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Creating a villain takes a lot of work. Whether it's method acting, intense makeup, or CGI, there are a lot of components that go into making the "perfect villain." These actors had to go under intense processes in order to really make their characters come to light.
Maleficent - Angelina Jolie
Apparently, Angelina Jolie was so good in this role that she scared her own daughter, who was also filming on set at the time. Jolie had to undergo a lot of makeup to truly get into the role. The angular facial features were made possible by prosthetics!
A good amount of CGI was also used on Jolie to make the villain even creepier. After all, someone who is trying to kill Sleeping Beauty has to look and feel like a total monster. Maleficent is probably Jolie's creepiest role to date.
Cruella DeVille - Glenn Close
Cruella DeVille is every kid's least favorite villain. Who would ever try to hurt all those puppies? The money-hungry villain sticks out in the 101 Dalmations world with her outrageous outfits and stark black and white hair.
Close already had an established career by the time she starred in the film, but 101 Dalmations sticks out on her casting record as one of her best performances. Nobody else could pull off this evil, rich woman as well as Close can!
The Fly - Jeff Goldblum
In one of his grosses films yet, Jeff Goldblum became a human fly. The makeup in this film is utterly disgusting, which actually fits the bill. Since this was released in 1986, a lot of the gross FX was practical and done by hand.
Some might not think that Seth Brundle (the man-fly) is a villain, but he technically is. He was an accidental, unwilling villain, but still the villain of the story nonetheless. He just found himself in a bit of bad luck, that's all.
Jason Voorhees - Ken Kirzinger
Playing Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th is definitely a thankless job. Nobody even sees his face! In fact, it's so unimportant as to who plays Jason that numerous actors have gotten the roles over the years. Fans of the spooky series will agree that Ken Krizinger is the best Jason out there, hands down. How could they even tell?
At first, Kirzinger was Jason's stunt double in the 1989 film Jason Takes Manhattan. He returned for Freddy vs. Jason and played the killer during the entire film. There was something about Kirzinger's body language that made him so scary... Much scarier than the previous Jason's. His acting made the film pretty enjoyable compared to the other ones.
Pennywise the Dancing Clown - Bill Skarsgård
Bill Skarsgård portrays the newest version of Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 21st Century remake of Stephen King's It. The Swedish actor did everything he could to make this character as terrifying as he was on screen. Pennywise is easily the creepiest character out there already (clowns, right?) but somehow, Skarsgård made him bone-chillingly terrifying. It was probably that perfect smile...
Skarsgård actually comes from a family of actors, His older brother, Alexander Skarsgård, was in the series Big Little Lies opposite Nicole Kidman and True Blood. He was also in The Stand, which is another Steven King classic. Their father, Stellan Skarsgård, appeared in the ever-popular film Good Will Hunting. Bill definitely takes the cake for creepiest character ever played, though.
Freddy Krueger - Jackie Earl Haley
Wes Craven is the most famous horror director of all time, and Freddy Krueger is one of his most famous creations. The nightmare-invading villain is one of the film's best ever and is still relevant in today's horror culture. Jackie Earl Haley portrayed Krueger in the 2010 remake of the classic.
Haley has been in multiple films, including Watchmen, Dark Shadows, and Semi-Pro. He's played every type of role imaginable. Out of all of his roles, playing Freddy Krueger was his favorite, despite the grueling makeup process.
Leatherface - Andrew Bryniarski
Leatherface was slotted to be played by someone else, but the first actor had to drop. The studio decided to call Andrew Bryniarski to fill the role, which worked out incredibly well. He truly embodies the scary villain!
Bryniarski is a bodybuilder (no shock there) but is nothing like the villain himself. In fact, he was so against the "idea" of Leatherface that he refused to stay in character between takes. He didn't want anyone to think he had a bad bone in his body!
Kayako - Takako Fuji
The monsters in The Grudge are so good that it's hard to remember that they're not real. Many folks get The Grudge and The Ring mixed up, which makes sense since the latter is just a remake of the Japanese original. Don't be mistaken: Kayako is the OG vengeful ghost.
Takako Fuji played Kayako in The Grudge and The Ring. All in all, she played Kayako a whopping six times. Fuji has said that she prefers the Japanese films because the American ones had "too big" of a budget and lost their fear factor. That's a pretty interesting take!
