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Some casting choices are so flawless they become unforgettable, perfectly blending actor and character to create iconic performances. Join us as we spotlight legendary roles brought to life with unparalleled precision and charm. From an unstoppable cyborg to a wise wizard, these actors defined their characters and left an indelible mark on TV and film history. Get ready to celebrate the ultimate picture-perfect matchups!
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00:00Let's work with you here.
00:02Ooh, I like it. Muy macho.
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:07And today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 best pieces of casting in the history of TV
00:12and movies.
00:13And I shall need to know your name.
00:17What do you say to three shillings?
00:19Oh, we forget the name.
00:24Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith.
00:27Number 20. Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Terminator.
00:31So, uh, what shall it be?
00:34Oh.
00:35I may close early today.
00:37There's a 15-day wait on handguns, but the rifles you can take right now.
00:43You can't do that.
00:46Casting Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator changed movie history forever.
00:51His imposing physique and stiff robotic mannerisms were not acting limitations.
00:55They were the exact ingredients needed to create an unstoppable killing machine.
00:59No other actor has ever successfully replicated his specific presence,
01:03whether it be his stilted delivery or his action star Grace,
01:06which is why the franchise consistently struggles to find its footing without him.
01:10Despite not being a trained actor,
01:12Schwarzenegger turned what could have been a B-movie villain into a worldwide pop culture icon.
01:17It is the ultimate marriage of actor and character,
01:20defining the concept of picture perfect in a way that few others can.
01:30I'll be back.
01:34Number 19. Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs.
01:42You use Evian skin cream.
01:47And sometimes you wear lead at home.
01:52But not today.
01:53With less than 20 minutes of screen time,
01:56Anthony Hopkins created a villain that has haunted nightmares for decades.
02:00His portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a masterclass in minimalism,
02:04proving that you don't need to scream or yell to be terrifying.
02:07Instead, Hopkins uses a polite, almost reptilian stillness to dissect people psychologically before he attacks them physically.
02:14The famous unblinking stare he adopted pierces right through the camera,
02:18becoming the very definition of staring into your soul.
02:21While many others have taken a crack at the cannibalistic doctor,
02:25it was Hopkins who turned him into a household name.
02:27And it's Hopkins who remains the definitive version of the character.
02:31You think if you save poor Catherine, you could make them stop, don't you?
02:36You think if Catherine lives, you won't wake up in the dark ever again.
02:41To that awful screaming of the lambs.
02:44Number 18. Kathy Bates, Misery.
02:47I thought you were good, Paul.
02:49But you're not good.
02:51You're just another lying old dirty birdie.
02:55And I don't think I'd better be around you for a while.
02:57In Stephen King's seminal novel, Annie Wilkes is a force of obsessive nature.
03:03And Kathy Bates brought that nightmare to life with chilling and rather surprising precision.
03:08She oscillates wildly between a sweet, doting fangirl and a bone-breaking psychopath,
03:13keeping the audience on edge in every single scene.
03:16This performance was so undeniable that it made Bates not only a movie star,
03:20but one of the very few actors in history to win an Academy Award for a horror film.
03:24She helped set the gold standard for cinematic villains,
03:27creating a performance that remains just as disturbing and effective today as it was in 1990.
03:33I have this gun.
03:39Sometimes I think about using it.
03:47I better go now.
03:49Number 17. Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool.
03:52A hush falls over the crowd as rookie sensation Wade W. Wilson out of Regina, Saskatchewan lines up the shot.
04:00It took years of leaked footage and studio battles,
04:03but Ryan Reynolds proved he was the only human alive capable of playing the Merc with a mouth.
04:08Reynolds shares Wade Wilson's chaotic rapid-fire wit in real life,
04:12blurring the lines between actor and role more than anyone else on this list.
04:16And with the massive success of 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine,
04:20Reynolds demonstrated that his casting has serious longevity and cultural impact.
04:24Even behind a full mask, Reynolds' physical comedy and timing shine through,
04:29proving that he is a natural of the screen.
04:31He is the very soul of this massive franchise,
04:34and going forward, he is utterly irreplaceable.
04:45Number 16. R. Lee Ermey, Full Metal Jacket.
04:49I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor.
04:52From now on, you will speak only when spoken to,
04:56and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers will be served.
