“…watch a flick, illin and root for the villain..” – Nas, “One Time For Ya Mind”
As likable as the good guys are in movies (we see you Will Smith) there is something about a badass that keeps us lined up at the box office quoting them long after the credits roll. Just think about who is more memorable: Tupac’s Bishop from Juice or his Lucky character from Poetic Justice? Thought so.
Not only is it more fun to play the bad guy in a movie, it seems to pay more dividends. Monique has won a Golden Globe for her role in Precious as the abusive mother, Mary, and Denzel won his first Best Actor Oscar playing a villain in Training Day. The last time a Black actor won an award for being nice on screen was Jennifer Hudson winning Best Supporting Actress for Dream Girls (2006), Jamie Foxx for Ray and Morgan Freeman for Million Dollar Baby in 2004. While I’m sure many of you reading this can quote the crooked cop Alonzo line for line, I doubt most folks can remember one thing that “Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris” said in that boxing gym.
So here is our salute to those characters that were so good at being bad.
Bishop, Juice
Played by: Tupac Shakur
Tweet this: “You gotta get the ground beneath your feet, partner, get the wind behind your back and go out in a blaze if you got to!”
Jules Winnfield, Pulp Fiction
Played by: Samuel L. Jackson
Tweet this: “Say ‘what’ again! Say ‘what’ again! I dare you, I double dare you motherfucker, say what one more Goddamn time!”
O-Dog, Menace II Society
Played by: Larenz Tate
Tweet this: “Anybody wanna hamburger? I just got it from a basehead!”
Sho Nuff, The Last Dragon
Played by: Julius Carry
Tweet this: “Kiss my Converse!”
Evilene, The Wiz
Played by: Mabelle King
Tweet this: “Don’t nobody bring me no bad news!”
Mary, Precious
Played by: Mo’Nique
Tweet this:”You sit there and you judge me, and you write them notes on your notepad, because you think you know who I am!”
Stab, Pee Wee and Zilla, House Party
Played by: Full Force
Tweet this: “We’ll kick yo’ fuckin ass!”
Deebo, Friday
Played by: Tiny Zeus Lester
Tweet this: “Wachu got on my 40, Homey?”/”This is MY bike!”
Alonzo, Training Day
Played by: Denzel Washington
Tweet this: “King Kong ain’t got shit on me!”
Nino Brown, New Jack City
Played by: Wesley Snipes
Tweet this: “Cancel this bitch!”
Honorable mentions:
Vin Diesel as Riddick in Pitch Black
Vanessa Williams as Keisha in New Jack City, “Rock-a-bye baby!”
Jeffrey Wright as Peoples Hernandez in Shaft (2000)
Vivica A. Fox as Vernita Green in Kill Bill
