz also is great in "Carnage" ... he's just ... well, he play a-holes so well it's pretty hard to imagine he isn't one for real, while, of course, he is not even close to that. Just a talented actor who knows about the importance of tiny details to make a role believable, authentic in a way that is weird to imagine about acting. One of my all-time favourite actors for sure!
#37
Steve Carrell as Michael Scott.
BlueReaper 4 years ago
Let’s face it, Andy Bernard never met the expectations of Michael Scott.
Eagle Girl 4 years ago
Andy was the kiss of death on that show. Phyllis summed it best in the last episode "There's something about him you just don't want to look straight at"
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Stacy Beare 4 years ago
I agree...the original UK version shits on the copied US version
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H Edwards 4 years ago
I liked both. I actually found the British one too cringey to watch sometimes. The US one was a bit gentler, and of course went on much longer so became its own thing. I am not usually a big fan of US adaptations of British shows, but I find The Office to be an exception. I'm a Brit, too.
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#38
[Nick Offerman as] Ron Swanson.
Nadine Bamberger 4 years ago
By the end of the show there was so much Offerman in Swanson, they can never be separated.
Cats ToRiches 4 years ago
Nick Offerman is definitely one of my favorites. I could see him take any role and love it all!
#39
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano.
Raven Sheridan 4 years ago
His real life son is playing the role of Tony Soprano as a young man, in the prequel that's about to be released! Excited to see it!
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Pamela Blue 4 years ago
He was so good in this that real-life Godfathers contacted him to let him know that a Don would NEVER wear shorts at a barbecue, or anywhere else for that matter. I found that very funny, that real-life Mafia Dons would bother to keep Gandolfini realistic. LOL!
Phoebe Bean 4 years ago
Oh, I was scrolling down looking for Gandolfini and ready to undo some unjustice, but here he is!!! Superb TV series. Amazing characters, Paulie, Chrissie, Silvio, Carmela, Johnny Sacks, all of them irreplaceable. Pine Barrens Forever!!!
#40
Kelsey Grammer, Frasier Crane.
Natalia A 4 years ago
And Niles, and Martin, in fact all the main characters in Frasier were perfectly cast.
Eagle Girl 4 years ago
How can you mention Kelsey & not nod David Hyde Pierce? Scene stealer & show maker!!
Seán Baron 4 years ago
It was even better when The Simpsons had Grammer and Hyde Pierce as Sideshow Bob and Cecil.
#41
John C. McGinley as Dr Cox.
denzoren 4 years ago (edited)
Oh yeah, agreed. He was hilarious. I would also say JD and Turk also...they cannot be recast. The only comparison I can find is James and Dule in Psych.
Sam Chilton 4 years ago
What about the Janitor? Most of what he said was ad-libbed!
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Raven DeathShade 4 years ago
Doctor Percival "Perry" C*x. I have a baby brother named after him, he's my mom's favorite Scrubs character.
#42
Rainn Wilson as Dwight Scrute.
#43
Ronald Lee Ermey as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket.
Cip IESAN 4 years ago
In fact, it wasn't a role, it was just him, but they changed his name...
Stannous Flouride 4 years ago
Wasn't he hired originally as an advisor for the film?
Load More Replies... Zedrapazia 4 years ago
I really hate this role, the whole movie - because he played it so well
PeachPossum 4 years ago
I liked the Geico commercial: Does a former drill sergeant make a terrible therapist?
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Atrociraptorous 2 years ago
YOU WILL NOT LAUGH!!! YOU WILL NOT CRY!!! YOU WILL LEARN BY THE NUMBERS!!! I WILL TEACH YOU!!!
Kim Kermes 4 years ago
that bastard (and I use that word with the love and respect befitting a Marine) could do Anything! He accurately fired a recurve bow from horseback!
#44
Catherin O'Hara as Moira Rose!!
Shelby Jackson 4 years ago
YES!! I'm watching the series for the first time and I can't get enough!!!
#45
Val Kilmer in Tombstone.
Amazing Doc Holliday!
Every once in a while there's a role that it seems like the actor was born to play. There's really not another role that compares in his career.
Nope 4 years ago
Oh my god. I've seen that movie thousands of times, and every single time I hear that line, I get goosebumps.
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#46
Christian Bale in American Psycho.
The Dave 4 years ago
That’s a method actor for ya. They’re fantastic, but that usually means they can be a bit of a jerk in real life.
Load More Replies... Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
My faves: The little boy in Empire of the Sun, and Laurie in Little Women (1994). The 1994 version of Little Women was so perfectly cast that making any further versions is an exercise in futility.
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Sam Chilton 4 years ago
As a person or an actor? He really commits, but he is a jerk.
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Jonathan 4 years ago
I actually agree on this, the movie was great from a technical point of view, but just putting it all together, it actually ended up been a bad movie.
Load More Replies... #47
J.K Simmons as John Jonah Jameson.
Demongrrrrl 4 years ago
Well, he won an Academy Award for that role, so he wasn't underrated in that one.
