Best TV Villians

[nelsonmuntz]

I was rewatching some of the Breaking Bad episodes. The show really needed Gus Fring to take off. He is a freaking awesome character that was perfectly played. I am amazed that Giancarlo Esposito is not getting tons of movie roles after this.

Joffrey Baratheon will be missed, but Tywin Lannister was the perfect villain for the books and the show, and his power and dominant personality carries the early books. It is silly that Charles Dance never got so much as a nomination for this part.

Swearengen from Deadwood.

Vern Schillinger - It is hard to believe that Juno's dad did some of the things he did in Oz.

My personal favorite is Roman Grant (played by Harry Dean Stanton) from Big Love. The peaceful, moral righteousness cloaking a sociopath makes this one of the most original characters in TV history. Also, the first four seasons of Bib Love were incredible, and then the whole show completely fell apart when Stanton left.

Who am I missing?

p.s. I have left out the Sopranos because other than Livia Soprano, the villains and heroes are not that clear cut in that show. Livia Soprano was pretty awesome though.

 

[JaYnYcE]

Gemma from SOA

 

[John]

I was rewatching some of the Breaking Bad episodes. The show really needed Gus Fring to take off. He is a freaking awesome character that was perfectly played. I am amazed that Giancarlo Esposito is not getting tons of movie roles after this.

Joffrey Baratheon will be missed, but Tywin Lannister was the perfect villain for the books and the show, and his power and dominant personality carries the early books. It is silly that Charles Dance never got so much as a nomination for this part.

Swearengen from Deadwood.

Vern Schillinger - It is hard to believe that Juno's dad did some of the things he did in Oz.

My personal favorite is Roman Grant (played by Harry Dean Stanton) from Big Love. The peaceful, moral righteousness cloaking a sociopath makes this one of the most original characters in TV history. Also, the first four seasons of Bib Love were incredible, and then the whole show completely fell apart when Stanton left.

Who am I missing?

p.s. I have left out the Sopranos because other than Livia Soprano, the villains and heroes are not that clear cut in that show. Livia Soprano was pretty awesome though.

Stringer Bell/Avon Barksdale/Marlo Stanfield

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Stringer Bell/Avon Barksdale/Marlo Stanfield

I'm not sure I'd call Stringer or Avon villains. Marlo, yes, but I generally found myself rooting for the the former two. Following that path, I still find Snoop to be one of the single most terrifying characters in TV or movies.

 

[John]

I'm not sure I'd call Stringer or Avon villains. Marlo, yes, but I generally found myself rooting for the the former two. Following that path, I still find Snoop to be one of the single most terrifying characters in TV or movies.

I'm on my second go around on watching the entire series, and I'm still hoping that Stringer gets got earlier in the series. Forgot about Snoop, yeah.

 

[Waquoit]

Roger Thorpe from The Guiding Light
Sonny Steelgrave from Wiseguy. I'll never forget the birthday present he got for Vinnie.

 

[Walker11]

Gus was amazing. Lithgow season 4 of Dexter was great. Billy Bob in Fargo as well.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Gus was amazing. Lithgow season 4 of Dexter was great. Billy Bob in Fargo as well.

Gus, Mike and Jesse's trip to the cartel estate in Mexico was as gangster as it gets.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Gus, Mike and Jesse's trip to the cartel estate in Mexico was as gangster as it gets.

Interestingly, Gus wasn't even supposed to be a major character on that show - he got a break when the actor who played Tuco was double-booked. That really worked out well.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

J.R. Ewing is still the G.O.A.T. in my book.

 

[bear]

Ben Linus from Lost? The show had its ups and downs but I loved that character.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Interestingly, Gus wasn't even supposed to be a major character on that show - he got a break when the actor who played Tuco was double-booked. That really worked out well.

I did not know that. I thought Tuco was a little two dimensional and a character that had been recycled dozens of times in TV and the movies. Fring was very original.