49 Fun Facts About Villain

Which character tops the American Film Institute's 2003 list of the 50 greatest screen villains?

Anthony Hopkins's Oscar-winning turn ranked first, ahead of Norman Bates and Darth Vader.

The cannibal psychiatrist Dr Lecter first appeared in a small role in which 1981 Thomas Harris novel?

That book was filmed as Manhunter in 1986 with Brian Cox as the doctor, spelled 'Lecktor'.

Thomas Harris's cannibal psychiatrist is written as having been born in which country?

Harris said the inspiration was Alfredo Ballí Treviño, a convicted murderer he met while reporting in Mexico.

Norman Bates was loosely based on which real-life killer?

Robert Bloch created the character for his 1959 novel Psycho, and Freddie Highmore later played a young Norman in Bates Motel.

Who physically played Darth Vader in the original trilogy, with James Earl Jones as the voice?

The former bodybuilder wore the suit; Sebastian Shaw appeared as the unmasked Anakin in Return of the Jedi.

Which actress played the Wicked Witch of the West in 1939 and introduced her green skin?

In L. Frank Baum's book she rules the Winkie Country and is killed by Dorothy with a bucket of water; the green skin was Hollywood's invention.

Nurse Ratched, played by Louise Fletcher, was created by Ken Kesey in which 1962 novel?

Fletcher won an Academy Award, and Sarah Paulson later played the character in the Netflix prequel Ratched.

According to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which Illinois city did HAL 9000 become operational?

The film dates HAL's activation to 12 January 1992, while Arthur C. Clarke's novel says 1997.

Which actor voiced HAL 9000?

The name stands for Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer, and Rain voiced HAL in both film adaptations.

Which 1928 silent-film character was shown to the Joker's creators as inspiration for his grin?

Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson each told a different story of who came up with the character for Batman #1 in 1940.

Heath Ledger's Oscar for The Dark Knight was the first acting Oscar for what kind of movie?

Joaquin Phoenix later won Best Actor for the 2019 film Joker, making the character a two-time Oscar winner.

"I am Lord Voldemort" is an anagram of what?

Translators often had to change his name so the anagram would still work; the name Voldemort itself echoes the French vol de mort, 'flight of death'.

Voldemort was the son of the witch Merope Gaunt and a Muggle father named what?

The father abandoned Merope before the birth, and she died shortly afterwards, leaving the boy to a Muggle orphanage.

Sauron was originally the chief lieutenant of which first Dark Lord?

He was one of the Maiar, angelic spirits, and in The Hobbit he is known only as the Necromancer.

Gollum obtained the One Ring by murdering whom?

The victim had found the Ring in the River Anduin; the Ring stretched Gollum's life far beyond natural limits.

Which actor gave Gollum his motion-capture performance in Peter Jackson's films?

Brother Theodore voiced the character in the Rankin-Bass cartoons and Peter Woodthorpe in Ralph Bakshi's film and the BBC radio version.

Freddy Krueger's parents-turned-vigilantes did what to him before he became a dream demon?

Wes Craven's child killer welded his own bladed glove; Robert Englund played him for eight films.

Jason Voorhees first wore his trademark hockey mask in which film?

In the 1980 original he appears only as a boy in his mother's memories, played by Ari Lehman.

Michael Myers' white mask in the original Halloween was made from a cast of which actor's face?

It was a Captain Kirk mask left over from The Devil's Rain; Nick Castle wore it for most of the film, credited as The Shape.

How old is Michael Myers when he murders his sister Judith on Halloween night 1963?

Fifteen years later he escapes Smith's Grove Sanitarium and returns to Haddonfield, Illinois, to stalk Laurie Strode.

Pennywise returns to prey on the children of Derry, Maine roughly how often?

Tim Curry played the clown in the 1990 miniseries and Bill Skarsgård in the 2017 and 2019 films.

Thanos creator Jim Starlin conceived the character during college classes in which subject?

The name nods to Freud's death drive, Thanatos; the character debuted in The Invincible Iron Man #55 in 1973.

In the 1991 comic The Infinity Gauntlet, why does Thanos wipe out half the universe?

The films swapped in an overpopulation motive; Josh Brolin took over the role from Damion Poitier in 2014.

Which weapon, normally used to stun livestock, does Anton Chigurh carry in No Country for Old Men?

Javier Bardem won an Oscar, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for the role and joked his bowl haircut would keep him single for months.

Cruella de Vil first appeared in a 1956 novel by which author?

