Villains are supposed to strike fear when on the screen, and many actors know how to do this well. When watching someone play a villain or evil person, goosebumps are almost guaranteed. (Click here if you’d like to discover the most iconic movie villains in film.)
Yet surprisingly, few villain roles get nominated or win Oscars and awards. Although a few greats like Louise Fletcher, Kathy Bates, and Anthony Hopkins have rightfully won Oscars, there are even more villain-playing actors that deserve praise!
But who? Follow along to find out and discover the answer to “If villains won an Oscar category, these actors should have won.”
24/7 Tempo scoured the internet to find the actors that should have won if villains won an Oscar. We did this by reviewing Reddit posts and responses and entertainment websites.
Javier Bardem (“Skyfall”)
Although Javier Bardem did a great job with his role in the film, “Skyfall”, he somehow didn’t receive an Oscar for his villain-playing skills.
In this James Bond Film, Javier Bardem plays Raoul Silva with ease. He truly brings this flamboyant and cynical character to life. Javier’s scenes are fun to watch and filled with a lot of sass and personality.
Although Javier Bardem didn’t win an Oscar for this role, he’s been nominated for three awards and won one- for a villain role! Javier Bardem won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the 2008 film “No Country for Old Men”. In this film, he played Anton Chigurh, a psychotic killer.
Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained)
Leonardo DiCaprio should be on a list of Oscar winning villains for his portrayal of Calvin Candie in “Django Unchained”. He brings this deranged and cruel character to life with his incredible acting skills.
There are a lot of stories surrounding Leonardo DiCaprio and this film. For instance, according to entertainment sources, in the scene where he cuts his hand on the skull, the blood is real! He kept acting in the scene even with a hand injury.
He was cleaned up though before wiping blood on Broomhilda’s face. Calvin Candie is super easy to hate.
Anthony Perkins (Psycho)
Somehow, Anthony Perkins for his role in “Psycho”, wasn’t an Oscar winning villain actor. Even without the award though, few people aren’t amazed by his portrayal of Norman Bates.
Anthony Perkins strangely plays Norman Bates naturally. Nothing feels forced when he’s on screen. While the film was nominated for a few Oscar awards, none were given to Anthony Perkins.
Instead, the film’s director, Alfred Hitchcock, was nominated for Best Director. Janet Leigh was also nominated for an Oscar, but in the category of Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Still, Anthony Perkins did win an Oscar for his villain-role in the film, “Silence of the Lambs”.
Christian Bale (American Psycho)
Christian Bale is also worth a mention on our list of “If villains won an Oscar category, these actors should have won.” His role in American Psycho is hard to keep your eyes away from. Christian Bale portrays Patrick Bateman in the film.
It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing this unique villain. Christian Bale though has been nominated for this role in films. So far, he has been nominated four times and won two Golden Globe Awards.
Another award he has a lot of experience with is the Screen Actors Guild Awards. He’s been nominated a whopping eight times and won for his role in “The Fighter”.
Linda Blair (The Exorcist)
Linda Blair should have been an Oscar winning villainess for her role in “The Exorcist” for a lot of reasons. Technically though, Linda Blair plays a 12-year-old girl named Regan, who is a victim. Linda Blair though plays sweet Regan, and also the possessed Regan, saying foul words and moving her body in truly creepy ways.
Linda Blair was only fourteen when she played the role of Regan, making this incredible film a horror classic. Although nominated for an Oscar for this film, she ultimately didn’t win.
While she didn’t win an Oscar for her role in “The Exorcist”, she did receive a Golden Globe Award.
Jack Nicholson (Batman)
Jack Nicholson might not have won for his portrayal of the Joker in “Batman”, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t deserve to be on a list of Oscar winning actors. This wonderful actor managed to bring the Joker’s comical and wacky personality to the screen.
As great of a job as Jack Nicholson did, another Joker actor understandably won an Oscar. Heath Ledger did a phenomenal job while playing the Joker in “The Dark Night”. Tragically, he won an Oscar in the category of Best Supporting Actor after his death.
Ted Levine (Silence of the Lambs)
“Silence of the Lambs” was a very well-received horror film. Within this film are two villains, Buffalo Bill and Dr. Hannibal Lector. While the film won five Academy Awards, Ted Levine was not included in the list of winners to no fault of his own.
“Silence of the Lambs” starred incredible actors including Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, and Scott Glenn. Still, Ted Levine did a fantastic job portraying the serial killer, “Buffalo Bill” and is an actor who should have won. He delivered a lot of memorable moments.
While “Buffalo Bill” is scary, how does he compare to other villains. Find out here in our article, 30 of the most evil villains in TV history.