Actors and actresses who created memorable villains

It takes excellent writing and even better acting to create a perfect villain. Sometimes, the two collide, causing the audience to despise a character enough to feel uncomfortable watching him or her in other roles.

Here are 44 villains that marked the history of cinema and TV (spoilers ahead!).

The most iconic villain on this list. Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter is a Hollywood legend. In the 1991 film 'The Silence of the Lambs', Hopkins only needed 16 minutes of screen time to win the Oscar for Best Actor and cause nightmares for an entire generation.

Mads Mikkelsen had the difficult task of bringing Hannibal Lecter to television, taking over the iconic role from Anthony Hopkins. He did it nicely. His Hannibal lived up to expectations and showed great chemistry with Hugh Dancy (pictured right).

'Fatal Attraction' was released in 1988, and Alexandra Forrest is still a scary character. Her portrayal of obsession is timeless, despite the changes in how audiences may perceive the protagonist or the affair at the center of the story.

When an actor has a great time playing a villain, it shows. Robert Englund has spent decades enjoying Freddy Krueger in the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' saga.

One of the most iconic psychopaths in movie history, Patrick Bateman is the central character of the 2000 comedy-horror film 'American Psycho.' The film has developed a cult following and become one of Bale's more recognizable roles.

Miranda Priestly's hateful but sad manner could only have been achieved by the greatest of our generation: Meryl Streep. Her performance in the 2006 film 'The Devil Wears Prada' elevated the whole movie and made the audience feel sorry for a selfish monster.

Louise Fletcher embodied one of the most iconic female villains in history. She played Nurse Ratched in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' the 1975 psychological comedy-drama based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey. The character is so iconic that it has become an archetype and inspired spin-off stories.

Hugo Weaving was Agent Smith in 'The Matrix,' the film that revolutionized cinema in 1999. His face is forever attached to the character that tormented one of the most iconic protagonists of the beginning of the century: Neo. He came close to hunting him down.

Gustavo Fringe is a local businessman and a happy father. He is friendly, close, and has a kind smile. Oh, and in his spare time, he is the vicious drug kingpin, ruthless killer, and glorious villain of 'Breaking Bad.' Giancarlo Esposito's Gus Fringe was memorable and a crucial part of why the series became iconic.

Quentin Tarantino says Colonel Hans Landa is the best character he has written, and it was indeed a fantastic base for a memorable villain. His writing did not overshadow the perfect performance of Christoph Waltz in the 2009 movie, though. The actor even won an Oscar.

Antony Starr from the superhero Amazon series 'The Boys' turned the egotistical and unstable Homelander into one of the most detestable villains in television history.

Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, 'Misery' (1990) is a highly praised psychological thriller. In a performance that gave her the Academy Award for Best Actress, Kathy Bates portrays a perfectly terrifying Annie Wilkes.

Another Stephen King classic that has several screen adaptations. Improving Tim Curry's Pennywise from the 1990 miniseries seemed impossible, but Bill Skarsgard managed to create a contender. The make-up department of the 2017 remake deserves praise for  Skarsgard's look.

Memorable villains exist outside of horror too. Olivia Colman, whom the world loves for 'The Crown' or 'The Favorite,' a role for which she won the Oscar, counterpointed Phoebe Waller-Bridge in 'Fleabag.' She played the character of the nasty stepmom.

Another 'Fleabag' actor, Andrew Scott, gave fans of BBC's 2010 'Sherlock' a sublime Moriarty. Intelligent, ruthless, cold, unhinged. The character perfectly faced Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock. The show has been praised for its writing, acting, and directing quality. It is a TV must.

It is hard to imagine that someone with the gentle look of  John Lithgow can bring a villain to life. He has done it several times, but his Arthur Mitchell was memorable. The psychopath, known as Trinity, brought Dexter's protagonist to the brink.

In 'No Country for Old Men,' Javier Bardem portrayed a haunting, unpredictable, and deadly Anton Chigurh with an iconic hairstyle. He flipped a coin to decide whether his victims would die. This villain is as iconic as the movie he appears in.

Imelda Staunton made her character Dolores Umbridge briefly upstage Lord Voldemort, the main villain in the Harry Potter saga.

Yvonne Strahovski delivers a complex performance in 'The Handmaid's Tale.' Serena Joy Waterford is one of those villains who is always on the verge of redemption but never quite reaches it.

Somewhat of a villain in real life, Kevin Spacey left behind two of the most memorable antagonists in movie history: Roger 'Verbal' Kint in 'Usual Suspects,' and John Doe in 'Seven.'

Lena Headey made her Cersei Lannister, the scariest villain, with a glass of wine in her hand. She placed herself as the greatest danger in 'Game of Thrones,' a series with dragons and immortal zombies.

Rosamund Pike interpreted the wildly complex character Amy Elliott in the 2014 film adaptation of the novel 'Gone Girl.' Elliot is a master of psychological torture that webs an elaborate plan to torture her husband and accuse him of his murder. Pike's natural appearance of innocence plays perfectly with the character.

