What Actors In Specific Roles Are A Joy To Watch for You?

[Bedrockgames]

Sometimes and actor lands in a role that they seem made for, and the way they portray that character is just an utter joy to watch. Which actors in which roles qualify as that for you, personally?

Number one (right now) for me is Karl urban as Billy Butcher. He's so great in that role, even when the show sometimes dips in quality. I love almost every second he is on screen and his mannerisms, expressions and delivery elevate some script work that would be pretty questionable if delivered by anyone else.

Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, Malcolm McDowell as Alex, Kara Hui in my Young Auntie, Christopher Walken as Frank White, Gary Oldman in any villain role, Samuel L Jackson as Jules, Sian Philips as Livia and John Hurt as Caligula. Joe Pesci as Tommy DeSimone/DeVito. Probably forgetting very important people

 

[Ryujin]

I'll hit the Wayback Machine and add in Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak in "The Night Stalker" movies and TV series. I bought the DVDs a few years back, because I missed the show so much. I don't think that anyone could have managed to play such a mildly sleazy, cowardly, and yet somehow heroic reporter.

 

[overgeeked]

Bill Murray is Scrooged.

Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca.

Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past and every noir he ever did.

 

[Dioltach]

Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman.
Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.

 

[Wolfram stout]

Also going way back: Paul Newman and Robert Redford as Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker in the Sting. Both individually in their roles and as a pair. Just Perfect.

Also, the entire cast of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

 

[Scribe]

Peter Falk as Colombo, really surprised no-one has mentioned this yet. It would be such a bad show with almost anyone else in the role.

Funny, I just had that conversation last week at the FLGS. He is that character, for sure.

 

[Krachek]

Deborah Ann Woll, Daredevil, Punisher show.
Brad Pitt, From Fight club to inglorious basterds

 

[jdrakeh]

Kurt Russel in both Captain Ron and Escape From New York. I have a theory that Captain Ron Rico and Snake Plissken are the same person, just pre and post societal collapse.

 

[Ryujin]

Kurt Russel in both Captain Ron and Escape From New York. I have a theory that Captain Ron Rico and Snake Plissken are the same person, just pre and post societal collapse.

He was also great in both "Big Trouble in Little China" and "Soldier."

 

[Vael]

I do think the reason I've become such a Doctor Who fan is the casting has been on point.

The Modern Doctors have all been a treat to watch (and I'm generally happy with the OG Doctors, their shows are harder to watch). Eccleston, Tennant, Smith, Capaldi, Whittaker and Gatwa have all been great as the Doctor, even when they've been stuck in bad episodes and bad writing. Now, I've enjoyed these actors in other performances, but I do think they did well as the Doctor.