Why British actors make the scariest villains

Why British actors make the scariest villains - Some say Brits have always played the best villains. There's something about that distinct accent that sounds particularly menacing. Take Shere Khan in 'The Jungle Book', or even Scar in 'The Lion King'. Experts have said that the British accent sounds particularly intelligent, and to some, untrustworthy. With Halloween right around the corner, take a look at some costume inspiration, and meet the best British villains in the history of cinema.

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Alan Rickman in ‘Die Hard’ - Alan Rickman played anti-hero Professor Snape in the ‘Harry Potter’ series. However, his performance as Hans Gruber in ‘Die Hard’ is a perfect showcase for playing a villain.

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Anthony Hopkins in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ - In ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, Anthony Hopkins is chilling as the blood-thirsty Hannibal Lecter. He won an Oscar for the nightmarish performance.

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Ian McKellen in the ‘X-Men’ series - He’s played heroes and mentors, but Ian McKellen was also a villainous delight in the ‘X-Men’ series. He portrayed Magneto, an anti-human mutant with magnetic powers.

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Jeremy Irons in ‘The Lion King’ - Coming off an Oscar win in 1990, Irons took on the evil Scar in ‘The Lion King’. The treacherous lion is responsible for one of Disney’s saddest scenes ever.

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Andy Serkis in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ series - Andy Serkis has made history by playing motion-capture characters. One of his most menacing roles was as Gollum in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ saga.

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Ralph Fiennes in the ‘Harry Potter’ series/’Schindler’s List’ - Fiennes has played two of the most-memorable villains in Hollywood history. You know him as Voldemort in the ‘Harry Potter’ series, as well as Nazi commander Amon Goeth in ‘Schindler’s List’.

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Christopher Lee in ‘Dracula’ - The late Christopher Lee played many iconic villains. Perhaps his most timeless role is as the title character in ‘Dracula’.

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Ian McDiarmid in the ‘Star Wars’ series - McDiarmid played the wicked emperor in four ‘Star Wars’ films. He lures Anakin Skywalker to the dark side of the force.

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Tom Hardy in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ - Tom Hardy had big shoes to fill, following up from Heath Ledger in ‘The Dark Knight’. He was a bold but dependable choice, and Hardy will return in ‘Venom’.

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Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ - Cumberbatch has played plenty of heroes, but he is a delight as the evil Khan in ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’.

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Helena Bonham-Carter in Tim Burton’s films - Bonham-Carter and Tim Burton are a match made in heaven. The actress is effortlessly evil in his films, playing cruel witches, queens, and barbers too.

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Donald Pleasence in ‘You Only Live Twice’ - Pleasence played the timeless villain, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, in ‘You Only Live Twice’. The influential character has been parodied in the ‘Austin Powers’ series.

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David Bowie in ‘Labyrinth’ - David Bowie was a breath of fresh air in ‘Labyrinth’. He played Jareth the Goblin King, a villain who dresses as well as he sings.

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Tilda Swinton in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ series - Swinton was chilling as the White Witch in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ series. However, the actress would apparently coach young co-stars in between takes.

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George Sanders in ‘The Jungle Book’ - In ‘The Jungle Book’, Sanders played the cruel tiger Shere Khan. He had the perfect posh accent and dry sense of humour for the role.

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Bill Nighy in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ series - Johnny Depp was great in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, so he needed a perfect villain to face-off with. Nighy played the complex villain Davy Jones, using CGI to enhance his monstrous character.

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Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘Gangs of New York’ - Day-Lewis was dynamic in ‘Gangs of New York’, directed by Martin Scorsese. He plays Bill the Butcher, a bare-knuckle boxer and crime lord.

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Jason Isaacs in ‘The Patriot’/the ‘Harry Potter’ series - Jason Isaacs has a knack for playing complicated villains. In ‘The Patriot’, he plays General Sir Banastre Tarleton, who apparently slaughtered surrendering troops. Isaacs is also a delight as Lucius Malfoy in the ‘Harry Potter’ series.

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Ben Kingsley in ‘Sexy Beast’ - Kingsley’s cockney twang made Don Logan just a bit more terrifying in ‘Sexy Beast’. The villainous mob boss is one of the best villains in British cinema.

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Laurence Olivier in ‘Marathon Man’ - Laurence Olivier had a late-career hit with ‘Marathon Man’, which contains one of the most intense and horrifying scenes in cinema.

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Tom Hiddleston in ‘The Avengers’ - Loki is considered to be one of the best villains in Marvel’s superhero series. Tom Hiddleston does a great job as the double-sided god, who creates carnage and mischief across the galaxy.

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Malcolm McDowell in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ - Alex DeLarge is more anti-hero than villain. Still, Malcolm McDowell did some of the most sadistic things ever seen on screen while playing the character in ‘A Clockwork Orange’.

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Peter Cushing in the ‘Star Wars’ series - Peter Cushing was perfect as the cold Grand Moff Tarkin in the ‘Star Wars’ series.

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Angela Lansbury in ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ - You may her from ‘Murder, She Wrote’, as the friendly and fiesty detective Jessica Fletcher. However, Lansbury is also brilliant as the sinister Mrs. Iselin in ‘The Manchurian Candidate’.

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Oliver Reed in ‘Oliver!’ - Oliver Reed was a delight in ‘Oliver!’, playing the cruel and murderous Bill Sikes.

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James Mason in ‘North by Northwest’ - ‘North by Northwest’ is a classic Hitchcock thriller, and James Mason was perfectly cast as the double-crossing Phillip Vandamm.

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Christian Bale in ‘American Psycho’ - Again, more anti-hero than villain, but Bale is still a horrendously cruel character in ‘American Psycho’.

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Liam Neeson in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman’ series - He’s played hardened heroes and action stars, but Neeson has an underrated performance in ‘Batman Begins’. Watch the full trilogy to see how his complex character is explored.

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Jude Law in ‘Road to Perdition’ - Tom Hanks is the star of this blood-curdling crime film. Jude Law is appropriately cast as Harlen Maguire, an assassin and crime scene photographer.

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Gary Oldman in ‘Leon: The Professional’/’True Romance’ - Oldman has made a career out of playing cruel villains. In ‘Leon: The Professional’, he is a delight as DEA agent Norman Stansfield. He is also perfect as an evil pimp in ‘True Romance’.

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