10 Actresses Who Can Play a Villain and a Sweetheart, and Be Brilliant at Both

There are actors who are called typecast actors because they play the same type of character all the time. Katherine Heigl, Zooey Deschanel, or Michelle Rodriguez, for example, have experienced this problem firsthand. However, there are actresses who can play dozens of different characters, from villains to sweethearts, and be totally convincing in all of them. So, let’s find out who these actresses are.

Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett’s career is really enviable. She has dozens of different characters under her belt: she has played men and women, protagonists and villains. Apart from movies, Kate also does theater.

The list of her best roles includes the queen of England in the movie Elizabeth and agent Spalko in the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. By the way, Blanchett’s character became Spielberg’s favorite villain in all Indiana Jones movies.

Imelda Staunton

Imelda Staunton played the character who became one of the key villains of the Harry Potter film series. According to many magazines, it was apparent that the actress really enjoyed playing Dolores Umbridge.

But the British actress is great at playing sweethearts too. In Maleficent, for example, she played a cute fairy who raised the little princess. According to critics, both of these roles are among her best work.

Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson likes to play women who have to go through hardships in life. Be it the role of the queen of England, a professor from Hogwarts, or an arrogant Baroness, her performance is usually praised by critics.

One of Thompson’s good heroines is Nanny McPhee in the movie of the same name. According to the plot, her character has to go through certain transformations, and the actress conveyed those wonderfully.

And in 2021, Emma played a villain in the movie Cruella. The actress revealed that she had dreamed of playing a villain for years. She especially enjoyed the costumes she was filming in, she called them works of art. When she was asked what the process of creating a villain was like, Emma joked, “Well, you know, I drew on my life, obviously. I mean, I think if my husband were in the room, he’d say, ’And no acting required, really.’”

Helena Bonham Carter

According to tabloids, Helena Bonham Carter has her own unique style. This refers to her characters too. The actress tends to choose the roles of quirky women. Villain Bellatrix Lestrange from the Harry Potter film series is among her best work.

This character has become iconic partly thanks to Helena’s efforts. It was she who insisted on making Bellatrix look the way she did in the movies. The actress chose to wear a corset, have messy hair, and have rotten teeth. She also made her character more insane than was written in the screenplay.

But Carter is also great in the roles of kind characters. Fairy Godmother, for example, in the 2015 movie Cinderella is included on the list of the actress’s brightest roles.

Jennifer Lawrence

At 31, Jennifer Lawrence has a prominent filmography. She also has an Oscar and a Golden Globe under her belt. She appeared on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list for a few years in a row. The actress takes part in independent movies and in blockbusters. And all of her characters tend to be very different.

In the X-Men film series, Jennifer played Mystique and was almost unrecognizable under the thick layer of her makeup. But she looks totally different in the recent movie Don’t Look Up. She played a doctoral candidate in astronomy who discovered a comet approaching Earth. Both of these works were named the most memorable in the actress’s career by the tabloids.

Tilda Swinton

According to tabloids, Tilda Swinton is one of the best modern Hollywood actresses. She can play a woman in love, a crazy dictator, or a fallen angel. Almost all of her roles attract a lot of attention.

In 2020, Pedro Almodóvar released the movie The Human Voice, starring Swinton. She plays a woman who is speaking on the phone with her ex-lover. Critics praised this work of hers and say that the movie is a “concentrated burst of demented passion.”

But Tilda looks completely different in the post-apocalyptic thriller Snowpiercer where she plays the mad assistant of a train commander. The actress managed to make her character as disgusting as possible, and some of the features were her idea!

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman has been among the most sought-after actresses since the 1990s, and she’s proven herself in different movie genres: musicals, historical movies, psychological thrillers, and superhero blockbusters. And her characters have been no less diverse.

Kidman skillfully portrayed Grace Kelly in the movie Grace of Monaco. Critics wrote, “The camera positively sighs with pleasure every moment she is on screen.”

But the actress knows how to play villains too. In the movie Paddington, she plays the taxidermist Millicent, who hunts down the bear. It’s worth saying that Kidman was very enthusiastic about playing a role in this movie because she is a childhood fan of Michael Bond’s books. She even learned to throw and twirl knives and attended taxidermy classes while preparing for the role.

Lena Headey

Lena Headey is best known for her role as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, but her filmography includes other cool characters too. Sarah Connor, for example, who was portrayed by Lena in the TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, was loved by audiences. She was called a “tough leader of people” who would walk through anything to achieve her goals.

In addition, Headey’s best works include Sarah Trevanny in the movie Ripley’s Game, Julia Knight in Fighting with My Family, and Queen Gorgo in 300: Rise of an Empire.

As for the role of Cersei, it brought Lena not only fame and money, but also the hatred of fans. Headey was so convincing in this role that some fans began to think it was for real. So, during an autograph session at Comic-Con, some people were actually snatching their books from her hands to prevent her from signing them.

Natalie Portman

One of the pivotal roles in Natalie Portman’s career is Evey in the movie V for Vendetta. For this role, the actress shaved her head and had to work hard on her accent. The audience loved the movie. In an interview, Natalie mentioned that she would gladly play Evey again if the moviemakers decided to film a sequel.

But it was the role of the obsessed Nina Sayers in the movie Black Swan that earned Natalie an Oscar. Portman beautifully demonstrated what a tortured artist endures to achieve perfection.

Charlize Theron

In 2003, the movie Monster was released. And Charlize Theron had to change her looks beyond recognition to play the lead role in it. She gained 30 pounds and shaved her eyebrows. Her performance was praised by critics, saying that she was capable of conveying her emotions by just using gestures and a glance.

However, Charlize was upset about the fact that tabloids paid more attention to her external transformation than to her acting. But she proved what she was worth by winning an Oscar for this role.

Theron’s other famous character is Furiosa in the movie Mad Max: Fury Road. Furiosa is a fearless warrior who risks her life to save others. According to tabloids, her character stole the show and even outshone Tom Hardy, who played Max.

What other actors do you know who are convincing, even when playing diverse characters?