22 Actors So Good At Being Awful People Hate Them

From Redditoru/novato1995:

Jack Gleeson played Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones.Game of Thrones.

I never hated a character and admired an actor this much. This guy played every scene perfectly.

U/ChineseChaiTeaPut it in perspective:

As a parent, saying "I hope that little f*cking bastard dies" and cheering for his death feels bad. His character dragged me down, but the acting was great.

From Redditoru/funnyflabs:

Imelda Staunton played Umbridge in Harry Potter.Harry Potter.

U/TardisCoreSTchimed in:

YES. She is horribly bad, and that is good. Imelda Staunton is a genius actress.

From Redditoru/ImJaredItsMyName:

I thought Lena Headey did phenomenal with Cersei in Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones.She achieved a perfect look with her face: calculated anger, rage/aggression. A look of total superiority.

U/Plant_Parlouragreed:

Her evil smirks while gulping wine... Chef‘s kiss.

From Redditoru/pinche881:

Joaquin Phoenix played in Gladiator.Gladiator.

U/floorwantshugsagreed:

Yes! He performed so well I suspect him of villainy in everything else I see him in.

U/ftmcxshared:

Joaquin Phoenix did an amazing job in Gladiator.GladiatorMy mom refuses to watch anything Joaquin is in because she cannot stand that his character killed Maximus.

From Redditoru/ManlySey:

Alan Rickman played a role in Die Hard.Die Hard.

Andu/bradbrazer:

Alan Rickman played Snape in Harry Potter.Harry PotterHe played his role well during his time.

RIP a true legendary actor.

From Redditoru/Sinisterslushy:

Christoph Waltz played in Inglorious Basterds.Inglorious Basterds.His ability to play a villain was remarkable. The smugness he brought to the character made him feel real and hateful.

U/Phoenix042added:

This is the one that came to mind immediately.

The opening scene, the acting's subtlety and nuance, the small power plays, or asking for milk, asking others to wait outside, making the farmer use his nickname and reputation—all so polite, all carrying the weight of his hidden threat.

Such an amazing scene and such a good character. No one else could do it justice.

From Redditoru/StoissED:

Sam Rockwell.

You hated his creepy guts in The Green Mile.The Green Mile.

He is a douchebag in Iron Man.Iron Man.

U/Wishart2016agreed:

He also plays a great douchebag in Three Billboards.Three Billboards [Outside Ebbing, Missouri], which earned him an Oscar.

From Redditoru/tinkrman:

Kathy Bates played in Misery.Misery.

U/zombie_vibesadded:

And inAmerican Horror Story! Love her.

Andu/Cookie_Brookieasked:

But how does every one of her characters end up somewhat likable? One was the most deplorable racist killer ever, and another adopted and raised the Antichrist, and I still root for her... What?!

From Redditoru/penny_can:

Louise Fletcher played Nurse Ratched and later Kai Winn in[One Flew Over the] Cuckoo's NestandStar Trek DS9, [respectively].

U/Kuriakonadded:

Someone should have said Louise Fletcher. She was perfect as Kai Winn onDS9. A 10/10 performance. Skin-crawlingly well-played villain.

From Redditoru/Upper-Job5130:

William Atherton played in Ghostbusters and Die Hard. He had to quit acting because people hated him on the street for his movie roles.GhostbustersandDie HardDude had to quit acting because people saw him on the street and spewed hate at him for his movie roles.

U/Curleysoundadded:

William Atherton's three most known roles are total d*cks. He played the slimy professor inReal Genius, the take-no-prisoners reporter inDie Hardgets punched, and the EPA guy inGhostbustersHe had trouble going in public for a while.

From Redditoru/-tinypotato-:

Allison Arngrim played Nellie Oleson inLittle House on the Prairie, and Katherine MacGregor played Nellie’s mother, Harriet Oleson. I heard both actresses were kind in real life but faced real-life hate because they played awful people too well.

Andu/gregariusgakuseithrew in an example:

Nellie haunts me. Her stupid brother haunts me too. Remember when she got thrown off the horse and acted disabled?

From Redditoru/ShesSoPeachy78:

Gary Oldman appeared in several movies, specifically inLeon: The Professional.