05:00Do you maggots understand that?
05:01This entry is unique because the actor wasn't just cast to play the role.
05:05In many ways, he actually was the role.
05:08Originally hired as a technical advisor,
05:11former real-life drill instructor R. Lee Ermey was so convincing
05:14that Stanley Kubrick cast him in the movie.
05:16As Gunnery Sergeant Hartman,
05:18his creative insults quickly became the stuff of movie legend,
05:21and they live on in the form of memes and TikTok edits.
05:25No classically trained actor could have ever replicated
05:28the authentic cadence and volume that Ermey brought to the famous barrack scenes.
05:32It remains the absolute gold standard for military casting,
05:36proving that sometimes, authenticity beats acting technique.
05:39Did your parents have any children that lived?
05:41Sir, yes, sir.
05:42How about they regret that?
05:44You're so ugly, you could be a modern art masterpiece.
05:47Number 15. Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
05:51You can suck them and suck them and suck them,
05:53and they'll never get any smaller.
05:54Never.
05:55At least I don't think they do.
05:56A few more tests.
05:57How do you make them?
05:59I'm a trifle deaf in this ear.
06:01Speak a little louder next time.
06:03Gene Wilder remains the definitive Willy Wonka
06:05because he perfectly understood the character's manic duality.
06:08Wilder infused the chocolatier with a genuine warmth,
06:11yet he could instantly pivot to being distant,
06:14unpredictable, and genuinely frightening.
06:16It's a masterclass in tonal inconsistency,
06:19which is exactly what Willy Wonka would have loved.
06:21In fact, it was Wilder who insisted on his entrance
06:25being a limp-turned somersault to establish that Wonka could never be trusted,
06:29and it was a brilliant choice that defined the character's entire persona.
06:32His performance captures the playful whimsy of Roald Dahl's world
06:36while also maintaining that slightly psychotic edge
06:38that other versions often forego.
06:40My chocolate!
06:43My chocolate!
06:45My chocolate!
06:46My beautiful chocolate!
06:48Don't just stand there!
06:49Do something!
06:50Help!
06:52Police!
06:52Murder!
06:53Number 14.
06:54Samuel L. Jackson
06:55The Marvel Cinematic Universe
07:07This is a rare case where the source material
07:10actually cast the actor before the studio did.
07:13Back in the Ultimates comic run,
07:15artist Brian Hitch literally drew Nick Fury
07:17to look exactly like Samuel L. Jackson.
07:20So, when the MCU launched in the late 2000s,
07:22there was only one phone call to make.
07:24Jackson, like always, brings an effortless cool to the role
07:28and helps tie the entire sprawling universe together.
07:30Whether he's shouting commands
07:32or quietly recruiting Avengers from the shadows,
07:34he embodies the ultimate spymaster.
07:36He's the perfect example of life-imitating art imitating life,
07:40resulting in a character that is now inseparable
07:42from the actor who plays him.
07:44So, you know, thanks, Brian.
07:46So is it true
07:48that the Kree burned your eye out
07:50because you refused to give them the Tesseract?
07:53I will neither confirm nor deny the facts of that story.
07:57Number 13.
07:58Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
08:01That's for Bohemian Rhapsody.
08:05Rhapsody.
08:06What is that?
08:07It's an epic poem.
08:07It goes on forever six bloody minutes.
08:10Why pity your wife if you think six minutes is forever.
08:13Portraying a rock god is difficult,
08:15but embodying Freddie Mercury seemed downright impossible
08:18until Rami Malek took the stage.
08:20Malek not only looked the part,
08:22but he completely internalized Mercury's flamboyant physicality
08:26and electric stage presence.
08:27His meticulous recreation of the 1985 Live Aid performance
08:31is indistinguishable from the real footage.
08:33It's pure movie magic.
08:35But even beyond the spectacle,
08:36Malek found the quiet vulnerability in the man behind the legend,
08:40balancing the showman's ego with his personal loneliness.
08:42He resurrected the spirit of Queen's frontman for a new generation
08:46and earned the Academy Award for his efforts.
08:48So please, if any of you fuss about it or frown about it,
08:55or worst of all, if you bore me with your sympathy,
08:59that's just seconds wasted.
09:01Seconds that could be used making music,
09:04which is all I want to do at the time I have left.