Disney's animators based her mannerisms on Tallulah Bankhead and her long lanky frame on actress Mary Wickes.

Magneto's backstory as a Holocaust survivor was created by which writer?

Claremont compared him to Menachem Begin, though later commentators reached for Malcolm X; his birth name is Max Eisenhardt.

In his earliest 1940 comic appearances, Lex Luthor was drawn how?

The famous bald look came later; Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Jesse Eisenberg and Nicholas Hoult have all played him on film.

Holmes's 'Napoleon of crime' phrase was lifted from a Scotland Yard description of which real criminal?

Moriarty appears directly in only two stories, 'The Final Problem' (1893) and The Valley of Fear.

Count Dracula claims descent from which historical conqueror?

Stoker probably did not know that his inspiration, Vlad III, was also called Vlad the Impaler.

Captain Hook's dying words in J. M. Barrie's play are the motto of which school?

'Floreat Etona' fits a villain implied to have gone from Eton to Balliol; in the novel his last words are simply 'bad form'.

By stage tradition begun in 1904, Captain Hook is played by the same actor as which other character?

Gerald du Maurier, already playing George Darling, talked Barrie into letting him double the role.

Which actor has played Palpatine in every Star Wars film in which the character physically appears?

The name Palpatine first turned up in the prologue of Alan Dean Foster's 1976 novelization, and his Sith name Darth Sidious was coined for The Phantom Menace's novelization.

Hans Gruber in Die Hard aims to steal $640 million in what form?

It was Alan Rickman's first film role; producer Joel Silver had seen him on Broadway in Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

Why does Alan Rickman's look of terror in Hans Gruber's death fall look so real?

The crew recorded the drop twice and used the first take, compositing it over a plate of the plaza.

Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie found the name Keyser Söze in a dictionary of which language?

It comes from an idiom meaning to talk too much and cause confusion, fitting for a story told by 'Verbal' Kint.

Which actor played the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and returned in No Way Home?

Norman Osborn debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 in 1964, armed with pumpkin bombs and a goblin glider.

Erik Killmonger's Wakandan birth name is what?

He debuted in Jungle Action #6 in 1973, created by Don McGregor and Rich Buckler; Michael B. Jordan played him in the films.

The Alien creature in Ridley Scott's 1979 film was designed by which Swiss artist?

The design grew out of his 1976 lithograph Necronom IV; Nigerian art student Bolaji Badejo wore the suit.

Which Hogwarts house was Dolores Umbridge sorted into?

Imelda Staunton played the toad-like Ministry official in the films; she hated school because she never got any position of power.

Count Olaf claims to be related to the Baudelaire orphans how?

Or their fourth cousin three times removed; Jim Carrey played him on film and Neil Patrick Harris on Netflix.

Which AFI-listed villain is a mechanical prop nicknamed 'Bruce' by its film crew?

The mechanical prop ranked 18th on the AFI list, two places below Annie Wilkes.

Which AFI-ranked villain from Bambi never speaks or appears on screen?

The unseen hunter who shot Bambi's mother placed 20th, one spot behind Captain Bligh.

Which character appears on both the AFI heroes list and the AFI villains list?

Arnold Schwarzenegger's killer machine from 1984 is the villain; the reprogrammed T-800 from Terminator 2 is the hero.

Scar in The Lion King is loosely based on which Shakespearean antagonist?

Animator Andreas Deja modelled Scar's look on Jeremy Irons, drawing on his Claus von Bülow performance in Reversal of Fortune.

Eleanor Audley, the original voice of Maleficent, had earlier voiced which other Disney villainess?

Maleficent, the self-styled 'Mistress of All Evil', was animated by Marc Davis for 1959's Sleeping Beauty.

Why does Disney's sea witch Ursula have only six tentacles rather than an octopus's eight?

Her look was also inspired by the drag queen Divine, and Carroll based her voice on Shakespearean actresses and car salespeople.

Which actress was fired from voicing Ursula after clashing with Howard Ashman over 'Poor Unfortunate Souls'?

Bea Arthur and Joan Collins had both turned the part down before Pat Carroll was finally hired.

Which two actors portray Agent Smith in The Matrix Resurrections (2021)?

Hugo Weaving played Smith in the original trilogy, and Empire ranked the character the 84th greatest movie character in 2008.

Besides a Shakespearean king, Scar's villainy was inspired by which real dictator?

The writers also drew on lions' natural behaviour of pride takeovers.