10 Disturbing Roles Played by Actors Who Turned Out to be Terrible People

10 Disturbing Roles Played by Actors Who Turned out to Be Terrible People as Well

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the creepiest parts from actors who were later revealed to be actual villains.

James Franco as Alien

“Spring Breakers” (2012)
This character is so over-the-top that he’s kind of hilarious … until you think about all the gross things that James Franco is accused of doing to women in real life. Alien is a rapper and a gangster. After he bails a group of college girls out of jail, he manipulates them into joining his dangerous, illicit lifestyle. Eventually, things get sexual. Franco has also allegedly taken advantage of women in vulnerable situations. In 2019, he was sued by two students from his acting school claiming that he had exploited them. He settled that lawsuit and has never publicly acknowledged doing anything illegal.

Gwyneth Paltrow as Beth Emhoff

“Contagion” (2011)
Considering how much snake oil and pseudoscience Gwyneth Paltrow peddles through her company Goop, it seems like only a matter of time before she becomes patient zero for something. That’s exactly what happens in “Contagion.” While on a business trip to Hong Kong, Beth shakes hands with a chef who has been touching diseased pork. She unwittingly becomes the first person infected with an extremely deadly virus. As she travels back home to Minneapolis via Chicago, she leaves a trail of sickness and death in her wake. Unfortunately, no amount of essential oils or herbal supplements can cure it – just like in real life.

Steven Seagal as Rogelio Torrez

“Machete” (2010)
Over the last 35 years, Seagal has been accused of inappropriate behavior and even assault by numerous women who have worked with him. Although he’s mostly managed to escape consequences, it’s pretty safe to assume that he’s a gross human being. While he plays the hero in nearly all of his movies, his character in “Machete” is the bad guy. Torrez trafficks women and brutally murders them, sometimes for no reason at all. He gruesomely decapitates Machete’s wife before the opening credits even roll. We don’t see a lot of Seagal in this movie, but it’s more than enough. Whose idea was it to cast him as a Mexican anyway?

Terrence Howard as DJay

“Hustle & Flow” (2005)
It’s kind of weird that Howard is still getting plenty of work in Hollywood, considering his dark past. He’s been arrested for assaulting women more than once. His first wife accused him of threatening, harassing, and punching her, while his second wife had to take out a restraining order against him – twice. He was also arrested for grabbing and pushing a flight attendant. That’s why it’s so hard to watch his character DJay scream at women and slap them around. And just like Terrence Howard, he never really gets his comeuppance.

Chris D'Elia as Henderson

“You” (2018-)
The similarities between the actor and the role are just too creepy here. Henderson is a moderately successful stand-up comedian who has a history of drugging and assaulting young victims. He tries to take advantage of Delilah’s younger sister Ellie, but fortunately, Joe stops him in time. In 2020, Chris D'Elia was accused of grooming and harassing multiple girls. After the news broke, other women came forward to share that D’Elia had been inappropriate with them too. Afterward, several streaming services took his work off their sites, his agency dropped him, and he was replaced in “Army of the Dead” by Tig Notaro. In our opinion, that was an improvement.

Armie Hammer as Steve Lift

“Sorry to Bother You” (2018)
In this wild satire of corporate America, Hammer plays a CEO who’s literally invented a new kind of slavery. We also later learn that he’s subjecting his employees to bizarre experiments and is basically a total psychopath. It turns out, Hammer was especially well suited to that role. In 2021, women began coming forward with some freaky allegations against him. They accused him of assault, emotional abuse, and disturbing cannibalistic fantasies. The details are extremely weird, and in a way, they retroactively ruin some of Hammer’s other movies. It’s tough to watch the charming young Oliver seducing Timothée Chalamet in “Call Me by Your Name” now that we know about Hammer’s apparent proclivities.

Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham

“American Beauty” (1999)
You probably remember Anthony Rapp coming forward with allegations of misconduct against Spacey in 2017. But you might not have heard that shortly afterwards, fifteen more people made similar allegations against him. All of them claimed Spacey had been inappropriate with them when they were young. In an extremely bizarre move, Spacey posted a video denying everything – in character as Frank Underwood from “House of Cards.” Yet it’s watching him play Lester Burnham that really makes our skin crawl. During a midlife crisis, Lester becomes obsessed with his daughter’s best friend. It was creepy in 1999, and it’s ten times creepier now. And don’t get us started on his portrayal of the meticulous serial killer John Doe in “Seven.”

Ezra Miller as Kevin Khatchadourian

“We Need to Talk About Kevin” (2011)
2022 was a wild year for Ezra Miller. They were involved in so many scandals and accused of so many crimes and abuses, we don’t even have time to list them all. “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is a dark drama about a disturbed boy who manipulates his parents and commits progressively more shocking acts of cruelty and violence. Miller’s portrayal of Kevin is chilling. The character is cold and detached, showing no remorse for his actions. The real-life Miller has admitted to suffering from mental health issues, and we can’t help but wonder if they tapped into something deep inside them for the role.

Bill Cosby as Barney Satin

“The Devil and Max Devlin” (1981)
You already know everything you need to know about Cosby. But we bet you haven’t heard of this pre-“Cosby Show” Disney comedy in which he plays a literal henchman of Satan. He convinces people to sell their souls, and even tries to trick kids into signing theirs over. That’s only slightly worse than what he’s accused of doing in real life. The mix of dark themes and corny kid-friendly comedy is jarring. Cosby’s performance has a menacing quality to it, but not in the way he intends. This movie will have you cringing on your couch for its entire 96-minute runtime.

Woody Allen as Isaac Davis

“Manhattan” (1979)
There have been rumors and allegations swirling around Woody Allen for years. Most notably, his former partner Mia Farrow accused him of abusing their adopted daughter. Although Allen was never convicted of a crime, a judge described his behavior as “grossly inappropriate.” Allen later began a relationship with Farrow’s adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, from her previous marriage. They started dating when he was 56 and she was just 21 – and they’re still together. In “Manhattan,” Allen plays a 42-year-old writer who’s dating a high school senior. If that’s not gross enough, the movie frames the relationship as a good one, and even implies that the two are meant to be together.


Which disturbing part gives you the creeps? Let us know in the comments.