20 Films That Cast Queer Actors as Straight Villains and It Was Perfect

Playing the villain can be a career highlight, and many LGBTQ+ actors have given unforgettable performances as straight characters who are the bad guys in movies. Here are twenty films featuring openly queer or well-known queer actors playing villains – including masterminds, killers, and tyrants – who really brought their stories to life. For each film, we’ve included the actor’s name, the character they played, and what kind of threat that character posed, so you can quickly understand the performance.

‘Perfume: The Story of a Murderer’ (2006)

Ben Whishaw stars as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a talented perfumer with a dark secret: he kills young women to capture their unique scents. The character becomes fixated on women and relentlessly pursues them. Whishaw’s performance is central to this historical thriller, charting Grenouille’s transformation from an apprentice to a murderer. The story reaches a climax with a scene of widespread panic, highlighting Grenouille’s ability to control others.

‘The Da Vinci Code’ (2006)

Ian McKellen plays Sir Leigh Teabing, a seemingly trustworthy historian who is actually the mastermind behind the film’s central plot. Teabing cleverly controls both his friends and opponents in a secret effort to uncover a hidden religious truth. He maintains a sophisticated public persona while secretly commanding a team who carry out dangerous tasks. His betrayal is a major surprise towards the end of the movie and fuels the exciting final pursuit.

‘Richard III’ (1995)

Ian McKellen powerfully portrays King Richard, a cruel and ambitious man who will do anything – lie, manipulate, and even kill – to become King of England. The film reimagines Shakespeare’s story in a 1930s setting, turning Richard into a powerful, authoritarian leader. He gains power through strategic marriage and the elimination of his enemies. The movie emphasizes how Richard uses propaganda, grand displays, and secret negotiations to climb to the top and ultimately fall from grace.

‘Apt Pupil’ (1998)

Ian McKellen portrays Kurt Dussander, a former Nazi criminal who is living in hiding in a typical American neighborhood. When a teenager discovers his true identity and blackmails him, Dussander begins to control the boy through fear and manipulation. As Dussander teaches the teen to be cruel, his horrific past actions come back to haunt them both, creating a dangerous connection between historical and current violence.

‘Run’ (2020)

In the thriller, Sarah Paulson plays Diane Sherman, a mother who tightly controls her daughter’s life, even though the daughter uses a wheelchair. The story revolves around a disturbing form of abuse where a parent makes their child sick—specifically, Munchausen by proxy—and the daughter’s fight to discover what’s really happening. Diane lies, hides medication, and creates false scenarios to stay in control. The tension builds as the daughter tries to escape and uncovers clues that have been hidden in obvious places.

‘Beauty and the Beast’ (2017)

Luke Evans portrays Gaston, a boastful hunter determined to marry Belle and turn the town against the Beast’s castle. Gaston’s strong belief in traditional marriage and social standing drives his mean behavior. He spreads lies about Belle’s father, stirs up an angry mob, and ultimately leads the attack that causes the film’s climax. His pride and envy build until they result in a violent siege.

‘Suicide Squad’ (2016)

Cara Delevingne plays Dr. June Moone, who transforms into the Enchantress, a powerful and ancient villain determined to take over the world. She brings her brother back to life and constructs a dangerous device in the middle of a city. Using a romantic connection with a military leader, she tries to weaken the heroes. Ultimately, the team must cut off the Enchantress’s power and free Dr. Moone from her control.

‘House of Gucci’ (2021)

Lady Gaga stars as Patrizia Reggiani, a woman who marries into the wealthy Gucci family. The film follows her journey from an outsider to a powerful figure within the company, showing how she uses relationships, deception, and spying to gain influence. Money problems and fights over the family fortune ultimately lead her to plot a murder. The story culminates in her arrest, a highly publicized trial, and a prison sentence that dramatically changed the Gucci brand.

‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ (2011)

Ezra Miller plays Kevin Khatchadourian, a character who develops into a cold-blooded killer. The movie uses flashbacks to reveal a pattern of increasing violence, starting with minor acts of destruction and escalating to deliberate harm towards his family. Kevin carefully plans his attacks to cause the most emotional pain possible. The film connects seemingly small, earlier incidents to the shocking final act, suggesting they were all part of a disturbing progression.

‘GoldenEye’ (1995)

Alan Cumming plays Boris Grishenko, a highly skilled programmer who helps steal a weapon controlled by satellite. Though brilliant, Boris is ultimately a traitor. He breaks into government networks, covers his tracks, and brags about having secret access. He’s responsible for protecting the weapon’s targeting system and scrambling its controls. His arrogance plays a key role in the final confrontation with the antenna.

