Joffrey Baratheon from “Game of Thrones,” or Mrs. Umbridge from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix” (and later books and films) are all examples of characters so detested that they make readers and viewers’ blood boil. Sometimes this emotion transcends the screen and we begin to forget where the character ends and the actor begins. 

One internet user wanted to know what actors portrayed a villain so effectively that people could no longer see them as anything else. The results were illuminating, so sit down and be sure to upvote your favorites as you read through people’s answers. Remember to comment your own examples if you didn’t see it here.

#1

Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and as Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian. When I saw Giancarlo Esposito in Community, I just about sh*t myself in fear.

Image credits: RatCatSlim

#2

Imelda Staunton, Mrs Umbridge in Harry Potter.

forbiddenmemeories replied:

Honestly the biggest challenge for any new HP series is going to be matching the casting of the movies. Imelda Staunton is one of many who was absolutely perfect for her character and it’s going to be hard to buy anyone else in the role.

Lunavixen15 replied:

I can’t unsee Umbridge as her, even after reading the books again. She encapsulated Umbridge so well.

Image credits: JAM88CAM

#3

Jack Nicholson did such a good job as Jack Torrance that he gives me the creeps every time I see his face now.

Image credits: tteetth

Hollywood has a long track record of typecasting certain actors in specific roles. This is pretty prevalent among character actors who people can only see in one role. The cast of Star Trek, particularly the original series, struggled with this issue for the rest of their careers. For example, Nichelle Nichols who played translator and communications officer Uhura, believed that the role so defined her as an actress that no one was willing to hire her for anything else. 

Star Trek seemed to be particularly cursed, as even established actors of stage and screen ended up “stuck” with connections to the show. Sir Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Picard in “The Next Generation” was turned down from a role because the director thought Picard overshadowed the actor. It’s worth noting that Sir Patrick Stewart has decades of experience and was and is a fully respected actor in his own right, yet still ended up typecast by this one role.

#4

Ralph Fiennes in Schindler’s List.

Milkweedhugger replied:

Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort also!

anotherkeebler replied:

I’ve been scared of him all my life. I was so happy to see him play such a different character in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Image credits: TuPacSchwartz411

#5

For me, it’s Joffrey Baratheon played by Jack Gleeson.

poopface41217 replied:

The ironic thing is I read Jack Gleeson is one of the kindest people and is active in volunteer efforts. I watched an interview where his co-star Sophie Turner said he was the greatest guy.

Image credits: Dense-Philosopher824

#6

Lena Headey in GOT. She’s actually super nice when I’ve seen interviews but damn she was too perfect as Cersei.

Image credits: Zorgcustomersupport

It seems like the inability to see an actor as separate from the character is just as present among casting directors as the audience. John Hamm, of Mad Men fame, recalled getting basically only pitches for films and shows set in the 1960s or about advertising. Despite his range, one excellent performance was enough to force him into the same role over and over again, with diminishing results and, no doubt, motivation.

#7

Charles Dance in well everything… Golden Child, GOT.

He could cure cancer tomorrow and he would still ring villain to me.

Image credits: leroyp33

#8

John Lithgow was so terrifying in Dexter that I kept expecting him to murder somebody in The Great British Bake Off.

Image credits: Aduro95

#9

I’ve never seen her in anything but The Office, but it’s always such a mind‐f**k when I see an interview or something with Angela Kinsey and she’s smiling and seems somewhat likeable.

I got to meet her at a convention once, and she is incredibly sweet IRL. So are Oscar Nuñez and Brian Baumgartner.

I went to the convention dressed as Dwight and, when it was time for my picture with Angela, she exclaimed “Dwight!” Then she told me she was going to go “full Angela” for the photo, and she did.

GonzoThompson replied:

Brian was extra careful to make sure I got all the photos I wanted with him. We had already taken three or so when he asked me if I was sure I got everything I wanted with him.

All three of them are super nice people.

