Top 10 Action-Villain Actors

Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones in Under Siege

For every action hero, there has to be a villain, and there are special brand of actors who are known to fill this void. They range from the standard white male, to martial arts specialists, to 'exotic' foreigners, and everything in between, but one thing is certain, their roles are often over-the-top, clichéd, and most of all, thankless, and I want to bring some light to the darker side of the action film. Here are my top-ten action-villain actors:


10. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Showdown in Little Tokyo, Mortal Kombat, The Art of War)

Getting his start in TV shows such as Star Trek and Miami Vice, as well as Bond and Kickboxer films, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa melded into his villainous ways in the Dolph Lundgren-Brandon Lee buddy-cop action flick Showdown in Little Tokyo. Probably his most famous role came a few years later, starring as Shang Tsung in the video game adaptation of Mortal Kombat opposite Robin Shou and Christopher Lambert. His career has continued in movies such as The Art of War, starring Wesley Snipes, among others, and he has made his mark in the realm of action villains.

9. Mark Hamill (Slipstream, Batman: The Animated Series, Hamilton)

Luke Skywalker has a little more up his sleeve than meets the eye. In recent years he has been recognized for his role as the Joker in the Batman: The Animated Series, as well as its related films and spinoffs. His voice work in general, spanning animated features and video games, is renowned, and he has really reinvented himself after Star Wars. In addition to this, Hamill has starred as the villain in a number of bad action films, including Slipstream and Hamilton, among others. He has said that he loves playing the bad guy, and it really shows.

8. Michael Jai White (Thick as Thieves, Universal Soldier: The Return, Exit Wounds, The Dark Knight)

The martial arts star/stuntman-turned-diabolical antihero has always had a diverse filmography, and has been unafraid to take the role of the villain. He has squared off against the likes of Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Alec Baldwin, and of course, fellow villain Heath Ledger as the Joker in the Dark Knight. Arguably, his best performance was in the little-known Thick as Thieves, where he plays an off-beat gangster. He was slated to play a small villain in Kill Bill, Vol. 2, and luckily his performance was preserved in a deleted scene which you can find here.

7. Tchéky Karyo (Le Femme Nikita, Bad Boys, Goldeneye, Kiss of the Dragon)

Tchéky Karyo has starred in variety of action films through the years, both foreign and American, and with a diversity of roles. He is probably most famous, however, for his villainous takes, most notably in the Martin Lawrence-Will Smith buddy cop action movie Bad Boys as well as Kiss of the Dragon, opposite Jet Li. His appearance in Goldeneye earned him a video game character in the immensely popular game of the same name, and his role in Luc Besson's Le Femme Nikita got him on the map with American audiences.

6. Tommy Lee Jones (Under Siege, The Fugitive, Batman Forever, Natural Born Killers)

The great Tommy Lee Jones finally made a name for himself in two early 90's Andrew Davis action films--Under Siege opposite Steven Seagal, and The Fugitive opposite Harrison Ford. These two roles have been quintessential action villains ever since, and are how Jones if often remembered as an actor despite his more serious performances. He also starred as the original Two-Face in Batman Forever as well as the crazed prison warden in Natural Born Killers, all within a three-year period. If for nothing else, Jones should be recognized for those two roles--cornerstones in the history of action villains.

5. Bolo Yeung (Enter the Dragon, Bloodsport, Double Impact)

A student of Bruce Lee, Bolo Yeung has been closely associated with all-things-martial arts since his old teacher was a kung fu legend. He was featured in Lee's Enter the Dragon in the role of brutal, villainous fighter. Over a decade later, he starred its spiritual successor, Bloodsport, opposite a fresh-faced Jean-Claude Van Damme, which served to be their mutual Hollywood breakthrough. He reteamed with Van Damme in Double Impact, and has remained friends with the actor ever since. He has also worked with Jackie Chan in My Lucky Stars, as well as with other martial arts greats.

4. Christopher Lee (The Man With the Golden Gun, Lord of the Rings series, Star Wars series)

After being a staple in horror movies for years upon years, Christopher Lee has in recent years continued his legacy in some very big franchises. The first came in the Bond film The Man With the Golden Gun, where he played the title character, Francisco Scaramanga. His second revival came with the Lord of the Rings, starring as Saruman the White, opposite Ian McKellen as Gandalf. And his third and arguably most famous role came in the Star Wars prequels, as the cleverly-named 'Count' Dooku. While he's not exactly an action "star," anyone who's been in a Bond film, Lord of Rings, and Star Wars, and as villains at that, has my vote to be on this list.

3. Gary Oldman (True Romance, Leon the Professional, The Fifth Element, Air Force One)

The endlessly-talented Gary Oldman has often been relegated to villainous roles, but it hasn't really worked against him. His diverse filmography translates even to the action genre, whether he's playing a white pimp, a psychotic DEA agent, a Southern CEO from the future, or a European terrorist; he can do it all, and he makes the most of every role. My favorite of his roles, and my favorite villain in general, is in Leon the Professional, where he plays Norman Stansfield, the completely unhinged, loose cannon of a DEA Agent--squaring off against Jean Reno and a young Natalie Portman.

2. Dennis Hopper (Super Mario Brothers, Speed, Waterworld)

Like Oldman, Dennis Hopper has also been cornered as a prototypical 'villain' actor, and has more or less made his name that way (see Blue Velvet). He starred in a handful of action films in the early '90s, most notably Speed and Waterworld, opposite Keanu Reeves and Kevin Costner, respectively. He's pretty much the embodiment of a villain, and many movie viewers remember him as the varied bad guys he's played.

1. Dolph Lundgren (Rocky V, Universal Soldier, Johnny Mnemonic)

The 'last action villain,' Dolph Lundgren got his start in the James Bond film A View to a Kill being the bodyguard of Grace Jones who also co-starred. He then went on to make the name he has today, taking a variety of roles and openly starring alongside other action stars. In Rocky IV, he took on Sylvester Stallone, in Universal Soldier it was Jean-Claude Van Damme, and in Johnny Mnemonic, Keanu Reeves. Considering that he's also worked with Brandon Lee, John Woo, and Louis Gossett Jr. (and Roger Moore), among others, makes him a worthy candidate for the top spot. An action hero and villain alike.


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