09:06Number 12, Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
09:18It's funny, when the casting of Heath Ledger was first announced,
09:22the internet overwhelmingly hated it.
09:25Now, his turn in The Dark Knight
09:26is possibly the most famous iteration of The Joker.
09:29Pretty much every little nuance of his performance is now iconic,
09:33from the voice to the laughs to the constant lip-smacking.
09:35Heath Ledger may have been known as a heartthrob at the time,
09:38yet he captured the terrifying essence of Batman's arch-nemesis
09:42better than any other actor, even Jack Nicholson.
09:45In fact, it stands as one of the greatest villain performances in movie history,
09:49earning Ledger a posthumous Oscar
09:51and redefining what a comic book movie could be.
09:54I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you...
10:00...stranger.
10:02Number 11, J.K. Simmons, Spider-Man.
10:05Who is Spider-Man?
10:07He's a criminal, that's who he is.
10:09A vigilante.
10:10A public menace.
10:11What's he doing on my front page?
10:13Mr. Jameson, your wife is online once.
10:14She needs to know...
10:15If you close your eyes and imagine J. Jonah Jameson
10:18shouting for pictures of Spider-Man,
10:20you inevitably hear the gravelly voice of J.K. Simmons.
10:23With his flat-top haircut and cigar-chomping energy,
10:26Simmons walked straight out of a comic book panel and onto the screen.
10:29The casting was so flawless that Simmons remained in the role
10:32even after it pivoted to the MCU and was rebooted with Tom Holland.
10:36He is the one constant across the cinematic multiverse,
10:39proving that while you can replace Spider-Man,
10:41you can never replace the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle.
10:45They know they struck movie gold with this,
10:47and they do not dare change it.
10:49Spider-Man wasn't attacking the city, he was trying to save it, that's slander.
10:53It is not, I resent that.
10:55Slander is spoken.
10:56In print, it's libel.
10:58Number 10. Margot Robbie.
11:00Barbie.
11:01Surprisingly to some, Margot Robbie was not the original choice to play Barbie.
11:06She later took on the role and made it her own.
11:08Her look might be one part of the decision,
11:11but Robbie also gives the character some dynamic emotions.
11:14That felt...
11:16achy.
11:17Good.
11:18The titular role doesn't just pose or have fun.
11:21With the actress at the top of her game,
11:23she turns the doll from a cliche into a more well-rounded concept.
11:26No, no, no.
11:27You're describing something stereotypical.
11:30Barbie is so much more than that.
11:33The star makes Barbie much more existential,
11:35with plenty of room for black comedy and life lessons.
11:38Do you guys ever think about dying?
11:41She was also responsible for producing the movie
11:44and contributing to its box office success.
11:46On multiple levels,
11:48she was the right person to bring this Mattel product to life.
11:51Oh, and we have a female president,
11:53and it's fun and work and friendship and female 24-7.
11:56Number 9.
11:57Matthew Lillard.
11:58The Scooby-Doo franchise.
12:06As an underrated artist,
12:08Matthew Lillard makes the most of his many iconic parts.
12:11His turn as Shaggy more than does the cartoon justice.
12:14I don't feel so good.
12:16Reminds me of the time we tried to eat the guy in the hot dog costume.
12:20His entire voice, wardrobe, and hair all help to tell a story.
12:24Not only that,
12:25he's amazing at acting to a dog that isn't even there.
12:29And there's nobody I'd rather gorge myself with than you, Scooby-Doo.
12:34My best friend.
12:36You're my best friend, buddy.
12:37You probably believe the early 2000s animation because of Lillard's work.
12:42Casey Kasem might have played the original version,
12:44but this actor brought a believable adaptation to the screen.
12:47He's just as goofy, lovable, and friendly as you'd want the real-life guy to be.
12:51Part of that works because of the performer's chameleon-like acting,
12:55giving audiences the right rendition for a new generation.
12:58Are you guys okay?
12:59Sure.
13:00As long as you define okay as...
13:03In massive agony.
13:05Number 8. Harrison Ford.
13:07The Indiana Jones franchise.
13:09And the undisturbed chamber and the grave goods that were found in another...
13:13In the area give us...
13:19Reason to date this find as we have.
13:24With all of his great roles, Harrison Ford is always Indiana Jones in our hearts.