Image credits: LaurenYpsum

There are historical examples of this as well. Soviet actor Mikheil Gelovani played Stalin no less than twelve times, which perhaps wasn’t quite as challenging range-wise, but the pressure to portray the murderous Premier of the Soviet Union no doubt added a certain level of difficulty. Regardless, both Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization and the idea that Gelovani could not depict “mere mortals” after playing Stalin all led to him being denied any other roles. 

#10

Tom Felton reportedly gets a ton of hate for his portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series.

trisharae_88 replied:

But also a super chill dude in real life.

Image credits: E34M20

#11

For me, Matt Damon in The Departed was so absolutely hateable that even when I see him in things like The Martian, for example, I’m still like “oh, absolutely not. Just leave him there.”

Image credits: TheToughestHang

#12

Sam Rockwell in Green Mile was so disgusting and off-putting and perfect in his role that I still don’t like to look at him.

Image credits: hughpanarogirl

Some actors actually end up “bonding” with a character so deeply that they begin to do public appearances as them. Clayton Moore, best known as the Lone Ranger, liked being the masked, former Texas ranger so much that Jack Wrather, who actually owned the rights to the character, had to issue a cease and desist letter. The dispute was ultimately resolved and Moore would continue to go out in public as the ranger. 

#13

How is Joaquin Phoenix not on here for Commodus in Gladiator?

Mud_Landry added:

Took me quite a while to watch Joaquin Phoenix in anything after Gladiator, his Commodus was so f*****g evil I couldn’t stand him in anything for years

Image credits: nom_of_your_business

#14

Billy Zane in Titanic.

Fly_By_Orchestra added:

It’s too bad; he’s a cool dude.

Image credits: IluvTaylorSwift

#15

Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton. I tell a lie as he was so cute in Vicious as Ash Weston.

sporkabork replied:

He freaked me out so much as Ramsay Bolton that I’m pretty sure I’d cross the street if I happened to see him out walking around. That’s a good actor.

Image credits: cherrycokelemon

Ultimately, more creative directors will try to play “against type” by taking an actor best known for a specific genre or role and casting them in something very different. Bruce Willis was mainly known for romcoms before his career-making time in “Die Hard,” while rapper Ice-T was an unusual, but inspired choice for a police detective in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

#16

Adam Scott could play the sweetest guy ever but I would still wanta punch his face in because all I’d be able to see was Trevor from the Good Place.

Image credits: rainbowbekbek

#17

Jamie Dornan, Fifty Shades of Grey as Christian Grey.

Image credits: MolassesReef

#18

Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Bastards.

crateofkate replied:

See his role on Basterds influenced my perspective of him so much I spent the entire movie waiting for him to betray Django and when the credits rolled and he hadn’t my mind was in denial

DeannaZone replied:
I loved that movie because of him, but unfortunately if I ever see or hear him in something I am like this is the bad guy … he did is sooo good!

Image credits: Prime_Rib_6969

#19

Samuel L Jackson in Django Unchained. DiCaprio had a certain insane charisma to him in that movie, not Jackson. Perfectly portrays someone who sold out their own.

Image credits: Anomaly4D89

#20

We’re not going to mention Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick in Election (1999)?

She was so perfectly insufferable that this role literally almost torpedoed her career before it ever really started.

#21

Rosamund Pike played a sociopath so perfectly in *Gone Girl* that I have only recently been able to watch shows or movies that she is in.

Image credits: EvilTodd1970

#22

Jesse Plemons (poor man’s Matt Damon) as Todd in Breaking Bad.

overmonk replied:

Same. It took years for me to see past his dead-fish sociopathic Todd and recognize his immense acting talent. He’s really very good.

#23

Michael Fassbender’s role in 12 Years a Slave made me want to punch him. Had to remind myself hes just a great actor. Where is he though? After the X Men films he doesn’t seem to be doing much.

#24

I always hated Steve Zahn, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. It was because he was such a convincing s**t in “Riding in Cars with Boys.” I almost forgot about the movie entirely and him being in it, but my impression of him stayed.