The Janitor - Roberto Campanella
Silent Hill has tons of freaky creatures showcased throughout the film. The Janitor is one of those characters that instill huge discomfort in the viewer due to his contortionist ways. The movie, which is actually adapted from a popular video game, is now known as one of the best horror films out there.
Roberto Campanella is a choreographer who has worked on tons of films including It and Beauty and the Beast. He was chosen to play the janitor in Silent Hill, who had his hands and feet tied up. Campanella met the challenge head-on and got creative with the choreography, making The Janitor one of the most unsettling characters of the film.
Emporer Palpatine - Ian McDiarmid
Emporer Palpatine underwent quite the transformation during the Star Wars films he was featured in. Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid took on the role of the powerfully evil character. At first, he didn't have much makeup to deal with. By the end of his Star Wars stint, his character had changed so much that he spent hours in the makeup chair.
McDiarmid had to undergo hours of facial prosthetics and makeup to complete the transformation into the crazed villain. All that power went to his head and aged him quite a lot!
Sil - Natasha Henstridge
Species is a true alien horror story where humans are the prey. The aliens weaponize themselves in order to mate with and kill humans. Sil, played by Natasha Henstridge, gets away from the United States government and begins her rampage.
Henstridge plays her human self and gets dressed up in some intense alien attire. A lot of her get-up had to do with CGI, but she still had to wear some key components that they couldn't recreate back in 1995 ad 1998.
David Kessler - David Naughton
The 1980s had some of the best horror comedies out there, An American Werewolf in London absolutely being one of them. The freaky film features a ferocious wolf-man who turns out to be a tragic villain. David Naughton dressed up in the wolf suit for this funny take on lycanthropy.
David Kessler and his buddy Jack Goodman left New York City to backpack in Europe. They get attacked by a wolf, and Jack dies. After weeks in the hospital, David tragically learns that he's become a werewolf and that he's been committing murders unintentionally.
John Fitzgerald - Tom Hardy
John Fitzgerald is a frustrating antagonist of the incredibly award-winning film The Revenant. Tom Hardy played the opposite of Leonardo DiCaprio. This power duo made great enemies in the film!
Even though Fitzgerald is a traitor and murderer, Tom Hardy can't relate. He's a notably down-to-Earth actor and seemingly easy to get along with, which is what makes his acting in the film so good. It's easy to forget that it's Hardy under all of that grime and makeup!
The Gill-Man - Ricou Browning
The Creature From the Black Lagoon is a classic black and white horror film from 1954. Obviously, this film had no "special" FX since it was still so early on in movie history. The suit was sculpted entirely by hand, which completely disguised Ricou Browning inside of it.
Even though this looks a little silly now, folks were terrified and unnerved by this monster in the 1950s. Folks everywhere were terrified of heading out onto a boat! Ricou Browning reprised his role as The Gill-Man multiple times.
The Monsters in It Follows
It Follows is a different take on a psychological thriller. An unknown entity, invisible to everyone but the person it's following, is on a slow mission to kill its prey. The entity takes on different forms of humans. Sometimes, it can be someone you know. A lot of these entities were always off-looking, whether they were completely naked or horribly banged up and bruised.
Even though the entity was supposed to be portrayed as an "everyday person" it was always a little off. The actors who were cast to play the entity had to undergo makeup to make them look just a little scarier!
Calvin Candie - Leonardo DiCaprio
It's not often that DiCaprio plays a total villain, but he truly nailed his role as Calvin Candie in Django Unchained. This character is an immoral nightmare and, somehow, DiCaprio completely transformed himself into the role. For actors who are as well established as DiCaprio is, it's hard to watch a movie and not think about the actor themselves.
Even though Calvin Candie doesn't appear until we're midway into the film, he somehow demands the entire story around himself. DiCaprio crafted a memorable performance for someone who wasn't technically a "main character."
Azog the Defiler - Manu Bennett
Azog the Defiler, also known as The Pale Orc, is one of the key villains in The Hobbit. Manu Bennett brought the role to life quite literally. Everything about this character was done in CGI, so he had to work extremely hard to make sure that the mannerisms and facial features looked good.
Bennett also starred in 30 Days of Night and Beta Test. He is certainly the most menacing character in The Hobbit, even with all of the post-production work. It's a shame that he's technically unrecognizable, but he is revered in the film industry for his work as Azog.
