13 Times Actors Were Convincingly Good AND Evil In One Movie
Albert Einstein said, "The measure of intelligence is the ability to change," but good ol' Al probably didn't mean it like a flip of the switch. In the world of film, there are actors who switch between good and evil in one movie with a convincing and scary ease.
Now, we aren't talking about people like Mike Myers or Eddie Murphy who play multiple roles in movies such as Austin Powers or The Nutty Professor, but the actors who play one character that experiences the extremes of good and bad. These talented performers hold the ability to make the audience fall in love with them before they pull out the rug and make everyone despise them.
It's time to vote up your favorite performances where the actors made everyone love and hate them.
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The Good Side: The young Aaron Stampler is imprisoned on the suspicion of murdering Archbishop Rushman. However, Aaron is shy, stutters, and doesn't seem like he's capable of hurting a fly, so everyone presumes something is amiss.
The Evil Side: Aaron reveals a darker personality known as Roy, who is the antithesis of Aaron. He is confident, doesn't stutter, and acts violently, admitting to killing Rushman after the clergyman forced Aaron and others into non-consensual acts.
Reason for the Change: By displaying the signs of dissociative identity disorder, it's a means of Aaron being acquitted for his crimes.
Believability: In the end, it's revealed Roy doesn't exist - and perhaps neither does Aaron. No one really knows who the person really is. It leaves the audience with fascinating questions about the character and what really happened in the story.
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The Good Side: Norman Osborn finally claims control of his mind, casting away the diabolical Green Goblin personality. He wants to atone for what he has done and use his brilliant scientific mind to help the other villains turn over a new leaf, too.
The Evil Side: The Green Goblin resurfaces, taking over Osborn's body and inspiring the other villains to break bad again. The Goblin goes on a rampage against Spider-Man and even kills Aunt May in the process.
Reason for the Change: Despite Osborn's best efforts, the Goblin personality bubbles beneath the surface. He is never free from this dark element that resides in him. The Goblin simply waited for the right moment to strike again.
Believability: Since the whole theme of Spider-Man: No Way Home is about how people can change, there are many who believe Osborn has finally cast out the Goblin demons. However, when he does revert to his pumpkin bomb-hurling ways, there's a sense of glee from the viewers since Gobby is one of Spidey's greatest villains - and his evil facial expressions are everything.
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The Good Side: Stu Macher is another teen in Woodsboro who is overwhelmed by all the killings around him. Despite the chaos and uncertainty of if anyone will see another day, he's a chill guy and a friendly face for his group of pals to hang with.
The Bad Side: After Billy Loomis reveals himself to be the killer, Stu steps out of the shadows and unveils himself as the accomplice. He's also been stabbing his friends for the giggles!
Reason for the Change: Billy convinces Stu to join his crusade after Sidney's mother had an affair with Billy's father, which caused his family unit to split. Billy took it a little harder than most children of divorce and decided to go on a murder spree, which Stu joins.
Believability: It makes all the sense in the world that Stu is dirty. With Ghostface showing up everywhere, it's clear there must be more than one person dressing up as the killer. He says he felt peer pressure to help his bro Billy, but, yeah, that's a convenient excuse.
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The Good Side: Sean Archer (John Travolta) is an FBI agent who wants to put a stop to the fiendish Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). Archer will go to any lengths to stop Troy's bomb from destroying Los Angeles.
The Evil Side: Troy is an evil crime lord because, well, he is. He already offed Archer's young son and now wants to send Los Angeles to kingdom come by detonating a bomb and maybe dancing in a priest's outfit again.
Reason for the Change: After Troy falls into a coma, Archer undergoes a radical face transplant procedure, so he can pretend to be Troy and uncover the location of the ticking time bomb. Consequently, Troy takes Archer's face and decides to ruin his life by pretending to be him. Tit for tat, really.
Believability: Technically, the characters' personalities aren't changing, but the actors are. It's fascinating to watch as Cage and Travolta switch between good and evil in Face/Off with such poise and style.
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The Good Side: As Gotham City's District Attorney, Harvey Dent wants to clean up the cesspool of a city he calls home. He isn't afraid of rattling the cages of criminal organizations or rooting out the corruption of city officials as he becomes Gotham's White Knight.
The Evil Side: As the villainous Two-Face, Dent becomes consumed by vengeance and turns into a violent vigilante who uses a coin to decide the fate of his victims.
Reason for the Change: After the Joker's tricks result in the death of Dent's fiancée, Rachel Dawes, and half of Dent's body gets burnt to a crisp, he seeks revenge in the harshest terms possible as he loses all hope in the justice system and humanity.
Believability: Dent had the best of intentions, but even as he tries to clean the poisoned well, he becomes infected by its venom, too. It's understandable why his combination of grief and anger pushes him over the edge and changes his entire outlook on life.
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The Good Side: The affable Rose Armitage is in a relationship with Chris Washington. She takes him to meet her family, whom she declares to be okay with their interracial relationship. Rose seems to genuinely care for Chris, and wants to make it work with him and her family.
The Evil Side: Rose reveals she's a part of the cult that lures in people under false pretenses so that they can be brainwashed and used. She never loved Chris, even though she tells him he was one of her favorites.
Reason for the Change: Rose bides her time throughout Get Out. It's all a ruse to get Chris to lower his guard and for him to believe she's on his side. Eventually, when he does try to escape from danger, she is forced to reveal her true intentions for him.
Believability: The switch in Rose's behavior shocks the audience. While it seems like she will stand by his side and run away with him from her wicked family, her heel turn comes out of nowhere as she's revealed to be complicit in this charade.
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