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Successful female actors who play villains often stand out with their striking fashion, memorable screen presence, and impactful lines. A key sign of success is when the audience strongly dislikes the villainous character but still admires the actress's performance. While many actresses have played villains, only a few leave a lasting impression, making viewers both dislike the character's actions and appreciate the actress's portrayal.
Here are the 8 best female actors who play villains like nobody else.
From Natalie Portman to Meryl Streep: 8 best female actors who play villains like no other
1) Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada
Meryl Streep was undoubtedly the best choice of actress to play the iconic Miranda Priestley in The Devil Wears Prada.
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Streep nailed the portrayal of the character of Miranda Priestley - her piercing looks and cold stares that made everyone around her fear her made her one of the most hated female villains of all time.
2) Emma Stone in Cruella
Emma Stone perfectly mastered the character of Cruella de Vil, the dog-napping supervillain from Disney's 101 Dalmatians. Cruella follows the story of a young Estella, who tries to make a name for herself in the fashion industry and ends up as a famous up-and-coming designer named Cruella de Vil.
Right from her unmissable fashion to her boss-like energy, Emma Stone hits the mark with her portrayal of Cruella de Vil in this alternate origin story for the iconic character.
3) Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls
The character of Regina George has been a sensation ever since the release of Mean Girls back in 2004, and Rachel McAdams' portrayal of the character has a huge role to play in this.
From her fake sweet demeanor to her delivery of the snide one-liners, Rachel McAdams completely mastered the role of Regina George.
4) Lena Headey in Game of Thrones
Cersei Lannister, played by Lena Headey, is one of the most complex yet hated characters in Game of Thrones.
Headey completely mastered the role with her frosty looks, impeccable and ice-cold one-liners, and unmissable screen presence, making her one of TV's most popular female actors who play villains.
5) Helena Bonham Carter in the Harry Potter series
Helena Bonham Carter played the role of Sirius Black's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, in the Harry Potter series. With her portrayal of the eccentric yet evil Death Eater, Helena Bonham Carter sealed her name in the list of most iconic female actors who play villains in history.
It's safe to say that if any Potterhead claims to not hate Bellatrix Lestrange after she murdered Tonks in the Battle of Hogwarts, well, they'd just be lying.
6) Sandra Bullock in The Proposal
What's a better way to portray a female "villain" than to present her as an uptight, micromanaging boss? Sandra Bullock's portrayal of the character of Margaret Tate in The Proposal, opposite Ryan Reynolds, is just what the character demanded.
Her bossy and dominating nature that turned soft and affectionate by the end of the movie makes fans, and Ryan Reynolds' character, go through the full range of emotions - hating Margaret Tate to ultimately falling in love with her.
7) Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Natalie Portman's portrayal of Nina in Black Swan is considered among her best work to date. The way she portrayed the complex character of Nina and the range of emotions she goes through as she struggles to achieve perfection under the guidance of her director, her mother, and others around her, ultimately turning her into a villain in her own story, leaves fans in awe.
8) Margot Robbie in The Suicide Squad
Although Suicide Squad was not a film that was very appreciated by DC fans, people loved Margot Robbie's portrayal of the beloved character, Harley Quinn.
In fact, her role was so critically acclaimed that she reprised her role as Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey (2020) and James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (2022).
These are some of the most popular female actors who play villains that viewers love to hate.