Fromu/RooDoubleYou:

Gary Oldman -True Romance (Drexl the pimp).

Fromu/phantom_avenger:

Jeffrey Dean Morgan played Negan [onThe Walking Dead].

Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays him brilliantly when he was the main villain ofThe Walking Deadfor two seasons. Then he nailed the character when he started to reform and try to make amends for his past actions; you do not want to see him die anymore.

It is crazy how he moves from playing such a despicable person and the biggest jerk in the world you want to see die, to a guy trying to fix his past and you don't want to see him die anymore.

From Redditoru/BigDucksFan:

Katherine MacGregor played Mrs. Oleson onLittle House on the Prairie.

U/Chateaudelaitadded:

The G.O.A.T - Katherine MacGregor as Mrs. Harriet Olesen onLittle House on the Prairie. She is the bellwether for every evil, nosy, petty, beeyatch character that followed her. She is magnificent. I need to see her awards.

From Redditoru/Freels2old:

J.K. Simmons played Vern Schillinger in HBO'sOz.

U/cutepixel69added:

I just watched that a few months ago. Schillinger is the most sadistic, evil, and terrifying villain I have ever seen on TV. He was worse than Ramsay Bolton and Joffrey inGame of Thrones, by far. I want to rewatch Oz, but some scenes are hard to watch; it is so brutal.Oz, but some scenes are hard to watch; it is so brutal.

U/phantom_avengeroffered:

J.K. Simmons plays all kinds of jerks well. He is seriously one of the best actors of our generation.

InSpider-Man, he plays a hateful person you love and want to see remain hateful because he shows it in a lighthearted way.

But inWhiplashJ.K. Simmons plays a hateful person. He destroys people psychologically with narcissistic and cruel hate.

From Redditoru/ArugulaEntire:

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Calvin Candie in Django: Unchained.Django: Unchained.He reportedly practiced to be racist enough.

U/daithisfwwent further:

[N]ot only was he not a leading man; he played the antagonist, the villain. He killed it. His Calvin Candie was near perfect. He was hateable.

From Redditoru/moose_powered:

Tim Roth plays Rob Roy in Rob Roy.Rob Roy. I wanted to punch him halfway through the movie; it only got worse.

From Redditoru/dont-wanna-bee-here:

Tobias Menzies plays Black Jack Randall on Outlander.Outlander.

U/MourkaCatagreed:

I wanted to say the same. Tobias is a great actor. You completely detest Black Jack, but seeing Claire with Frank brings a mix of hatred and pity. Frank was a complex character who loved Claire deeply and was hurt by everything. He loved Brianna a lot.

Tobias gave me sympathy and pity for Frank while making me hate Black Jack. He played an abhorrent monster convincingly.

AndU/LemursRideBigWheelsadded:

Tobias Menzies is a great underused actor. He was great as the smug Tory candidate on Black Mirror.Black Mirror, and as Brutus in RomeRome.

Fromu/unmotivatedbacklight:

David Schwimmer did an excellent job as Capt. Sobel in Band of Brothers.Band of Brothers. You hated him just like the men of Easy Company did.

From Redditoru/Thirty_Helens_Agree:

Paul McCrane plays Dr. Romano in ER.ER.

U/coconut-businessmanadmitted:

I was cheering the second helicopter.

Andu/themajinherculeadded:

He is not a bad guy. He is a great surgeon who cares about saving lives and the well-being of his closest friend or colleague, but he is also a world-class jerk.

From Redditoru/Glexity:

Anna Gunn is from Breaking Bad.Breaking Bad. She is the sane, rational person who finds out her husband is a drug kingpin, but we must like Mr. White more as the main character.

U/Idontdanceforfun agreed:

F*cking Skylar, played by Anna Gunn, is from Breaking Bad.Breaking Bad. I hated her character so much I hate the actress who plays her. This is a strange twist; it makes me like her because she played the role well.

From Redditoru/ClownPuncherrr:

Bradley Cooper plays in Wedding Crashers.Wedding Crashers. It took me years to get over him and give him a chance in other roles.

U/DriftingPyschoput it this way:

Super douche.

Andu/ForeverYoungAtHeartsaid:

I disliked him since that movie because he seemed like he was not acting and is a jerk in real life.