The Bride in Black - Tom Fitzpatrick
How do you make a horror-bride as scary as possible? Hire an older man to play the role! Tom Fitzpatrick played the Bride in Black, a key horror icon in the Insidious franchise. The bride's backstory stems from the main character's tortured childhood when his mother would force him to dress in girl's clothing and respond to the name "Marilyn."
Tom Fitzpatrick has been in tons of odd roles, but this one is by far his weirdest. His manager actually pitched him for the role and he agreed without really knowing what he was getting into. He was truly the perfect choice for the role.
Captain Phasma - Gwendoline Christie
Star Wars: The Force Awakens paved the road for tons of new characters, including major villain Captain Phasma. The character was originally written as masculine/male, and most viewers assume that the people in the Storm Trooper suits are male. With Phasma, that is not the case.
Gwendoline Christie played the first on-screen female villain in the Star Wars franchise. She only had a few seconds of screen time in The Last Jedi, but that didn't erase the strides that she made. Christie plays a great villain, especially because she stands at a staggering 6 feet and 3 inches tall.
Doctor Poison - Elena Anaya
Doctor Poison is the main villain in the latest Wonder Woman film. She wears a mask that conceals half of her face in a Phantom of the Opera style. She was injured during a mustard gas experiment, and the mask starkly resembles the post-Civil War masks that disfigured soldiers comissioned.
Elena Anaya had the mask glued to her face during the entire day. That meant that she couldn't eat or drink anything until they wrapped for the day. She said that the process of putting it on and taking it off was painful, but it was worth it.
Voldemort - Ralph Fiennes
For an entire generation of people, Voldemort is the evilest villain in existence. Ralph Fiennes transformed into the character just like everyone else, minus the CGI makeup for the removal f his nose. What good would it do if He Who Must Not Be Named had a nose? That was the only CGI part of his transformation, everything else was real makeup.
Thanos - Josh Brolin
Thanos is the biggest villain in the extensive Marvel Universe. He quite literally comes crashing down in Avengers: Endgame. His goal? To capture all of the infinity stones so he can erase the entire universe. Josh Brolin plays the major villain, which is actually somewhat visible despite the fact that his entire get-up is CGI.
The Joker - Heath Ledger
Even people who aren't major fans of the Batman franchise can agree that Heath Ledger is the best Joker in existence. He somehow perfectly captured the chaotic energy of the character, making him so realistic but outrageous at the same time. Ledger is only rivaled by Joaquin Phoenix, but they played two very different Jokers.
Jigsaw - Tobin Bell
Saw is one of the most involved horror movie franchises in history. They have countless films and remakes, which fans seem to eat up. At first, Jigsaw was simply this puppet, but as the movie progresses, we learn that there's a real human behind him, played by Tobin Bell. "Want to play a game?"
Samara - Bonnie Morgan
Naturally, the makers of The Ring had to find a contortionist to play creepy Samara. At the end of the film, she crawls out from the TV to tell her story, which is still one of the most important scenes in horror cinema. The creepy movements are all real thanks to actor Bonnie Morgan.
Hannibal Lecter - Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins is one of the most iconic actors of all time. His role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs is still revered as a classic. Unlike most scary horror villains, he wasn't in a full costume. He was simply himself, dressed up as a prisonor. The muzzle is iconic, of course, but the rest of his terrifying character is just Hopkins himself.
Michael Myers - Nick Castle
Michael Myers has been reprised by tons of different actors since all they need is to wear the white mask (which, by the way, is molded off of a mask of William Shatner). Nick Castle plays Myers in the original Halloween film, his imposing stature and emotionless killings making him the perfect villain.
The Pale Man - Doug Jones
The Pale Man is played by Doug Jones, not that you'd be able to tell. He's a special effects actor who specializes in characters such as The Pale Man. Guillermo del Toro features tons of creepy creatures in Pan's Labyrinth, but The Pale Man is easily the most iconic.
Chucky - Brad Dourif
Even though Chucky himself is just an animatronic doll, he is still voiced by a human. Brad Dourif lent his voice to the horrifying serial killer-infused doll that wreaks havoc on an unsuspecting family. Child's Play has tons of sequels and new adaptions, but the original is still the best.
