Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Sitcom Stars Who Played TV Villains And Nailed It
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Vote up the sitcom stars who played great villains.
For a profession that relies on people playing pretend, acting frequently limits what actors can due with the prevalence of typecasting. Sitcom actors usually have it the hardest, as viewers struggle to see them as anything more than comic relief. Yet, to get on TV - especially a sitcom - takes talent and timing, so it should be no surprise these performers have what it takes to electrify in other genres.
There are many actors who pivot from comedic protagonists to portraying villains in other TV shows and do a phenomenal job. This list looks at the sitcom stars who broke out of their box and dropped villainous performances for the ages.
John Lithgow's Dick Solomon is one of the most beloved sitcom characters of all time. In 3rd Rock from the Sun, he steals the show as the smart alien trying to learn about humanity. It's impossible to stifle the chuckles as Dick's perceptions about humans are often spot-on.
In Dexter, Lithgow trades the laughs for mayhem. He portrays Arthur Mitchell, better known as the Trinity Killer, in the fourth season of the show. Arthur looks unassuming as a cherished member of the community church, but he harbors a secret life a as serial killer. Lithgow's bone-chilling performance was good enough to secure him an Emmy Award.
Steve Carell is no slouch in the comedy genre, with his defining role as Michael Scott in The Office. From parkour to Prison Mike, Scott's attempts to liven up Dunder Mifflin are infused with Carell's spirit - even if the other employees wish for a less distracting boss.
No one could have predicted that the man behind Michael Scott would take the role of a devious predator in The Morning Show. Carell plays Mitch Kessler, the former co-host of the titular show who is fired for sexual harassment. Carell brings his trademark charm to the role, almost getting the audience to believe the accusations are baseless, until it's revealed he also assaulted an employee. Even more disturbing is Kessler's tendency to bend the truth to suit his own narrative, which Carell acts out with great nuance.
Matthew Perry is best remembered as Chandler Bing, one of the core six Friends. Chandler is the wittiest and most sarcastic of the group, who always finds himself in a pickle due to his mouth running faster than his brain. Nonetheless, he is a beloved character in TV history thanks to Perry's delivery of Chandler's zingers.
In The Good Wife, Perry returned as powerful Illinois attorney Mike Kresteva, who is nothing like Chandler. Mike lies, blackmails, and gaslights to get what he wants, and he doesn't care who he hurts in the process. He became such a despicable character that even Entertainment Weekly wrote an article about wanting to “slap Matthew Perry” for what his character has done.
Due to his affable, guy-next-door nature, John Ritter built a career for himself playing friendly and welcoming characters in sitcoms, notably Jack Tripper in Three's Company.
In a memorable guest spot on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ritter utilizes this nice guy persona to disarm the audience as Ted Buchanan. He seems like a down-to-earth individual who holds genuine feelings for Buffy's mother, Joyce. However, the façade starts to slip, showing troublesome and cruel behavior under the surface. Buffy discovers that Ted is actually a robot that has been malfunctioning and collecting wives - some of whom have been left to wither and die in his bunker. Though bizarre, the twist lands heavily because of the contrast with Ritter's usual kind characters.
Michael J. Fox built his reputation with two major sitcoms. The first is Family Ties, where he plays Alex P. Keaton, a high school student who sees the world differently from his swinging '60s parents. The second is Spin City, where Fox portrays Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty in a hilarious fictionalized look at New York City politics.
In The Good Wife, Fox turns it around as conniving and manipulative attorney Louis Canning. The character has tardive dyskinesia and knows how to use his disorder to his advantage. Canning tugs on the heartstrings of the people around him to get what he wants, as everyone feels sorry for him. Fox captures the layers of this devious plans as Canning plots to get what he wants.
Matthew Perry is best remembered as Chandler Bing, one of the core six Friends. Chandler is the wittiest and most sarcastic of the group, who always finds himself in a pickle due to his mouth running faster than his brain. Nonetheless, he is a beloved character in TV history thanks to Perry's delivery of Chandler's zingers.
In The Good Wife, Perry returned as powerful Illinois attorney Mike Kresteva, who is nothing like Chandler. Mike lies, blackmails, and gaslights to get what he wants, and he doesn't care who he hurts in the process. He became such a despicable character that even Entertainment Weekly wrote an article about wanting to “slap Matthew Perry” for what his character has done.
Alan Alda is a TV legend, remembered for his memorable turn as Hawkeye in the wartime comedy series M*A*S*H. Underneath the comedic exterior, though, is a talented thespian capable of delivering genre-bending performances.
In The Blacklist, Alda demonstrates how it's good to be bad. On the surface, the character Alan Fitch looks like a hero: he's a family man who works in National Intelligence. Behind the scenes, he's part of a crime syndicate known as the Cabal, and is even responsible for framing Red for treason. Much like a Bond villain, his diabolical plotting raises the stakes of the story, and Alda's performance is fearsome.
