Movies that provide talented actors with a chance to break out of their typically type-cast roles are always a welcome refreshment, especially when it comes to casting typically heroic movie stars in villainous roles. It's unfortunate when actors get pigeonholed into certain types of characters, even if it helps their career, as entire aspects of their performance repertoire possibly going overlooked. Such is the case for many of cinema's greatest villains, which were actually played by actors typically typecast as good guys.

It can seem jarring for faces audiences are more familiar with on kind, inspiring, or even humorous characters to suddenly shift into disturbing monsters. But even the most typecast actors occasionally get the chance to play against type in outstanding antagonistic capacities, making for memorable narrative experiences. Often, these kinds of castings can go on to outshine an actor's other work, totally shifting the public perception of the types of roles they're suitable for.

10 Tom Cruise

Interview with the Vampire

Tom Cruise is an action movie star whose name is almost ubiquitous with Hollywood itself. While Tom Cruise has starred in many notable roles, exceedingly few of them are villainous, with the stunt-performing actor more used to carrying action films like the Mission Impossible series. However, Interview with the Vampire, Cruise was given a rare opportunity to play not only a villain, but a blood-sucking creature of the night.

Interview with the Vampire is based on the famous Anne Rice vampire novel of the same name, describing the exploits of one Lestat de Lioncourt via the framing device of an interview with one of his victims, Brad Pitt's Louis. Cruise does an excellent job reveling in the hunt for human blood, an enthusiasm Lous isn't able to share. There's a sort of dangerous energy behind Cruise's eyes that's easy to see even in his heroic roles brought to the forefront in Interview with the Vampire.

9 Denzel Washington

American Gangster

Denzel Washington is widely regarded as one of the best performers of his Hollywood cohort. Garnering critical acclaim for his performances in dramas like Glory, Fences, and A Soldier's Story, Washington is known for introspective, inspirational characters that give sound life advice, a persona that has extended into his own public perception. For his efforts in films such as these, Denzel Washington has been rightfully awarded two Academy Awards.

Denzel Washington bucks wildly against the trends of his career in American Gangster, a 2007 historical crime drama based loosely around the life of real Harlem drug lord, Frank Lucas. Washington is able to give Lucas a rich depth while still not glorifying his most abhorrent actions, using a technical kind of acting skill few would be able to match. Frank Lucas' abhorrent actions are exhumed perfectly in Denzel Washington's furious frame.

8 Harrison Ford

What Lies Beneath

From the Star Wars franchise to the Indiana Jones movies, Harrison Ford is the definition of a leading man, especially in his heyday in the late 70s and 80s. Even in his old age, Ford is frequently called upon to reprise his old roles in a more mentorial capacity, setting up the next generation of stars to take the stage. At first, What Lies Beneath seems to be another standard, if not standout performance from Ford, positing him as one half of a scholarly power couple.

As the film's events unfold, the wife of Ford's character begins to find herself losing a grip of reality, as she struggles to determine whether the ghost of a recent murder victim is harassing her from beyond the grave. Soon, Ford's performance reveals an insidious side as he discloses that he was the one behind a murder of his own. Ford's gradual shedding of his intellectual mask only to reveal a desperate killer beneath, willing to paralyze his victims and jump on cars, is a truly impressive example of his ability to play against type.

7 Charlize Theron

Monster

Few leading ladies in Hollywood have racked up as impressive a list of credits' as Charlize Theron's. From re-makes of American classics like Mighty Joe Young to Australian adrenaline-pumping action in Mad Max: Fury Road, Theron has cut her teeth on a variety of big-budget projects, always coming out on top. She's demonstrated herself to be quite capable of more tender, dramatic roles as well, earning critical acclaim in 2005's North Country.

For as experienced as she is as a violent action movie star, Charlize Theron has gotten a rare few opportunities to be a script's object of loathing. Enter 2003's Monster, a biopic that posited Theron as the real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was fond of killing her Johns and robbing them blind as a sex worker. In the movie, Theron is quite ferocious, though she still reserves a tender side for a close partner-in-crime and romantic interest.

6 Robin Williams

One Hour Photo

The late great Robin Williams is a comedic legend for good reason. From Mrs. Doubtfire to the genie in Aladdin, most of Williams' work as both a comedian and an actor can be summed up as uproariously funny, whether his humor is being leveled at adults only or entire families. Though he found his way into several notable dramatic roles that downplayed his comedy chops, it was rare for Williams to play a straight-up bad guy, let alone a disturbed individual on the level of his character in One Hour Photo.

