Colin Farrell is an Irish actor who made his on-screen debut on the BBC in 1998. Not long after, he was discovered by Hollywood, and his now-storied movie career began to blossom from that point. He has appeared in numerous high-budget films and worked with the likes of legendary directors like Steven Spielberg and Martin McDonagh, quickly becoming one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood.
Earlier this year, Farrell appeared in The Batman, as The Penguin, one of the most iconic Batman villains in the franchise. He is also set to reprise the character in an upcoming spin-off series, which will be available to stream on HBO Max. Throughout his career, Farrell has regularly performed the role of the villain. Of course, The Penguin isn’t the first time Farrell has played a movie villain. In fact, it’s a type of role he’s stepped into many times throughout his career. Here are his best movie villains, ranked.
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7 Percival Graves — Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Warner Bros.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is directed by David Yates and is a spin-off to the Harry Potter series, set many years before the events of the main franchise. The series is distributed by Warner Brothers and consists of three fantasy films. Farrell stars in Fantastic Beasts as the villain Percival Graves. He is an Auror in the magical congress of the USA, however, it turns out he was in disguise and is actually Gellert Grindelwald. Although he did not continue the role, he performed the villainous role well.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Bullseye — Daredevil
Marvel Entertainment
Daredevil was released in 2003 and was directed by Mark Steven Johnson, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The film stars Ben Affleck in the leading role as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who live a double life as the titular masked vigilante Daredevil. Farrell appears again as the villain named Bullseye. Bullseye is a killer who is ruthless and was given an Irish background due to Farrell’s involvement with the film. He performs the role perfectly and is a real highlight of an otherwise panned film.
5 Bobby Pellitt — Horrible Bosses
New Line Cinema
Horrible Bosses is a 2011 black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, and Jamie Foxx. The plot focuses on three friends who decide to murder their overbearing bosses. Farrell plays Bobby, a mean boss who has overtaken his father’s company, showing little care for his employees. He embodies the role perfectly, making the audience despise watching him.
4 Jimmy Egan — Pride and Glory
Pride and Glory was released in 2008 and is a crime drama directed by Gavin O’Connor. The film sees Farrell playing the role of Jimmy Egan, who is the film’s main antagonist. He is a Sergeant in the NYPD who has been involved in corruption, having played a role in countless murders and drug issues in the city. With respect to the other movie villains on this list, Jimmy Egan is effectively more sinister precisely because of how grounded in reality he is and, within America’s law enforcement system, all too unfortunately real.
3 Charles Ambrose — Solace
Silver Reel
In Solace, Farrell plays Charles Ambrose, a serial killer who targets people who are terminally ill to free them from their misery. The film was originally planned as a sequel to Se7en, however, this idea was eventually scrapped, leaving the film to exist as a standalone film. It ultimately didn’t perform well, but Farrell’s performance was a highlight.
2 Jerry Dandridge — Friday Night
DreamWorks Pictures
Fright Night is a 2011 horror film directed by Craig Gillespie, serving as a remake of Tom Holland’s 1985 film of the same name. This is one of the villainous roles that Farrell has played that is more on the supernatural side, playing Jerry Dandridge, a vampire who is discovered by his next door neighbor. He plays the vampire perfectly, bringing a villainous charm to the role that only Farrell can bring.
1 Penguin – The Batman
Warner Bros. Pictures
The Batman was released in 2022 and is based on the DC Comics character Batman, this time with Robert Pattinson take on the much-desired role. The film was directed by Matt Reeves, and Farrell plays the iconic villain, The Penguin, who differs to how he is portrayed in the comics. Farrell takes the character in a new direction and delivers an excellent performance, even providing some levity in an otherwise gritty narrative.
