Top 10 Brits Who Can Play Heroes AND Villains

A much-missed and multi-talented performer, Alan Rickman kick started his career as the iconic antagonist in the perennial action classic “Die Hard”. And, mostly thanks to that phenomenal performance as Hans Gruber, Rickman was somewhat typecast as a shoo-in villain for a considerable time. However, Rickman’s back-catalogue boasts some pitch perfect protagonists, too. And his ability to balance both sides of morality was made famously clear through his role as the Potions Master Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” films.

She’s an actress generally known for playing kind and endearing characters, but that pleasant exterior can also be weaponized for the opposite effect. Staunton’s Oscar-nominated performance as the kind-hearted (if controversial) title character in “Vera Drake” remains one of her best remembered roles, but she’s arguably best recognised by mainstream movie audiences for playing Dolores Umbridge in “Harry Potter”. A role which well and truly flipped her typically likeable demeanour, she became one of the most detested villains in the entire series.

Often cast in eccentric roles, Bonham Carter has at least proven she can play both kinds of madness. The actress’ unique energy, dedication and style makes her a good fit for roles like the Fairy Godmother in “Cinderella”, but also equally suitable as a bonkers villain in the Tim Burton “Alice in Wonderland” films. Though her more critically acclaimed roles tend be more nuanced, Helena Bonham Carter still relishes the opportunity to work at either end of the over dramatic scale.

Though first introduced to audiences as the duplicitous Bond girl Miranda Frost in “Die Another Day”, Rosamund Pike’s ensuing career has mostly focused on kinder roles. After period pieces such as “Pride and Prejudice” and action roles in movies like “Wrath of the Titans”, she seemed to be treading a hero’s trail. But then came David Fincher’s “Gone Girl”, where she plays the twisted Amy Dunne - which definitely recaptured Pike’s evil side. The change of direction was well worth it too, netting her an Oscar nomination.

This actor showed both sides of his potential at a very early stage in his career. As the unstable alcoholic Begbie in “Trainspotting” and the down-on-his-luck steelworker Gaz in “The Full Monty”, Robert Carlyle quickly proved he was not one to be typecast. And, though he can play one side or the other with apparent ease, he’s often at his best when balancing them both at the same time. His role as Rumplestiltskin in “Once Upon a Time” offers a prime example of the on-again/off-again menace he’s capable of.

Considered one of the greatest chameleon actors of his generation, Gary Oldman’s acting range seems to have scaled good, evil and everything else in between. Though contemporary audiences will most likely be familiar with him as a good guy ally to both The Boy Who Lived and The Caped Crusader, the actor’s early career is crammed with colourful villain roles in films like “True Romance” and “The Fifth Element”. And let’s not forget his Oscar-winning turn as wartime leader and British icon, Winston Churchill - which further proved his unrivalled versatility.

He’s marked down by many as a blatant baddie, but Mark Strong has consistently proven he can be anything but. Yes, he’s played cold-blooded nemeses in the likes of “Kick-Ass” and “Sherlock Holmes”, but he’s since flipped that perception several times. Most notably, his role as Merlin in the “Kingsman” franchise has shown he has a lighter side, whilst his wider film work has often highlighted how Strong can nail a genuinely noble character. In fact, his bad guy stereotype usually adds extra emotional intensity to his more admirable characters.

Widely recognised as the Tenth Doctor in the BBC’s seminal sci-fi series, Tennant has worked on both sides of the character spectrum, both before and after his most famous role. His performance as the Doctor was known for being fairly outlandish, but he’s also utilized that eccentricity for nefarious purposes for roles like Barty Crouch Jr. in “The Goblet of Fire”, and as Kilgrave in “Jessica Jones” - where he earned rave reviews as one of the MCU’s best villains. Either way, this actor always delivers.

This “Sherlock” star could quite easily have become typecast on either side of the good/bad divide, but he has impressively balanced his allegiances throughout his entire career. Cumberbatch is famed for his leading man roles as the inimitable Baker Street detective or as a Sorcerer Supreme in the Marvel Universe, but he’s also widely regarded for villainous turns in the fantasy world of Middle-earth and the far-flung adventures of the USS Enterprise. Another chameleonic performer, a Cumberbatch character can keep you guessing until the very end.

As arguably the most distinguished performer on today’s list, Sir Ian has shown his skill in becoming both heroes and villains since his days at the Royal Shakespeare Company. But, he portrayed his two most memorable movie roles simultaneously, at the beginning of the 21st century. Playing the noble wizard Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” and the mutant terrorist Magento in “X-Men”, McKellen majestically captured our imaginations with completely opposite characters. Whether kind and courageous or rugged and twisted, he’s the ultimate example of acting adaptability.