13:29Only Han Solo can compete with this kind of classic part.
13:32It might be the one that best exemplifies his star power.
13:36He brings a ruggedness and a swagger to this archaeologist.
13:47That's not all though, because the character is also funny and human.
13:52You believe the performance even more as the hero gets beat up and doesn't win every time.
13:57Ford also sells the fear of snakes well, showing that weaknesses can make somebody more interesting.
14:03You don't even question the fact that he's wearing that hat or using a bullwhip.
14:06Even in his older years, the power of his initial casting remains.
14:11You need me.
14:13And you know it.
14:14Number 7.
14:15Christina Ricci.
14:16The Addams Family Franchise.
14:27It's a performance that might not have been appreciated enough during its time.
14:32Christina Ricci played Wednesday with a perfect deadpan, never winking in a darkly humorous role.
14:38Not many child actors can be that good, and so early in their career.
14:42If I am a strike you dead, I will!
14:53Ricci had only started acting in movies in 1990, but she was talented enough to play every nuance.
14:59The sequel, Addams Family Values, gave her even more opportunities to stand out with the camp sequence.
15:05We cannot break bread with you.
15:07Huh?
15:08Becky, what's going on?
15:10Wednesday!
15:11You have taken the land which is rightfully ours.
15:14Her far-reaching influence here extended to the Netflix series focusing on the same character.
15:19Without this actress' work in the original movies, you could argue that Jenna Ortega's version wouldn't have happened.
15:25Children, what are you doing?
15:27I'm going to electrocute him.
15:29But we're late for the charity auction.
15:32But mother...
15:32Number 6.
15:33Alan Rickman.
15:34The Harry Potter Franchise.
15:36What, you insolent little professor.
15:39He lit up the screen in Die Hard, but some might say that Alan Rickman became more iconic for Severus
15:46Snape.
15:46Hans Gruber was a straight-up villain, while Snape was something much more unexpected.
15:51Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Mr. Potter?
15:57This speaks to Rickman's subdued and dry sensibilities.
16:00While he honed his craft on the stage, he made this character sing with its theatricality.
16:05Any person found to have knowledge of these events, who fails to come forward, will be treated as equally guilty.
16:23The same could be said for other cast members like Imelda Staunton.
16:27With his blunt assessments and sinister undertones, the potions expert jumped off the page with this actor's help.
16:33He knew exactly how to play both the subtle humor and darkness within each line.
16:38By the end of the franchise, the performer proved he was one of the most essential parts of it.
16:43Like you two of a kind, sentimental children, forever whining about how bitterly unfair your lives have been.
16:48Well, it may have escaped your notice, but life isn't fair.
16:52Your blessed father knew that.
16:54Number 5.
16:55Robert Downey Jr.
16:56The Marvel Cinematic Universe
16:57The truth is...
17:05I am Iron Man.
17:08In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Robert Downey Jr. was in and out of various legal troubles.
17:14He then spent some years rehabilitating himself until Iron Man changed everything.
17:19I don't have to do anything.
17:21I've been in captivity for three months.
17:22There are two things I want to do.
17:24I want an American cheeseburger.
17:26And the other...
17:27That's enough of that.
17:28It's not what you think.
17:29I want you to call for a press conference now.
17:30As Tony Stark, he found a perfect way to mix his charm and sense of humor.
17:34He became a fan favorite in one of the most successful franchises ever.
17:38With all of the competing personalities in the MCU,
17:42Downey Jr. still rises above as one of the most entertaining.
17:45Because I haven't come across anyone who's man enough to go toe-to-toe with me on my best day.
17:51He offers up his sarcastic point of view right up until he tugs at your heartstrings.
17:55Reminding everyone of his movie star attributes,
17:58the performer makes you laugh, cry, and believe he's a millionaire playboy.
18:02Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing.
18:05Number 4.
18:06Johnny Depp, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
18:09Can you sail under the command of a pirate?
18:11Whatever you think of him now,
18:13Johnny Depp ended up being the definitive casting choice for Pirates of the Caribbean.
18:17He's known for disappearing into makeup, costumes, and whimsical personalities.
18:22The role of Captain Jack Sparrow checks all three boxes,
18:25but it also leaves room for more entertaining choices.