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Marianne 4 years ago
That's why they recast him for the new spiderman. I loved it so much to see him appear in that role again!
notdream 4 years ago
Exactly what I was going to say, I can't wait to see him in no way home
Load More Replies... Bill Sugarman 4 years ago
And, at the other extreme, the male police psychologist on "Law & Order", along with Carolyn McCormick as his female counterpart.
Jason Johnson 4 years ago
Funniest line Crap, Crap., Megacrap.. Simmons is a very underrated actor.
#48
Jessica Walter in Arrested Development (and Archer) .. her mean mom character dynamic is gold
Anita Pickle 4 years ago
I swear she was based off of Nancy Pelosi. So out of touch "I mean it's one banana Michael. How much could it cost? Ten dollars?"
Nadine Bamberger 4 years ago
They wanted an actor "exactly like Jessica Walter in Arrested Development " for Malory Archer and were over the moon when she accepted. Lucille and Malory are basically the same.
#49
Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine.
Glynna Bowood 4 years ago
Maybe someone else could have been creepier but I am hard pressed to imagine it!
Sam Chilton 4 years ago (edited)
Andy Serkis could do it, but instead they had him play the weirdo Snoke. What a waste, he's so good at creepy and malevolent.
Load More Replies... Marina Bailey 4 years ago
Ian McDiarmid has looked the same for 40 years. I kid you not - I saw him in an old episode of "The Professionals" from the early '80s and immediately knew who he was!
#50
Danny Devito's Frank Reynolds is the best piece of casting this century.
Bill Sugarman 4 years ago
I haven't seen that performance, but to me Danny DeVito will always be associated with everybody's favorite horndog, Louie DiPalma on "Taxi".
Stannous Flouride 4 years ago
You ABSOLUTELY must watch Mr Devito in "Curmudgeons." It's a 16 minute short film that won awards everywhere. I think it's better to watch it cold so I won't say more (and commenters please don't give it away). It's on lots of places online. Here's one: https://filmshortage.com/shorts/curmudgeons/#featuredplayer
Stannous Flouride 4 years ago
btw- Have a tissue (or a box of them) handy. I just watched it again and am having trouble seeing what I'm typing.
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What do you think ?
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins! I love Emily Blunt but i think Mary Poppins is only one
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Came down here just to say this. Julie Andrews IS Mary Poppins.
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Ciara Federico 4 years ago
What about Macaulay Culkin? He’s really the only Kevin there should have been.
Chaotic-Pansexual (she/they) 4 years ago
Oh my god yes I can’t believe no one said that. He is the only true Kevin
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cassiushumanmother 4 years ago
I disagree, the clownfish was way better, such a great actor!
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Carol Emory 4 years ago
Especially Miranda Preistly in The Devil Wears Prada.
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Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, Sidney Poitier as Mark Thackeray and Virgil Tibbs, Humphrey Bogart in anything, Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara, James Cagney in anything including dancing, John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, Charlie Chaplin as The Little Tramp, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy as a couple in any of their movies together, and the list goes on and on. There are a load of movies that should never ever be remade, because the casting in the original is just so perfect no one would ever be able to match it, and the remake would be a big fat flop.
John Baker 4 years ago
Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Anthony Quinn as Alexis Zorba. Alistair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. Maggie Smith as Jean Brodie. Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond. Charlize Theron as Ailene Wournos. The list indeed goes on.
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Marion Connolly 4 years ago
Can't believe no-one mentioned Jack Black in 'School of Rock', impossible to re-cast
Cecilia 4 years ago
Weird, to me, Jack Black IS Po, the dragon warrior in Kung Fu Panda
Load More Replies... Vicky Z 4 years ago
Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins! I love Emily Blunt but i think Mary Poppins is only one
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Came down here just to say this. Julie Andrews IS Mary Poppins.
Load More Replies... Ciara Federico 4 years ago
What about Macaulay Culkin? He’s really the only Kevin there should have been.
Chaotic-Pansexual (she/they) 4 years ago
Oh my god yes I can’t believe no one said that. He is the only true Kevin
Load More Replies... cassiushumanmother 4 years ago
I disagree, the clownfish was way better, such a great actor!
Load More Replies... Carol Emory 4 years ago
Especially Miranda Preistly in The Devil Wears Prada.
Load More Replies... Kathryn Baylis 4 years ago (edited)
William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, Sidney Poitier as Mark Thackeray and Virgil Tibbs, Humphrey Bogart in anything, Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara, James Cagney in anything including dancing, John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, Charlie Chaplin as The Little Tramp, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy as a couple in any of their movies together, and the list goes on and on. There are a load of movies that should never ever be remade, because the casting in the original is just so perfect no one would ever be able to match it, and the remake would be a big fat flop.
John Baker 4 years ago
Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Anthony Quinn as Alexis Zorba. Alistair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. Maggie Smith as Jean Brodie. Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond. Charlize Theron as Ailene Wournos. The list indeed goes on.
Load More Replies... Marion Connolly 4 years ago
Can't believe no-one mentioned Jack Black in 'School of Rock', impossible to re-cast
Cecilia 4 years ago
Weird, to me, Jack Black IS Po, the dragon warrior in Kung Fu Panda
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