"Villains used to always die in the end. Now the nightmare guy comes back."

June 1, 2012 2:49 PM

Bad Guys: The GQ Villains Portfolio (Movies + TV)

Featuring text interviews and very short hulu videos with Mark Strong. Ron Perlman. Malcolm McDowell. Jack Gleeson. Benicio Del Toro. John Hawkes. Walton Goggins.

posted by zarq (26 comments total)

And if you can't access the Hulu content, see taz' workaround howto, which utilizes ProxMate.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:53 PM on June 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thank you!
posted by zarq at 2:57 PM on June 1, 2012

I've only seen the first two seasons of Justified, and Walton Goggins deserves a ton of credit for his performance as Boyd Crowder, but he's not even the best villain on that show. Margo Martindale's performance as Mags Bennett was better than television deserves.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 3:10 PM on June 1, 2012 [6 favorites]

I know Jack Gleeson is just an actor reading lines from a script but somehow I still want him dead.
posted by Trurl at 3:12 PM on June 1, 2012 [6 favorites]

Trurl, I watched Batman Begins last week for the first time in forever. Jack Gleeson plays the kid that Rachel is trying to protect in the rioting that happens at the climax, and I couldn't help myself from shouting at the screen to just let him die.
posted by Navelgazer at 3:15 PM on June 1, 2012 [6 favorites]

For my money, Del Toro's best villain performance was his pre-stardom turn as a henchman in my favorite Bond film Licence to Kill.
posted by Trurl at 3:24 PM on June 1, 2012

I feel sorry for Jack Gleeson. The brothers who played the Weasley Twins are fighting off the ladies with a stick. For Jack, everyone else has the stick and he's the twerpiñata.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:36 PM on June 1, 2012

Is it shameful that I squee like a little girl at each of the videos in this series?

(disclaimer: I'm not a little girl)
posted by thanotopsis at 3:42 PM on June 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Margo Martindale's performance as Mags Bennett was better than television deserves.

And this is why I think they made the best decision ever by only allowing her to stay for a single season. Too often television series will over-use a talented actor/character performance simply because it's popular.

This list is sorely lacking though, where's Gustavo "Gus" Fring (played by Giancarlo Esposito) of Breaking Bad?
posted by Fizz at 3:43 PM on June 1, 2012

I feel sorry for Jack Gleeson. The brothers who played the Weasley Twins are fighting off the ladies with a stick. For Jack, everyone else has the stick and he's the twerpiñata.

I know! He comes across in the interview as rather thoughtful and charming. Yet one look at his sullen little cat's arse of a mouth and you just want to pop him one right in the kisser.
posted by Diablevert at 3:44 PM on June 1, 2012

Benecio?
posted by palbo at 4:06 PM on June 1, 2012

I love Walton Goggins so much! Even in Predators and Cowboys and Aliens, where his parts were relatively minor, he stole every scene he was in. And this, when playing opposite Daniel Craig and Adrien Brody, which is no small feat.

And then, this, from the interview: I was interested in playing a guy who, more often than not, is the smartest person in the room—a person who has a real flare and a love of words, who is self-taught, and a showman. You know, I'm from the South, and I wasn't interested in perpetuating a stereotypical southern character. I wanted Boyd to be everything under the sun—smart being most important.

Thank you, that's perfect.

Ooh, and I just want to smack Jack Gleeson's Joffrey across the face continuously, on the sound principle that even if he isn't being particularly hateful right at that very moment, if you just wait a sec--yeah, there it is.

But Malcolm McDowell...I'm sorry, but you do nothing for me, Sir. i remember you too well as the sweet young man from Time After Time, when you were honestly, IRL, in love with your leading lady, and that passionate sorrow at just the thought of losing her echoed with the depth of that painful truth. Now, all your one-dimensional villainy leaves me cold.
posted by misha at 4:28 PM on June 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Even in Predators and Cowboys and Aliens

Oh my.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:34 PM on June 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

here you go, misha
posted by zingiberene at 5:07 PM on June 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

Coming soon to a theater near you in a twin bill with Snakes on a Hot Tub Time Machine!
posted by Snarl Furillo at 5:08 PM on June 1, 2012

Thank You!
posted by themarcjacob at 5:12 PM on June 1, 2012

All of Jack Gleeson's costars make fun of him for smoking a pipe. I love it.
posted by painquale at 5:34 PM on June 1, 2012

I can't help but see Ron Pearlman as "One" from City of Lost Children, therefore he absolutely cannot be a bad guy.

This needs more Alan Rickman, though.
posted by Jimbob at 6:05 PM on June 1, 2012 [3 favorites]

I almost wish I hadn't read that totally charming interview with Gleeson. It may impair my ability to hate Joffrey with every last fiber of my being, and this seems like a grave injustice.
posted by elizardbits at 6:18 PM on June 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

BREAKING BAD SPOILER:


I just finished season four of Breaking Bad, so I was like "What, no Gus Fring"? Then I realized that I'm just really behind the times.
posted by Fister Roboto at 6:30 PM on June 1, 2012

This needs more Alan Rickman, though.

Ooh, yeah, he's good.

My favorite go-to bad guy has to be Sergi Lopez. He injects this intelligence and glee into being just the evilest MF you have ever seen, whether he's a straight up sadist or an amoral scumbag.

I wouldn't expect to see him on this list, but it would be cool if he were.
posted by louche mustachio at 7:51 PM on June 1, 2012

I can't help but see Ron Pearlman as "One" from City of Lost Children

He was pretty much the perfect Hellboy.
posted by adamdschneider at 7:54 PM on June 1, 2012 [3 favorites]

I almost wish I hadn't read that totally charming interview with Gleeson. It may impair my ability to hate Joffrey with every last fiber of my being, and this seems like a grave injustice.
posted by elizardbits

Yeah, ever since I read this interview with Vincent Kartheiser, all I can think is, "Pete Campbell is so miserable because he doesn't have a goddamn toilet in his house!"
posted by ColdChef at 7:02 AM on June 2, 2012

Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) on Jack Gleeson: " If I were him, I'd be petrified that people would come up and slap me on the street!"
posted by ColdChef at 7:15 AM on June 2, 2012

I feel bad for Gleeson and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), as they played sniveling villains so perfectly that it's almost impossible to see them in another role and not despise them. My solution: they should star together in a new sitcom where they play themselves. They're roommates and everywhere they go, people irrationally hate them and treat them horribly.
posted by macmac at 8:57 PM on June 3, 2012

GQ: Has it ever been difficult to shake off a part?
Ron Perlman: When I was younger it was more difficult. Now, when they say “Cut," I pull out a sandwich.

Is Ron Perlman ever not awesome? Every time I see him interviewed, no matter the quality of the questions or subject matter, he nails it.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:23 AM on June 4, 2012 [1 favorite]