Here, Williams plays a lonely man working at the photo center at a local supermarket. As he forms a parasocial relationship with a family of repeat customers, he soon loses himself in anger when he discovers a terrible secret while developing one of their pictures. The depths Williams' character is able to go to is truly sold by his energetic obsession, channeling his normally humorous energy into a far darker result. It's a rare novelty of a role that Williams performs eerily well in this underrated movie performance.

5 Rodney Dangerfield

Natural Born Killers

A career comedian widely respected by the film industry, despite his act repeatedly insisting otherwise, Rodney Dangerfield is a fondly-ed comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. Though his comedy specials were gut-bustingly funny, Dangerfield's best-ed laughs are from movies like Caddyshack and Easy Money. However, Dangerfield took a brief but welcome foray into the world of dramatic storytelling in the film Natural Born Killers.

Natural Born Killers tells the Bonnie and Clyde story of Mickey and Mallory Knox, a violent couple of killers who go on a rampage throughout the American Southwest. Dangerfield stars as Wayne Gale, a tabloid journalist obsessed with chasing ratings, willing to exploit the vile actions of Mickey and Mallory to his own benefit. While certainly not as heinous as his headliners, Dangerfield's trademark smarminess is channeled into something more sinister than a simple punchline as Gale, making a living off of fear mongering and tragedy.

4 Heath Ledger

The Dark Knight

Nowadays, Heath Ledger's character in The Dark Knight isn't only considered to be the single best live-action movie Joker portrayal ever, but one of the greatest movie villains in general. However, it's important to that at the time of his casting, fans were actually skeptical that Heath Ledger was the right choice for the role. At the time, Ledger was better known for romances like Brokeback Mountain, Candy, and 10 Things I Hate About You.

Of course, any hesitations about Ledger's ability to perform as the Clown Prince of Crime were quickly put to rest once The Dark Knight was released. Ledger's performance completely eclipses the rest of the already-impressive Dark Knight trilogy in quality, setting an impossible standard for all comic book movie villains thereafter. The chilling anarchist is one of the most impressive performances of the modern age, making it all the more unbelievable that the role was an outlier for Ledger.

3 Hugh Grant

The Gentlemen

In of typical roles, Hugh Grant is about the furthest one could get from a villainous perception. The charming British actor was known far and wide as a heartthrob, taking the reins of romantic period dramas like The Remains of the Day, Sense and Sensibility, and Restoration. But since coming into fame, Grant has continued to experiment with more varied roles as a character actor, including a downright vile character in The Gentlemen.

The Gentlemen is a typical Guy Ritchie gangster film that follows an American drug dealer's criminal pursuits in England, with Matthew McConaughey leading as a roguish anti-hero. Opposed to him on the opposite side of the law is Hugh Grant's Fletcher, a crooked cop and detective who comes across some valuable information. Grant's sliminess as a corrupt antagonist is quite impressive considering his normally flowery characters.

2 Cate Blanchett

Thor: Ragnarok

The films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe often provide an opportunity for famous actors to briefly get a chance to play against type. Such is the case with Cate Blanchett in Thor: Ragnarok, playing Hela with a fabulous flair. Blanchett is a prestigious Australian actress well-known for her appearances in period dramas like The Aviator and Elizabeth, where she plays real historical figures.

Meanwhile, in Thor: Ragnarok, Blanchett gets to revel in revenge as Thor's long-lost powerful sister, having helped Odin conquer Asgard before being sealed away. It's easy to tell that Blanchett truly enjoys herself in the role, which gives her a rare chance to let loose with over-the-top villain hamminess. That being said, when she needs to, Blachett can be quite intimidating as the character, truly selling the part as one of the MCU's strongest foes.

1 David Tenant

Jessica Jones

Better known for TV than movies, David Tenant has slowly revealed himself to be quite a versatile actor over the years. First coming to fame as the 10th Doctor in the prestige English science fiction series Doctor Who, Tenant made a name for himself with his energetic, wholesome, happy-go-lucky incarnation of the time-traveling vagabond, though he was quite capable of honing delicate tragedy when necessary. That being said, Tenant was able to show off a truly ugly side to his range in the Netflix streaming series Jessica Jones.

Set in the Netflix Defenders take on the Marvel universe, Tenant stars as an interpretation of the villain Purple Man from the original comics, better known in the series simply as Kilgrave. Born with the power to make anyone who hears him obey his every command, Tenant's Kilgrave is a sickening villain who truly acts like someone who has unerringly gotten his way for his entire life. As jarring as it is to see the beloved 10th Doctor commit such heinous crimes, the resulting performance rivals that of any movie villain.