10 Villainous Performances From Actors Who Also Played Jesus

10. Rodrigo Santoro - 300

Rodrigo Santoro had an unenviable task portraying Jesus in the 2016 remake of Ben-Hur, one of the most famous portrayals of Jesus in film history. In the Charlton Heston film, Jesus is a larger than life presence whose face is not seen and whose presence is instantly enormous. Santoro had the job of making a Jesus who was real, human, and relatable, and he succeeded.

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Santoro has had his share of dark roles as well. Recently, he played the bandit robot Hector Escaton in HBO’s Westworld, and who could forget him as the scheming Paulo who stole diamonds, plotted the death of a TV producer, and ended up buried alive in Lost?

But the villain role of note here is Xerxes, leader of the Persians, in Zack Snyder’s 300. Bald, sparkling with gold chains, and believing himself a god, Santoro’s Xerxes is the gaudy, egocentric counterpoint to his compassionate Christ.

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