Azazel - Jason Flemyng
The X-Men franchise has tons of bad guys and villains, but Azazel stands out for his shocking red skin and over-powered ability of teleportation. His first appearance is in X-Men: FIrst Class. Jason Flemyng had to sit in the makeup chair for hours so his skin could be painted red.
Lurch - Ted Cassidy
The original Addams Family aired from 1964 and 1966. Although Lurch isn't necessarily a villain, he's still a monster. Ted Cassidy was chosen to play the faithful butler to the less-than-ideal Addams family. Cassidy was a whopping 6 feet and 9 inches tall, which was ideal for the character.
Aileen Wuornos - Charlize Theron
Serial killer Aileen Wuornos was highlighted in the film Monster. She was played by Charlize Theron who had to completely transform her life to play the part. She gained 30 pounds, damaged her hair, and had to add fake scars and tattoos to her body to complete the character.
Armando Salazar - Javier Bardem
The Pirate of the Caribbean franchise had a lot of CGI involved. A lot of the undead pirates relied on heavy post-production to make them look realistically zombified. Armando Salazer, played by Javier Bardem, was the main villain in Dead Men Tell No Tales as he tried to murder Jack Sparrow. Bardem's preparation for the role took three hours every time they had to film.
Pinhead - Doug Bradley
Pinhead is the main villain in the Hellraiser franchise. Doug Bradley played the main Cenobite (extra-dimensional beings who are mutilated and brainwashed into torturing humans for all eternity in the Labyrinth) from 1987 until 2005. He finally turned down a role after he felt like the films had been played out and that it was just a cheap cash grab.
Corvus Glaive - Michael James Shaw
Corvus Glaive is Thanos' right-hand man and first appeared in Avengers: Infinity War. Corvus is played by Michael James Shaw, who was originally auditioning for a role in Black Panther. The casting directors hijacked his audition and placed him in Infinity War. Shaw is basically unrecognizable in the CGI makeup.
Predator - Brian Prince
Predator is one of the most iconic sci-fi franchises ever. There are tons of spin-offs and reboots, including The Predator which features 6 foot 10 inches tall Brian Prince. It was difficult for the casting director to find the perfect match, and Prince came in just at the right moment. He's also a prolific stuntman, which made him the perfect candiate.
Ronan the Accuser - Lee Pace
Ronan the Accuser is a villain in Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel. The makeup team did a fantastic job at disguising Lee Pace behind all of that special FX makeup. They painted his skin blue, gave him colored contacts, and even added scars and enhanced his veins to give him an eerie look.
Baby Firefly - Sheri Moon Zombie
Sheri Moon Zombie is the wife of the iconic horror filmmaker and musician Rob Zombie. He has featured her in several films, but her most critically acclaimed role is as Baby Firefly in House of 1000 Corpses. She had to sit for hours in the makeup chair to get her hair and makeup done.
Amphibian Man - Doug Jones
Doug Jones and Guillermo Del Toro strike again, this time with Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water. This film is notable in how weird and odd it is, but that's just del Toro's style. The horrifying creature was based on a simple sketch produced by the director.
Hela - Cate Blanchett
Movie fans were a little surprised to see that Cate Blanchett went with the role of Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. The character is far different from her usual roles. Hela is a perfect match against Thor and Loki in the film.
Rita Repulsa - Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks is another actor who doesn't delve into the sci-fi realm too much. Fans were elated to see her reprise the role of Rita Repulsa in the 2017 Power Rangers reboot. She's almost unrecognizable with the facial prosthetics and heavy body makeup.
Calypso - Naomie Harris
Tia Dalma was an unlikely villain as she was disguised as Calypso, the true antagonist of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Naomie Harris played the role perfectly. Her enchanting accent reeled viewers in and her "helpful" magical powers somehow concealed the fact that she was the true antagonist.
The Creeper - Jonathan Breck
In the film Jeepers Creepers, the main antagonist is The Creeper himself. Jonathan Breck had to undergo some pretty intense makeup to fully get into character. It would take anywhere from three to five hours just to suit up and be ready to film for the day.
Ari - Helena Bonham Carter
It's not a Tim Burton film is Helena Bonham Carter isn't in it, even though she's extremely unrecognizable. Carter had to sit for hours while she was suited up, and described the costume as "unbearably hot" and "very unpleasant." Much of the Ari suit was made of rubber, including her hands and ears.