#25

I actually had this issue this morning. I was watching Breaking Bad and Jesse’s AA leader was on. Perfectly softly spoken gentle man. Hate him on sight. Had to Google him. Turns out he was a character in Sabrina the Teenage Witch that I watched as a child (Zelda’s husband) and he was such a bastard I’ve apparently carried a dormant instinctual hatred for him ever since.

Image credits: Publandlady

#26

Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and as Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot.

Gotta say, he excels at portraying despicable villains.

#27

Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. I watched No Country for Old Men in the theater and studiously avoided Javier Bardem until last year when I watched Dune. He’s a great actor; otherwise, Anton Chigurh wouldn’t have mentally scarred me for a decade.

#28

I will never ever forgive Paul Reiser for betraying those Colonial Marines on LV426.

daddyvs replied:

I have hated Paul Reiser since the 80s because of Aliens.

billions_of_stars replied:

I remember Paul Reiser being on a talk show many years ago after he was in the movie Aliens. He talked to Jay Lemon or whoever it was about how he was doing standup once and before he even started people were booing him because they hated that character so much. He said something to the host along the lines of “they realize I’m not actually that guy, right?”

Image credits: ATM1L0

#29

Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and as Kai Winn in “Deep Space Nine”.

LitherLily replied:

She is excellent at playing the villain. You are helpless against the tide of hate that washes over you.

Image credits: ZiggerTheNaut

#30

Chace Crawford as The Deep in The Boys. I see him in actor interviews and get the heebie-jeebies even though I know it’s just a character.

Image credits: PoorCorrelation

#31

JK Simmons after watching him in Whiplash.

mrstonewallin replied:

‘Not quite my tempo’ just echoes through the head.

#32

Kevin Bacon in Sleepers, when he played [character] who killed Magneto’s family I was like, ‘that was good casting’.

_Goose_ replied:

Haven’t been able to enjoy him in anything since.

#33

I’ve never forgiven Jeffrey Dean Morgan for killing Glenn. I used to really like him.

#34

Tobias Menzies who played Capt Randall on Outlander. Every movie and film he is in, I always hope his character dies. I think I would spit on him if I saw him in real life. He’s actually really nice guy but was so good in his role that I just hate him.

#35

Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo in the Fargo TV show. He actually played him *too* well, do much so in anything else he does I can’t get past it.

#36

Tony Dalton was so unnerving as Lalo that everyone doubted him the moment he showed up in Hawkeye.

Of course, that was the idea: to cast him as a red herring.

#37

Idris Elba as Charles Minor.

kiwimag5 replied:

God he was so good in this role. The period of time when Charles thought Dwight was a reasonable person was perfect. So well done.

#38

Beth Grant in Donny Darko, she is definitely a type cast actor for a hateable character, the scene in darko where she is teaching a course on morality is a great exchange and only so good because the actors were great, But every time I see her I still have bleed over hate.

#39

I watched Dragonheart as a very young child and I have never been able to fond David Thewlis likeable ever since. When they cast him as Remus Lupin I was so upset–he was a comfort character when I first read the books but casting David Thewlis ruined it for me.

#40

I don’t hate him but after watching Primal Fear and American History X if I saw Edward Norton in a dark alley I’d turn around and walk the other way.

#41

Kirsten Dunst as Amy in 1994’s Little Women. I will never forgive her for burning that manuscript. Then her character grew up married Laurie?! What. A. B***h.

#42

It’s a show but Ron Livingston as Jack Berger in Sex and the City. He plays such a whiny, insecure p*ssy in the show that I hate him and his stupid face haha.

#43

Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly Holbrook in The Help, after that I can’t stand her in anything else…

#44

Jason Sudeikis in Colossal. He and Anne Hathaway are childhood friends and he helps her out when she moves back to their hometown (and there’s stuff with giant monsters). The way he goes from nice on the surface to jerk to horrible… whenever I see him I think that he’s probably mean in real life and don’t get how he could be the lead in a feel-good show like Ted Lasso (I haven’t actually watched it). I even thought he was pretending to be nice on The Mindy Project, and there’s no reason given on screen why that would be the case. Pretty irrational but yes, he did it so well in Colossal that now I think he’s a mean guy pretending to be nice.