‘Blade’ (1998)

Udo Kier plays Dragonetti, an ancient vampire who fights to stay in power, despite being part of a group that preys on humans. He hosts lavish parties while secretly allowing people to be exploited for their blood. As tensions rise within his group, their corruption and hypocrisy become clear. The battle with Deacon Frost shows how weak and divided the council really is.

‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ (2018)

Dr. Henry Wu, played by BD Wong, is back, and his genetic experiments have created dangerous, weaponized dinosaur hybrids. He works with investors to sell these bioengineered creatures, as well as early versions of others. When security breaks down at a private auction, dinosaur DNA and embryos fall into the wrong hands, connecting his research to both military interests and illegal buyers.

‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ (2019)

Asia Kate Dillon portrays the Adjudicator, a figure who enforces the rules of the High Table and punishes those who break them. They have the power to remove protections, banish people, and exact revenge within New York’s criminal world. The Adjudicator organizes attacks, demands loyalty, and sets firm deadlines, making every challenge John Wick faces even more difficult with their rigid and legalistic approach.

‘Psycho’ (1960)

As a film buff, I’ve always been fascinated by Norman Bates, the character Anthony Perkins made so iconic. He runs this seemingly normal motel, but underneath, he’s a murderer who goes to incredible lengths to hide his crimes. It’s not just about getting rid of evidence; he meticulously cleans, fakes notes, and even messes with guest plans to throw everyone off his trail. The whole setting helps too – a secret staircase, a creepy swamp, and a locked-up house all contribute to the deception. The real shocker, of course, is when the investigation digs deeper and reveals he has a split personality, and that the mystery revolves around a preserved body – it’s a truly disturbing and brilliant piece of filmmaking.

‘Witness for the Prosecution’ (1957)

In the film, Marlene Dietrich plays Christine, a woman who intentionally gives false testimony in court to manipulate the legal proceedings. She creates fake identities, arranges deceptive encounters, and secretly places evidence to influence the outcome of the trial. Her connection to the defendant isn’t a love story, but a calculated legal strategy. Ultimately, the film’s surprising twists depend on her lying while under oath.

‘Inspector Gadget’ (1999)

Rupert Everett plays Sanford Scolex, or ‘Claw,’ a wealthy tech executive who becomes a cybercriminal. He steals cutting-edge technology and builds a robotic duplicate to make the hero look guilty. He uses high-tech tools like remote controls and detachable devices to commit his crimes. The climax of the story involves revealing the robot and shutting down Claw’s technology.

‘The Matrix Resurrections’ (2021)

Neil Patrick Harris plays the Analyst, a creator who subtly alters the Matrix to control people’s feelings. He uses painful memories, slowed or sped-up time, and rewards systems to keep people under his control, disguising his manipulations as therapy sessions and game development meetings. The story builds to a final confrontation where attempts are made to disable his security measures and rescue those he’s holding captive.

‘X-Men’ (2000)

Ian McKellen plays Magneto, the leader of a group determined to be superior to humans. He builds a machine designed to force mutations on leaders from around the world during a meeting. His plan includes kidnapping, a special device set up on Liberty Island, and a distraction to throw people off track. The key to stopping him is to disable the machine without destroying its power source.

‘The Servant’ (1963)

In the film, Dirk Bogarde portrays Barrett, a servant who subtly takes control of his employer through charm, manipulation, and creating a reliance on him. He quietly changes the household’s rules, brings in a helper, and blurs the lines of their relationship. Barrett uses money and alcohol to gain power, ultimately flipping the traditional power dynamic and becoming the one in charge.

‘Rope’ (1948)

Farley Granger delivers a chilling performance as Phillip, one half of a duo who think they’ve gotten away with murder. The setup is brilliantly unsettling: they commit the crime during a dinner party, right under everyone’s noses! What’s fascinating is how casually they try to cover their tracks, rearranging the apartment and ditching evidence in plain sight. But they made one critical mistake: inviting a former professor who starts picking apart their carefully constructed alibi. The tension just builds and builds until a shocking discovery – a reveal involving a trunk – completely unravels their intellectual justifications. It’s a masterclass in suspense!

If you think we left out a great performance, let us know in the comments! Tell us which moment really stood out to you.

2025-12-08 00:46