Justin Prentice perfectly embodied Bryce Walker, an unremorseful violent teenager in '13 Reasons Why.' His interpretation was so good that fans of the show expressed hate towards the actor on social media, prompting the production team to remind them that it was all fiction.

Helena Bonham Carter managed to build a performance that showed how much her character, Bellatrix Lestrange, enjoyed being evil, killing, and torturing the protagonists. Harry Potter fans adore her portrayal and highly values the villain she built.

Sir Ian McKellen has received every possible nomination and praise and won seven Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, and a Golden Globe Award. His presence in this list is not strange. His Magneto stole the show in the entire 'X-Men' movie saga (2000 - 2014). He built a robust and complete character that has become unforgettable by fans.

One of Ryan Murphy's muses in 'American Horror Story,' every role Jessica Lange has had in the series' five seasons has arguably been a villain. All of them have become iconic due to her performance.

Ann Dowd is one of those actors that shine perfectly in a supporting role. An outstanding characteristic to look for in a villain is their ability to antagonize and change the main character. Precisely what she did in 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'The Leftovers.'

Gary Oldman has given life to Lee Harvey Oswald, Dracula, a corrupt DEA agent, or Mason Verger in 'Hannibal.' He also portrayed Zorg, the villain with the iconic hairstyle from the 1997 film 'The Fifth Element,' which crowned him as the ultimate villain actor. He is a legend.

If you don't know Vic Mackey and haven't seen 'The Shield,' you've missed out on a beautiful series and an evil character the audience come to love. The series portrays corrupt police officers, loosely based on a real drama: the Rampart Division police scandal.

Denzel Washington portrayed Alonzo Harris in 'Training Day' (2001). He was a corrupt and evil policeman. The audience, used to seeing Washington in hero roles, was shocked. Denzel won an Oscar for his performance in the film.

Like Denzel Washington, Charlize Theron was unfamiliar with villain roles when she undertook the task of playing Lee Wuornos in the 2003 film 'Monster.' She completely changed her image to portray the very real serial killer that inspired the character. She also earned an Oscar for her performance.

Tobias Menzies gets credit for portraying two different characters in the series 'Outlander' (2014 - today). Menzies gives life to the protagonist's husband, Frank Randall, and his evil ancestor Black Jack Randall, with centuries of difference.

The sweet Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Hedy Carlson in 1992's 'Single White Female.' Her character steals the looks of her friend Allie, played by Bridget Fonda. Leigh performed as a compelling character suffering from survivor's guilt and obsession.

The evil mind and victim of a canonic TV series. Katey Sagal's Gemma Teller Morrow is pure evil. She always finds a justification for her misdeeds as a central character in 'Sons of Anarchy.'

Villains can also live in the realm of teenage comedy. That is the case of Regina George, a cruel high school tyrant portrayed by Rachel McAdams. The 2004 film 'Mean Girls' is full of quotable and unforgettable moments that reflect McAdams's sublime performance.

'Jessica Jones,' the Marvel-Netflix series, was an unexpected success. David Tennant's Kilgrave, the main villain, added to that achievement. He possessed the power to control minds and used it in the worst possible ways.

Arguably the best Joker performance in Batman cinematic history, Jack Nicholson's 1989 version of the iconic character is perhaps the best part of the Tim Burton film. Many critics believed he frequently overshadowed Michael Keaton's Batman.

Despite the controversy of the Netflix series about Jeffery Dahmer, it is undeniable that Evan Peters has elevated his character to a masterpiece of interpretation. The actor perfectly embodied the serial killer who murdered 17 people. It is not the first time Peters plays this kind of role, and he never disappoints.

Jack Gleeson's Joffrey Baratheon is another example of a performance so good the audience hates the actor. Gleeson claimed he was insulted by people in the street during his time in 'Game of Thrones.' He cites that as the reason that he gave up acting.

In the 2017 TV drama 'Big Little Lies,' the seemingly perfect Perry Wright is revealed as an abusive husband, a harsh father, and a horrible person. Alexander Skarsgard delivers a performance that perfectly balances who Wright pretends to be and who he truly is.

Director Sam Raimi knew how to get the most out of Willem Dafoe in the Spiderman trilogy, where he played the hateful Green Goblin, alter ego of the even more hateful Norman Osborn.

Michael Emerson's Benjamin Linus fooled the audience when he first appeared in 'Lost.' No one knew if he was good or bad. When his true colors finally came out, it was clear that he was one of the most disturbing, intelligent, and ruthless villains in television history.

Iwan Rheon's Ramsay Bolton gained traction as the Tv series 'Game of Thrones' advanced. His evilness grew simultaneously until it reached the same level of cruelty as Cersei Lannister's.

Finally, Jesse Plemons' Todd Alquist. He appeared out of nowhere in 'Breaking Bad,' with an act so cruel he left everyone speechless. The actor makes the most inhumane acts of violence seem natural for his character through a sublime performance.