The list of villains just seems to go on and on, doesn’t it? And being a villain has often paid off dearly for those playing the part. I cannot even count the Oscar nominations and wins of the talented actors and actresses I’ve listed in my movie villain blogs.
Continuing the EW list of villains, if you ever have to visit the psych ward a la Britney, you wouldn’t want to look up and see Nurse Ratched waiting for you. Louise Fletcher was the sixth actress in line to play Nurse Ratched, but it is hard to imagine anyone else playing the tyrant nurse in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Fletcher was also a villain whose role won her an Academy Award (for Best Actress in 1975).
One of the first villains I remember seeing on film was the nasty Mr. Potter from It’s a Wonderful Life. Even though he was in a wheelchair, you didn’t feel any sympathy for him as he tried to ruin not only George Bailey and the Savings and Loan, but also bring the whole town under his evil thumb. If Mr. Potter was not the first villain I remember, it surely must have been the green faced Margaret Hamilton playing the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. I can still hear “I’ll get you my pretty… and your little dog too!” ringing in my ears!
If you are over the age of 40, chances are you cringe when you hear the innocent phrases “Heeeere’s Johnny” or “Wendy, I’m home.” As Jack Torrance, Jack Nicholson gave a very real performance as a man who morphed from family man to insane killer. Hey, you would probably go nuts if you were snowed in that huge hotel too.
I didn’t name all the villains EW listed, just the ones I remember scaring me the most. You can check out the compete list of villains at EW’s page.