#45

Mo’Nique when she played the mom in Precious.

SmellyCheeseDiseass replied:

Oh this is a good answer. Funnily enough Mo’Nique is apparently one of the biggest sweethearts in the world.

#46

Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith in The Matrix.

Krampsport replied:

This!!! Agent Smith and he was forever a sinister and scary mf.

#47

I hated Robin Wright’s character in House of Cards so much it ruined the Princess Bride for me.

#48

Penelope Cruz in Blow.

El_Pasteurizador replied:

This is the one for me. Absolutely could not stand her in any other film after that. I know it’s ridiculous, but god. f**king. damn… What a c**t she plays in that movie.

#49

Pablo Schreiber.
He is such a good actor and was so convincing in his role as William Lewis in Law and Order SVU. So every time I see him in anything else, I still see him as the evil pos he portrayed for at least the first few scenes.

#50

This is gonna be a throwback but Robert Knepper as T-Bag in Prison Break. He played that character EXTREMELY well…like jeez. I’ve never been able to see him the same way since watching Prison Break.

#51

Michael McKean in “Better Call Saul” Aka,”Chuck McGill”
He was perfectly cast and was excellent in his role. I know it’s just great acting and he is a nice man and a good musician. But he just reminds me of my older brother as well. A man that asks,”How are you?” ,Then when you speak he goes blank and you can read it in his face that he goes blank and doesn’t give a f**k about you or what you say because you are beneath him.
He lights up like a f*****g Xmas tree when around people he wants to impress but for normal people he’s just a bland,uppity,elitist snobby prick.
(Omg! that felt. good to say that)

#52

Antony Starr Homelander in The Boys.

ballplayer0025 replied:

100% He is so good at it that initially I was like “holy s**t where his this guy been hiding?” But ultimately because of it I will never be able to see him as anything but homelander.

#53

Kathy Bates in Misery. It makes me sad because she is a great actress, but I can’t get past it.

#54

David Schwimmer as Cpt Sobel in Band of Brothers. I swear his O3 character caused me to have flashbacks of bad company commanders.

#55

Shooter McGavin.

#56

Saoirse Ronan in Atonement.

limepompom replied:

I commented the same thing. I cannot rewatch that movie because I get so mad. And I haven’t watched any of her new stuff.

#57

Tim Roth as Cunningham in Rob Roy. So hard to not see him as a complete bastard in anything else.

#58

Not a huge role, but Parker Posey in Dazed and Confused. She played a mean girl so well that’s all I can see her as in everything now.

#59

The Mist (2007) has a character named Mrs Carmody who was a religious nut they were all trapped in the grocery store with. She was played by actress Marcia Gay Harden, who I still can’t stand to this day because of that character.

#60

John Huston in ‘Chinatown’.

CluelessNoodle123 replied:

Oh God. I watched that movie once, like 10 years ago, and still haven’t been able to watch it again.

#61

Kiefer Sutherland in Stand By Me.

#62

Major Frank Burns from M*A*S*H, His lack of empathy and overall ego made me hate the guy. They tried a couple of times expressing on why he came out the way he did…but it just wasn’t enough. Always getting in the way of Hawkeye treating patients, leading on Hotlips, and just being an overall shithead the way he treated the locals in Korea. That being said Robert Duvall did a great job.

#63

Pam Ferris as Agatha Trunchbull in Matilda.

#64

Doug Hutchison (Percy Wetmore in The Green Mile). Although I haven’t seen him in much since, Lost being the only thing that comes to mind. He has some real-life issues though as well, having married a 16-year-old when he was 51.

#65

Olivia Coleman in Fleabag. Cant look past it now.

keestie replied:

Watch some interviews with her; IRL, she is an absolute treasure.

#66

Laura Linney as Wendy byrd in Ozark. I hated wendy in that show and now hate her in other show.