Kaecilius - Mads Mikkelsen
Mads Mikkelsen is popular for his role as Hannibal Lecter in the Hannibal series, but he's also a famed character in Doctor Strange. He played Kaecilius, who is the main enemy against Doctor Strange himself. He starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.
Roark Junior - Nick Stahl
Roark Junior is probably the grossest villain out there. He's a sadistic killer and member of the powerful Roark clan in the film Sin City, which was adapted from a comic book. Nick Stahl played the character, who had to put on prosthetics to really fit the part.
The Invisible Man
Interestingly enough, there was no green suit CGI actor behind the Invisible Man in the movie of the same name. The antagonist was put in entirely in post-production. Elisabeth Moss plays the protagonist who's stalked by a ghost-like man after her ex-boyfriend commits suicide.
Leprechaun - Warwick Davis
The Leprechaun franchise is surely a weird one, but it's pretty popular. Warwick Davis plays the evil Irish leprechaun hellbent on murdering anyone he can. Since this film was released in 1993, the makeup team had to rely on makeup to bring the evil character to life. Davis also had roles in the Harry Potter and Star Wars series'.
The Tooth Fairy - Ralph Fiennes
Before he was Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes was The Tooth Fairy. Red Dragon is the prequel to Silence of the Lambs. Fiennes' transformation included fake tattoos all over his body, which had to be reapplied each day of shooting.
Pazuzu - Eileen Dietz
The crew for The Exorcist called up Eileen Dietz to see if she could take on the role of the devil, Pazuzu. Although she wasn't actually the King of Hell, they superimposed her face onto the devil's to create a super eerie, nonhuman face. This moment, along with many others from the film, has stayed with people their entire lives.
Pennywise- Tim Curry
In the original It, Tim Curry put on the clown makeup and got to work. He wore a special headpiece to give his head an enlarged shape, but the rest was simply makeup. It's hard to compare the new-age Pennywise to the old one since they're so different and scary in their own unique ways!
The Strangers
The Strangers is based on the real Keddie Cabin murders (even though the director has never said so, it's glaringly obvious). A group of people break into a cabin and begin to wreak havoc on a family. They wear masks the entire time, which only dehumanizes these people and makes them even scarier.
The Lipstick-Face Demon - Joseph Bishara
Insidious has its fair share of scary demons. The Lipstick-Face Demon, or The Man With Fire on His Face, is featured throughout many of the movies. Joseph Bishara's character is a combination of special FX makeup and CGI work.
The Red Queen - Helena Bonham Carter
The Red Queen is probably one of the most stressful villains out there. She's eccentric, unhinged, and bloodthirsty. Helena Bonham Carter brought the queen to life and the CGI brought her to another reality. Carter's enlarged head (done in post-production) is even more horrifying.
Kevin Wendell Crumb - James Mcavoy
James Mcavoy was basically playing multiple characters at once. Kevin Wendell Crumb is a man who has multiple personalities that he can't control. The most threatening character is The Beast, who has superhuman strength and takes this film into the supernatural realm.
Peter Pettigrew - Timothy Spall
Peter Pettigrew is the human reincarnation of Ron Weasley's pet rat. He's one of the earliest villains in the Harry Potter franchise. Spall's costume was a combination of special FX and makeup, minus his transformation scene. That was all CGI.
The Lizard - Rhys Ifans
The Lizard in Spider-Man is obviously a huge CGI feat. Creating something that looks this good and supernatural in real life would be difficult. The incredible post-production work combined with Rhys Ifans' portrayal of the horrifying lizard man was a huge hit with the fans.
Ego - Kurt Russel
Kurt Russel plays Ego, the main villain in The Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Ego is Star-Lord's father, which complicates some things! Ego wants to take over the galaxy, but Star-Lord isn't going to let that happen. A huge chunk of this movie is CGI, including Ego's transformation.
The Terrifier - David Howard Thornton
David Howard Thornton goes over-the-top for The Terrifier. He plays villain Art the Clown and is portrayed as a horrifying clown with a white painted face, black overlined lips, long nose, and bloody teeth.
The Babadook - Tim Purcell
Although viewers don't see The Babadook himself much throughout the film, the monster is still absolutely terrifying. Tim Purcell had to sit through hours of makeup for this role. In some scenes, the folks in post-production used CGI to make his face even scarier.