Top 20 Actors Who Can Play Good and Bad Guys

Some performers can anchor a heartfelt hero one year and then turn around with a chilling antagonist the next. They jump between sides with convincing detail and a long trail of roles that prove it. This list highlights actors who have played both ends of the moral spectrum across film and TV and shows where to see that range in action.

Each entry points to clear examples of principled leads or sympathetic protagonists alongside darker roles that test a different set of skills. If you are exploring filmographies to see how actors switch gears so well, these credits will give you a straightforward watchlist.

Denzel Washington

Audiences have seen Denzel Washington lead as figures who do the right thing under pressure. He protects the vulnerable in ‘The Equalizer’ and inspires as a high school coach in ‘Remember the Titans’. He also guides a troubled flight captain through a crisis in ‘Flight’, carrying the story with calm authority.

He has also delivered ferocious antagonists. His turn as Alonzo Harris in ‘Training Day’ stands as a textbook portrayal of corruption, and he charts the rise of an underworld figure in ‘American Gangster’. These roles show how he can switch from protector to threat without losing credibility.

Christian Bale

Christian Bale anchors heroic leads with physical commitment and focus. He embodies Bruce Wayne in ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy and steers a high stakes racing drama in ‘Ford v Ferrari’. He also plays a driven engineer in ‘The Big Short’, guiding viewers through complex material.

He can just as easily inhabit darker figures. He becomes a chilling killer in ‘American Psycho’ and a vengeful god slayer in ‘Thor Love and Thunder’. He brings a dangerous edge to ‘The Fighter’ and keeps the audience on alert whenever the character’s choices turn ruthless.

Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett’s heroic work spans historical and contemporary stories. She portrays a powerful monarch in ‘Elizabeth’ and a gifted conductor navigating modern life in ‘Tár’. She also brings poise and resilience to ‘Carol’ and lends mythical grace to ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

Her villainous turns land with equal force. She plays a formidable stepmother in ‘Cinderella’ and a calculating psychiatrist in ‘Nightmare Alley’. She can channel menace without raising her voice, which makes the shift from protector to predator feel effortless.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman has served as a steady ally and leader. He stands for integrity as Commissioner Gordon in ‘The Dark Knight’ and guides a nation through crisis in ‘Darkest Hour’. He also mentors a young spy team in ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’.

He is equally known for larger than life villains. He terrifies as a corrupt cop in ‘Léon The Professional’ and chews through sci fi mayhem in ‘The Fifth Element’. He brings intensity to ‘Air Force One’ and proves how instantly he can tilt a scene toward danger.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron takes on tough protagonists who fight through impossible odds. She leads a wasteland escape in ‘Furiosa A Mad Max Saga’ and plays a spy on a deadly mission in ‘Atomic Blonde’. She also anchors a grounded drama in ‘Monster’, transforming the screen through detail.

She can chill as a villain with equal conviction. She rules with icy presence in ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ and disrupts a racing crew in ‘The Fate of the Furious’. She adds sharp edges to ‘Prometheus’ and shows how a single glare can change the tone of a story.

Javier Bardem

Javier Bardem’s heroic and sympathetic turns span drama and epic adventure. He guides a desert tribe in ‘Dune’ and delivers a moving portrait of illness and dignity in ‘The Sea Inside’. He also reveals a tender side in ‘Biutiful’, carrying a heavy story with quiet strength.

He has also created some of the most memorable villains on screen. He stalks West Texas in ‘No Country for Old Men’ and taunts a secret agent in ‘Skyfall’. He brings supernatural fury to the seas in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales’, proving how easily he can dominate a scene.

Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy plays resolute heroes who push through extreme situations. He pilots a fighter in ‘Dunkirk’ and fights for family in ‘Warrior’. He also shoulders a strange bond with a symbiote in ‘Venom’, turning conflict into dark humor and action.

He shifts into menace without effort. He wears the mask of a revolutionary in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and becomes a ruthless trapper in ‘The Revenant’. Even when he says little, his presence signals danger and keeps the stakes high.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis leads stories with moral clarity and grit. She commands a kingdom in ‘The Woman King’ and fights for her family’s future in ‘Fences’. She also builds a complex defense attorney in ‘How to Get Away with Murder’, mapping the cost of power and secrecy.

She leans into darker authority figures with steel. She runs covert operations in ‘Suicide Squad’ as Amanda Waller and designs cruel tests in ‘The Hunger Games The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’. She makes ruthless decisions feel grounded in purpose, which heightens the impact.

Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender often carries intense protagonists. He gives a precise portrait of a tech pioneer in ‘Steve Jobs’ and explores art and identity in ‘Frank’. He also plays Erik Lehnsherr in ‘X-Men’, sometimes serving as an uneasy ally when ideals align.

His villains are searing and unforgettable. He portrays a brutal plantation owner in ’12 Years a Slave’ and returns as a deadly synthetic in ‘Alien Covenant’. His Magneto also crosses lines in ‘X-Men’, reminding viewers how easily conviction can harden into threat.

Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike delivers principled and driven leads. She chronicles the life of a war correspondent in ‘A Private War’ and brings warmth to ‘Pride and Prejudice’. She also guides a geopolitical thriller in ‘Beirut’, keeping the focus on strategy and stakes.

She has also crafted chilling antagonists. She turns marriage into a battlefield in ‘Gone Girl’ and runs a cold guardianship scam in ‘I Care a Lot’. She plays a lethal warrior queen in ‘Wrath of the Titans’, showing striking control in combat and court.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch handles heroic intellect and mystic power. He anchors the Marvel universe as ‘Doctor Strange’ and cracks case after case in ‘Sherlock’. He also gives a moving portrait of codebreaking in ‘The Imitation Game’.

He can burn cold as a villain. He unleashes engineered fury in ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ and voices an ancient dragon in ‘The Hobbit’ films. He also needles at everyone around him in ‘The Power of the Dog’, turning restraint into a threat that fills the frame.

Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes shines as a humane and resourceful lead. He guides guests through chaos in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and survives desert war in ‘The English Patient’. He also trains spies and stands firm in ‘Skyfall’, showing measured leadership.

He delivers towering villains as well. He becomes the dark wizard in ‘Harry Potter’ and chills as a camp commandant in ‘Schindler’s List’. He uses voice, posture, and silence to make evil feel disturbingly real.

Tilda Swinton

Tilda Swinton embodies mentors and wanderers with quiet power. She trains a surgeon in ‘Doctor Strange’ and drifts through eternal nights in ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’. She also guides a young hero in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, though her allegiance there masks her true intent.

She has a flair for unsettling antagonists. She schemes in corporate corridors in ‘Michael Clayton’ and enforces cruel order in ‘Snowpiercer’. She can tilt a world off balance with a single choice and make it feel inevitable.

Idris Elba

Idris Elba plays resolute commanders and leaders who inspire action. He rallies pilots in ‘Pacific Rim’ and portrays a global icon in ‘Mandela Long Walk to Freedom’. He also brings heart and humor to ‘Luther’, tracking predators through London streets.

He turns imposing when the role demands it. He terrorizes a war torn nation in ‘Beasts of No Nation’ and upgrades himself into a cyber enhanced foe in ‘Hobbs and Shaw’. He also voices a predatory tiger in ‘The Jungle Book’, using cadence and timing to great effect.

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe often stands on the side of conscience. He fights to hold a moral line in ‘Platoon’ and looks after families living on the edge in ‘The Florida Project’. He also protects a young hero in ‘Aquaman’, offering skill and guidance.

He has created some of the most memorable screen villains. He unleashes the Green Goblin in ‘Spider Man’ and counterfeits with icy calm in ‘To Live and Die in L A’. He can twist a smile into a warning and make every line feel dangerous.

Hugo Weaving

Hugo Weaving brings authority and wisdom to heroic roles. He leads an elven realm in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and guides a masked rebel in ‘V for Vendetta’ with a voice that anchors the story. He also plays a stern sergeant who still cares in ‘Hacksaw Ridge’.

He shifts to menace with ease. He becomes the face of a digital enforcer in ‘The Matrix’ and voices a tyrant in ‘Transformers’. He shows how a rigid code can turn into cruelty and does it with crisp clarity.

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix inhabits layered protagonists who seek connection and meaning. He falls in love with an operating system in ‘Her’ and searches for faith and safety in ‘Signs’. He also charts a musician’s rise in ‘Walk the Line’.

He can turn profoundly dark. He seizes the Roman throne in ‘Gladiator’ and spirals into violence in ‘Joker’. He gives each descent a specific logic, which makes the result feel both shocking and sadly inevitable.

Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston has long experience as a warm and capable lead. He parents with patience and chaos in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ and helps stage a daring rescue in ‘Argo’. He also champions free speech in ‘Trumbo’.

He is equally convincing as a villain. He engineers an empire in ‘Breaking Bad’ and runs a brutal operation in ‘Drive’. He makes ambition feel human and then shows how it tips into harm.

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves anchors modern action with steadfast resolve. He fights for freedom in ‘The Matrix’ and protects a bond that drives him forward in ‘John Wick’. He also defends a bus full of passengers in ‘Speed’, keeping the tension high.

He has stepped into darker roles when needed. He stalks victims in ‘The Watcher’ and runs a ruthless underground fight scene in ‘Man of Tai Chi’. These turns show a hard edge that contrasts sharply with his more stoic heroes.

Mads Mikkelsen

Mads Mikkelsen shines as a thoughtful or wounded lead. He navigates midlife and friendship in ‘Another Round’ and risks everything for the rebellion in ‘Rogue One’. He also plays a desperate teacher in ‘The Hunt’, grounding the story in painful detail.

He has a deep bench of villains. He wins a poker table with terror in ‘Casino Royale’ and leads a cult of sorcerers in ‘Doctor Strange’. He embodies a cultured cannibal in ‘Hannibal’ and later steps into a dark wizard’s shoes in the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ series, proving how smoothly he can command fear.

Share your favorite good guy and bad guy performances from these actors in the comments.