18:28Depp's performance combines his wild screen personas
18:31with a hint of rock star energy.
18:36Shall we just call it square then?
18:38With his connections to music,
18:40he channeled the likes of Keith Richards for this role.
18:42There's also a goofiness to many of his scenes
18:45that seem to free him from any constraints.
18:48Over the course of several sequels,
18:50the actor managed to make even the most absurd plots more enjoyable.
18:53So, yes, we could hold up here, well-provisioned and well-armed,
18:57and half of us would be dead within the month.
18:59Which seems quite grim to me, any way you slice it.
19:02Number 3.
19:03Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde.
19:05Oh my gosh, you guys are so sweet!
19:08After films like Election,
19:10Reese Witherspoon became a rising star in the early 2000s.
19:13Her work in Legally Blonde heavily contributed to A-list status.
19:18Witherspoon's bubbly performance as Elle might be her most iconic,
19:21turning the color pink into a human being.
19:24The character is much more than a stereotype, too.
19:26I like your outfit, too, except when I dress up as a frigid b****.
19:30I try not to look so constipated.
19:32Witherspoon capitalizes on this every-woman persona,
19:35playing with preconceived notions about sorority girls and blonde cliches.
19:39I go here.
19:40You go where?
19:42Harvard.
19:43Law school.
19:45You got into Harvard Law?
19:48What, like it's hard?
19:49The film lets the actress be funny, smart, and full of surprises.
19:53You could argue that many of her best roles use these same ingredients,
19:57but few are as perfect as this one.
20:00Congratulations, class of 2004.
20:03We did it!
20:06Number 2.
20:07Robin Williams, Aladdin.
20:09It's nearly impossible to imagine anyone else in this role.
20:1210,000 years will give you such a crick in the neck!
20:18Robin Williams is the only performer that can match the energy of an animated character.
20:23In some cases, the filmmakers even let the icon alter Jeannie with his own improvisation.
20:28As I'm a column A, try all of column B, I'm in the mood to help you, dude, you ain't
20:35never had a friend like me.
20:37He brought out his own quick comedic persona in this effort.
20:40This includes all kinds of impressions, voices, and wild non-sequiturs.
20:45Jeannie, I need help.
20:46All right, Sparky, here's the deal.
20:48If you want to court the little lady, you gotta be a straight shooter, do you got it?
20:53It's so well-tuned to Williams and his comic personality,
20:56giving him plenty of opportunities to make it his own.
20:59The artist could also turn on the more dramatic faucet when he needed it.
21:03I can't wish you free.
21:05Fine, I understand.
21:07After all, you've lied to everyone else.
21:09Hey, I was beginning to feel left out.
21:11This whirlwind performance cannot be contained within a few sentences,
21:15but it certainly jumps off the screen just like the actor does.
21:19Wish for something outrageous.
21:19Say, I want the Nile.
21:21Wish for the Nile.
21:21Try that.
21:22Uh, I wish for the Nile.
21:23No way!
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21:41Number 1.
21:43Ian McKellen.
21:43The Lord of the Rings franchise.
21:45If you're referring to the incident with the dragon,
21:48I was barely involved.
21:51All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door.
21:54It's hard to pick one actor to represent the series,
21:57but you can't do much better than Ian McKellen.
21:59His work as Gandalf provides the wise foundation for the franchise.
22:03He's been following us for three days.
22:06He escaped the dungeons of Barak Dhu.
22:10Escaped?
22:11Or was set loose?
22:12He feels right at home with other amazing actors,
22:15while someone like Viggo Mortensen is another standout.
22:19McKellen brings a gravitas to every scene,
22:21and elevates his scene partners with every line reading.
22:24You shall not pass!
22:30His British accent gives him an additional leg up,
22:33while his age and costume fit him well.
22:36Not to mention,
22:37the performer can play the older character in a believable way
22:40that's not just a fantasy caricature.
22:42The magical hero also fits perfectly into the man's eclectic career of powerful parts.
22:46End?
22:49No, the journey doesn't end here.
22:54Death is just another path.
22:58One that we all must take.
22:59Do you have someone else in mind for these roles,
23:01or do you agree that they're perfectly cast?
23:04Let us know in the comments.
23:05Let us know in the comments.
23:05OK, thanks to your fans.
23:09desarrollo and
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